Bring the old style tabs back!!

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ziddey
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Bring the old style tabs back!!

Post by ziddey »

One of the main reasons I used firefox over the other browsers was the way the tabs worked and the color of them. It's still better than opera (by my preferences). One the biggest problems I'm having is the fact that there are times I can have 10-20 tabs open. There needs to be a way to not have it have a scrolling aspect. I have no problem with the tabs getting smaller. I can remember the location of each. I like the close tab button to be at the end, not specific to each tab. If I want to close a tab by going to it, I'll just middle click it thank you very much. Bring the right end close button back!! And the active tab highlight is really hard to see on my lcd. This is the same problem with some of the windows xp themes in my opinion, and I'd much rather the look of the old one where it's crystal clear on lcd's which it is.
Paros
Posts: 32
Joined: December 9th, 2004, 12:11 pm

Post by Paros »

There is a fix for this problem - and it is a problem.

I also don't understand how someone can arbitrarily change such an important UI element without any consideration to so many people who may be using an existing feature and would like it to stay as it is.

I'm sorry I can't give you too much specific info, I hope someone else will chime in. There is a setting you can get to through about:config that you can specify the minimum width of tabs from 100 pixels (or whatever is the default) to anything you want.

I also used a plugin called Tabbrowser Preferences that allowed me to change the minimum width and I set it to 5 pixels, 10 pixels including the close button, and when I load about 50 pages (that I do often) before I browse to them they all open as they did before.

I think I saw the about:config method either on pcworld.com or on pcmag.com a couple of days ago when they were mentioning the same issue but I didn't keep the link.
cyrix007
Posts: 164
Joined: October 25th, 2006, 1:10 am

Re: Bring the old style tabs back!!

Post by cyrix007 »

ziddey wrote:
..... I like the close tab button to be at the end, not specific to each tab. If I want to close a tab by going to it, I'll just middle click it thank you very much. Bring the right end close button back!! And the active tab highlight is really hard to see on my lcd. This is the same problem with some of the windows xp themes in my opinion, and I'd much rather the look of the old one where it's crystal clear on lcd's which it is.


Got this from the FF 2.0 Announcement message:

-How to I get rid of the close buttons on tabs (go back to how Firefox 1.x was)? Type about:config in the address bar, press enter, and set browser.tabs.closeButtons to 3.
RipperFox
Guest

Post by RipperFox »

Yep.. needed this, too:

about:config -> browser.tabs.closeButtons -> Set to "3" and done..
Guest
Guest

Post by Guest »

hehe.. he was faster :)
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RenegadeX
Posts: 892
Joined: January 21st, 2005, 5:29 am
Location: Canada

Post by RenegadeX »

To heck with the Firefox Developers - just use Tab Mix Plus and be done with it. <--- version is compatible with FF2.0 though still 'pre-release'.
DaveMcK
Guest

Firefox Tabs Close Gadget

Post by DaveMcK »

Thank goodness there's a fix for that - it was doing my head in!!!!!
Cheers, guys!
Dave.
Hugues
Posts: 16
Joined: February 18th, 2005, 5:36 am

Post by Hugues »

I'll chime in.

From a UI point of view it's not that smart to put such a function in a variable location.
When you're reading a tab, you aren't always exactly aware if it's the first or the last. Therefore, to close it, which you do very often, you have to LOOK and SEARCH FOR the close button. It's a horrid thing to do and I'm sure it will be deterrent to many users.
Having the possibility to have the close button at a fixed location is simply the best way to go for most. And should be the per default behaviour.
Put that option in the Tab Options. Fast please.
Hugues
Posts: 16
Joined: February 18th, 2005, 5:36 am

Post by Hugues »

And the fix itself is worth another thread.

Because once you apply it and put browser.tabs.closeButtons to '3', the theme image for the 'List all tabs' button is completely out of place, lacking a right rounded corner.

Here's a proof :
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/5646/closetabsdp0.jpg

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/5646/closetabsdp0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"></a>

If someone know how to remove the 'List all tabs' tab, ty for sharing.
Last edited by Hugues on October 25th, 2006, 2:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
galmok
Posts: 48
Joined: May 1st, 2004, 2:34 am

Post by galmok »

I agree. The new tabs are a step backward. I tried the settings mentioned in this thread:

browser.tabs.closeButtons=3
browser.tabs.minWidth=0

and I do get some of the wanted effects but the tabs are still much too wide compared to what was possible with FF 1.5. Right now there is a large border around each icon and I still have to scroll the tabs.

Is there any way to reduce the border around these icons? I guess there must be a style file somewhere that I can edit, but I have _no_ idea where to make such a change.

Edit: Hmm I think I'll just ignore the tab icons and only use the "List all tabs" dropdown menu list. It can list all my tabs at the same time without having to scroll.
Last edited by galmok on October 25th, 2006, 3:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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tjustleft
Posts: 10
Joined: October 1st, 2006, 2:40 am
Contact:

Re: Bring the old style tabs back!!

Post by tjustleft »

cyrix007 wrote:
ziddey wrote:
..... I like the close tab button to be at the end, not specific to each tab. If I want to close a tab by going to it, I'll just middle click it thank you very much. Bring the right end close button back!! And the active tab highlight is really hard to see on my lcd. This is the same problem with some of the windows xp themes in my opinion, and I'd much rather the look of the old one where it's crystal clear on lcd's which it is.


Got this from the FF 2.0 Announcement message:

-How to I get rid of the close buttons on tabs (go back to how Firefox 1.x was)? Type about:config in the address bar, press enter, and set browser.tabs.closeButtons to 3.


thanks cirix007. i was really hating the new tabs.
mikoNZ
Guest

Post by mikoNZ »

RenegadeX wrote:To heck with the Firefox Developers - just use Tab Mix Plus and be done with it. <--- version is compatible with FF2.0 though still 'pre-release'.


Tab Mix Plus didn't work when I downloaded FF2. Which is among the reasons I've ditched it and gone back to 1.5.07
Guest
Guest

NO!!!!

Post by Guest »

I was dying for this style of close tab to be implemented (was using and extension for it up to now), and the main reason is this: Say you have many tabs open as your are researching something. You're keeping tabs open that might help you, but over time and tabs you find better sites with more relevant information. So you decided to clean up a bit, and close the tabs that aren't that helpful. With the old style close button this means find tab, select tab, go over to close button, find tab, select tab, go over to close button - repeat as many times as necessary, ie closing 5 tabs arguably requires 15 actions. With the new style all you have to do is click the close button on the tab, not even select it, to close it just as you would any other window on your system - closing 5 tabs requires 5 clicks.

I know I'm going against the grain of this thread but if you give this change a chance I think you may find it's an improvement as I do. But of course, to each his own.

ps - the new spell check is pretty damn cool!
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betona
Posts: 44
Joined: February 10th, 2004, 7:36 am
Location: Texan in Ohio

Post by betona »

I implemented the closebuttons=3 fix and agree that it shouldn't be hidden there -- it should be in the Options window.

But here's my desire: I want the close button on the tabs AND on the far right. I'm hoping that when Tab Mix Plus is updated and released that I'll get that back.
iod
Guest

Re: NO!!!!

Post by iod »

Anonymous wrote:I was dying for this style of close tab to be implemented (was using and extension for it up to now), and the main reason is this: Say you have many tabs open as your are researching something. You're keeping tabs open that might help you, but over time and tabs you find better sites with more relevant information. So you decided to clean up a bit, and close the tabs that aren't that helpful. With the old style close button this means find tab, select tab, go over to close button, find tab, select tab, go over to close button - repeat as many times as necessary, ie closing 5 tabs arguably requires 15 actions. With the new style all you have to do is click the close button on the tab, not even select it, to close it just as you would any other window on your system - closing 5 tabs requires 5 clicks.


OR, you could middle click the tabs you wanted to close, which is way more sensible...
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