[Ext] Tab Kit 0.5.7 (2009-07-06)

[chrismarx]

hi,
love the plugin, can't live without tab mix plus, and i just upgraded to 3 which tab mix doesnt support, so i switched to tab kit. everything is great, except that in order to completely replace tab mix plus, i had to install the following addons

1.new tab homepage
2. session manager
3. tab clicking options
4. tab X 2.0

i uninstalled tab x after getting tab kit, but tab kit failed to add the close buttons to all tabs. also, my largest problem is that something in tab kit is blocking the behaviors of the tab clicking options, mainly, the ability to double click a tab to duplicate. is there a setting somewhere that i can change to allow this behavior again?

thanks!!

[Jomel]

i uninstalled tab x after getting tab kit, but tab kit failed to add the close buttons to all tabs.

Even when set to appear on all tabs, close buttons won't appear on tabs that are less than a certain width. If you look in about:config "browser.tabs.tabMinWidth" specifies the minimum tab width (defaults to 100px) and "browser.tabs.tabClipWidth" specifies the minimum width a tab must have for a close button to be shown (defaults to 140px). So if you really want close buttons even when tabs are small, decrease browser.tabs.tabClipWidth so it's the same as minwidth, i.e. "100". Suppose I should add an option for this, as it's a common cause for confusion.

something in tab kit is blocking the behaviors of the tab clicking options, mainly, the ability to double click a tab to duplicate.

Ah, by default Tab Kit uses double-click for collapse/uncollapse group. Go to Tab Kit Options -> Controls and uncheck "Double-clicking on a tab group collapses/expands it", then it should work

[cdp1276]

I just installed this on FF 3 and have TMP uninstalled and I can't get multiple rows of tabs to show.

what other addons do you have installed? And are you using a special theme?

The only extensions I have enabled right now are IE Tab 1.5, Live HTTP headers 0.14, New Tab Button on Tab Right 0.4.4, Session Manager 0.6.1.13, Tab History 1.0.5 and your Tab Kit 0.4. I'm using the default theme.

It's a shame this doesn't just work easily as Tab Mix Plus. However they now have a FF 3 version out so I will switch back to that. Thanks!

[chrismarx]

'Go to Tab Kit Options -> Controls and uncheck "Double-clicking on a tab group collapses/expands it"
this was the first thing i did, but it didn't work

[AlanMartin]

'Go to Tab Kit Options -> Controls and uncheck "Double-clicking on a tab group collapses/expands it"
this was the first thing i did, but it didn't work

I just tested that here, in Firefox 3.0. Checking and unchecking that option works as expected. The effect is immediate, no need to restart Firefox.

Tab Kit has worked well for me here. That may be because I followed Jomel's advice and made a new profile.

Things which could mess with Tab Kit's options not working as expected include:
- some other tab related add-ons
- unusual settings in about:config
- customisations in userChrome.css maybe?
A new profile will remove all those possible causes.

Incidentally, making a fresh profile also fixed a few faults I had been experiencing in Firefox for quite a while, which were not related to Tab Kit (problems which had been bugging me before I even installed Tab Kit). I guess some of the changes I had made ages ago in about:config and userChrome.css (when I was using FF 2) are not suitable for FF version 3.0

[Doug Weller]

This one may be the thing that takes me back to Tab Mix Plus. I never want a new url to open in a current tab, always in a new tab. Right now when I type an url in the address bar, it opens in the current tab and that's just unacceptable to me. I gather this ia a FF3 'feature' and only Tab Mix Plus does what I want. Any chance of this being implemented (soonish hopefully if it's planned)?
Thanks
Doug

[mickeyjuice]

Having used this for a few days, I've gone back to TMP for the following reasons:

---
Open stuff in new tabs always. Can't live without it.

Double-click tabs to close them. (Been doing it for so long now the frustration is immense.)

"Closed Tabs List" is something I didn't know I used so much until it went away.
---

I love the way TK groups by domain, but it's outweighed by the above.

Keep up the good work, though.

[Jomel]

DnF, Doug & mickeyjuice: I'll add prefs for open urls etc in new tabs in the next version, since this is obviously a common request (I'll aim for a similar implementation to TMP).

Double-click tabs to close them. (Been doing it for so long now the frustration is immense.)
"Closed Tabs List" is something I didn't know I used so much until it went away.

You should be able to get double-clicking to close tabs using Tab Clicking Options (remember to disable Tab Kit Options->Controls->'Double clicking on a tab group collapses/expands it' first).
There's a Closed Tabs list built into Firefox, under History->Recently Closed Tabs. But if like me you prefer a toolbar button, use the Undo Closed Tabs Button extension. Or alternatively Session Manager provides such a button, along with other useful session management functionality (and also a closed windows feature).

[Doug Weller]

Thanks, that's good news. I'm using both Session Manager and Undo Close Tabs Button, maybe I don't need the latter.
Something is stopping the warning when I close FF, I have no idea what that is.

[Jome]

I'd be interested to know which things you miss most...

A late reply, but to replace Tab Mix Plus, I'd require the following:

* An additional 'close tab' button where the 'all tabs' button is located. (prefixed, always located above the 'scroll page up' cursor, like in FF1)
* Drop-down menu button with recently closed tabs, with undo possibility.
* When tabs don't fit width (more than 12 tabs), possibility to multi-row. (Instead of scroll left/right, it's multiple rows with tabs.) (Possibility to choose how many rows as well)

Features that I would like to see (some taken from TMP, some from others) :

* Possibility to remove the 'all tabs' button. (Not important, but it's not needed for some)
* Possibility to open links in new tab. (Both from external apps, and links that tries to open in a new window)
* Warning when closing multiple tabs.
* Possibility to choose which options to show in context menus. (Tab right-click context, main right-click context)
* Possibility to open non-linked (plain text) URLs in new tabs or windows. like Go to Selection.
* Possibility to convert text links into genuine, clickable links, like Linkification.

Bonus wishes:
* Possibility to make Openselectedlinks option work better alongside Tab Mix Plus.. ? (Show number of links to open, specifically)
* Crash Recovery & Session Manager

NB: Note that some of these are already built into Firefox, but can be (or already is) improved by extensions.
Some of these might be possible with Tab Kit, but either I haven't found it, or Tab Mix Plus does the same.

[Jomel]

I'd be interested to know which things you miss most...

A late reply, but to replace Tab Mix Plus, I'd require the following:

1. An additional 'close tab' button where the 'all tabs' button is located. (prefixed, always located above the 'scroll page up' cursor, like in FF1)
2. Drop-down menu button with recently closed tabs, with undo possibility.
3. When tabs don't fit width (more than 12 tabs), possibility to multi-row. (Instead of scroll left/right, it's multiple rows with tabs.) (Possibility to choose how many rows as well)

1. Tab Kit Options -> Tabs -> Close buttons -> "show a single close button at the end of the tab bar".
2. Undo Closed Tabs Button (or Session Manager includes this amongst other useful features, see later).
3. Tab Kit Options -> Tab Bar -> check "Show the tab bar on multiple rows", and tweak "Show up to [X] rows at once" (this is actually the default!). You might also want to adjust Tab Kit Options -> Tabs -> "Tab (minimum) width". Obviously your tab bar needs to be horizontal for this (Tab Kit Options -> Tab Bar -> The tab bar should be shown [at the top] of the window). And I doubt it'll work while you have TMP enabled.

Features that I would like to see (some taken from TMP, some from others) :

4. Possibility to remove the 'all tabs' button. (Not important, but it's not needed for some)
5. Possibility to open links in new tab. (Both from external apps, and links that tries to open in a new window)
6. Warning when closing multiple tabs.
7. Possibility to choose which options to show in context menus. (Tab right-click context, main right-click context)
8. Possibility to open non-linked (plain text) URLs in new tabs or windows. like Go to Selection.
9. Possibility to convert text links into genuine, clickable links, like Linkification.

4. Add ".tabs-alltabs-box, .tabs-alltabs-box-animate, .tabs-alltabs-button { display: none !important;}" to your userChrome.css. I suppose I could add an option...
5. Both of these open in new tabs by default unless you change Firefox preferences (make sure you have Firefox Options -> Tabs -> New pages should be opened in "a new tab").
6. Happens by default unless you change Firefox preferences (make sure you have Firefox Options -> Tabs -> Warn me when closing multiple tabs).
7. Try Menu Editor?
8. To open in new tab(s), select the url (it's ok to select some of surrounding text too), right-click and hit "Open 1 Text Link in New Tab" (If there's more than one it'll let you open all of them in one go, etc. And it also handles normal links intelligently - see the preferences under Tab Kit Options -> Tabs -> Open Selected Links). If opening them in new windows is important then go ahead and install Go to Selection...
9. Text links are rare enough that I'm usually happy selecting them, but if you must have clickable ones then go ahead and install Linkification (a Fx3-compatible beta is available from the developer).

Bonus wishes:
10. Possibility to make Openselectedlinks option work better alongside Tab Mix Plus.. ? (Show number of links to open, specifically)
11. Crash Recovery & Session Manager

NB: Note that some of these are already built into Firefox, but can be (or already is) improved by extensions.
Some of these might be possible with Tab Kit, but either I haven't found it, or Tab Mix Plus does the same.

10. Compatibility with TMP is tricky, as it makes a lot of changes. I'm curious as to why Open Selected Links is going wrong though.
11. The Session Manager extension is both faster (since it uses the built-in Firefox functionality) and restores more data than TMP. And yes, it handles Crash Recovery too.

You'll notice in many cases that I've suggested installing additional extensions. Don't assume that multiple extensions must be slower than one extension. For example, TMP is essentially a bunch of extensions stitched together.

Hope that helps

[Jome]

1. Tab Kit Options -> Tabs -> Close buttons -> "show a single close button at the end of the tab bar".
2. Undo Closed Tabs Button (or Session Manager includes this amongst other useful features, see later).
3. Tab Kit Options -> Tab Bar -> check "Show the tab bar on multiple rows", and tweak "Show up to [X] rows at once" (this is actually the default!). You might also want to adjust Tab Kit Options -> Tabs -> "Tab (minimum) width". Obviously your tab bar needs to be horizontal for this (Tab Kit Options -> Tab Bar -> The tab bar should be shown [at the top] of the window). And I doubt it'll work while you have TMP enabled.
4. Add ".tabs-alltabs-box, .tabs-alltabs-box-animate, .tabs-alltabs-button { display: none !important;}" to your userChrome.css. I suppose I could add an option...
5. Both of these open in new tabs by default unless you change Firefox preferences (make sure you have Firefox Options -> Tabs -> New pages should be opened in "a new tab").
6. Happens by default unless you change Firefox preferences (make sure you have Firefox Options -> Tabs -> Warn me when closing multiple tabs).
7. Try Menu Editor?
8. To open in new tab(s), select the url (it's ok to select some of surrounding text too), right-click and hit "Open 1 Text Link in New Tab" (If there's more than one it'll let you open all of them in one go, etc. And it also handles normal links intelligently - see the preferences under Tab Kit Options -> Tabs -> Open Selected Links). If opening them in new windows is important then go ahead and install Go to Selection...
9. Text links are rare enough that I'm usually happy selecting them, but if you must have clickable ones then go ahead and install Linkification (a Fx3-compatible beta is available from the developer).
10. Compatibility with TMP is tricky, as it makes a lot of changes. I'm curious as to why Open Selected Links is going wrong though.
11. The Session Manager extension is both faster (since it uses the built-in Firefox functionality) and restores more data than TMP. And yes, it handles Crash Recovery too.

You'll notice in many cases that I've suggested installing additional extensions. Don't assume that multiple extensions must be slower than one extension. For example, TMP is essentially a bunch of extensions stitched together.

Hope that helps

1. Yeah, but I'd still like a close button on all tabs in ADDITION to the one at the far right. With Tab Kit you can't have both, right.. ?
What about an option called "Show on all tabs and at the end of the tab bar".. ?

2. Yeah, but Tab Mix Plus can already do both of these, if I un-install TMP, I don't want to install 10 new extensions.

3. Nice, but seems easier to configure in TMP than in TK.

4, 5, 6: Cool. Option for number 4 would be nice.

7. Already possible in TMP.

8. Hmm, doesn't seem to work properly, somehow TMP must be screwing up Tab Kit in the Openselectedlinks area..
Also, which types of links can Tab Kit open.. ?? I'd like to see it open links like .no .se .dk etc.. not just the regular international ones.

9. Not rare for professional pirates downloaders, it's all over the place.

10. Yeah, it's weird, and it blocks some real useful functionality.

11. Hmm, was happy with the one in TMP, but will look into it.

Usually, I'd rather have 1 extension that fulfills 10 needs, than 10 extensions that fulfills a need each....

[Jomel]

Also, which types of links can Tab Kit open.. ?? I'd like to see it open links like .no .se .dk etc.. not just the regular international ones.

It matches urls starting with "http://" or starting with "www." or ending in ".com", ".net", ".org" or ".edu". Finally it also matches anything with a dot in it followed by a slash. So it matches "http://google.se", "www.google.se", "google.com" and "google.se/advanced_search", but it won't match just "google.se" on its own. It's not absolutely perfect, but it's a compromise to try and avoid false matches (people are sometimes sloppy with their full stops on the web).

1. Yeah, but I'd still like a close button on all tabs in ADDITION to the one at the far right. With Tab Kit you can't have both, right.. ?
What about an option called "Show on all tabs and at the end of the tab bar".. ?

Hmm... The current option is just a gui for the browser.tabs.closeButtons preference, I didn't really want to add bloat by reimplementing it. Presumably you like the button at the end when closing several tabs in a row? I just use Ctrl-W for that...

3. Nice, but seems easier to configure in TMP than in TK.

How hard is checking a box for 'yes I want multiple rows'? Especially when it's on by default [it probably doesn't work if you have TMP enabled]

2. Yeah, but Tab Mix Plus can already do both of these, if I un-install TMP, I don't want to install 10 new extensions.
...
7. Already possible in TMP.
...
Usually, I'd rather have 1 extension that fulfills 10 needs, than 10 extensions that fulfills a need each....

Suit yourself. Tab Kit's philosophy isn't about doing everything and the kitchen sink. It's aim is to add the most useful tab functionality, and to do it well. Adding just a couple of extensions (I like Ctrl-Tab and Session Manager) rounds it off nicely. But by keeping these things separate, users can pick and choose what they actually need, and each extension can focus on what it does well.

[Doug Weller]

Problem - I can see 7 rows of tabs, maximum I've set it for is 10. There are about 8 tabs I can not see in the tab bar. These include some of the ones I've opened in the last hour. They appear in the drop down menu on the right hand side (I'd love to see numbers and be able to sort alphabetically). But I can't move to them or see them on the tab bar, a major, major pain. This has only just happened, no changes in anything between last night when all was ok and today.

[Doug Weller]

Ok, I shut down FF, open it up again. As they are loading I see 8 rows. While they are loading, one row vanishes.