[Ext] TabLang - separate keyboard layout for tabs and urlbar

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Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

[Ext] TabLang - separate keyboard layout for tabs and urlbar

Post by Crazy-EyE »

TabLang extension automatically changes input language when user switches between tabs/windows in Firefox

I've got used to this behavior in Internet Explorer but hadn't found any extension for Firefox that does the same so I started a new one.

Current version is 0.4.1 (install, version history, known bugs). Should work in Firefox 4+ in Windows (32bit/64bit) and Linux (32bit/64bit).

Supports:
  • Changing keyboard layout when switching between tabs/windows (including sidebars)
  • Configurable default keyboard layout for new tabs/windows
  • Opening link in new tab/window preserves keyboard layout
  • Preserving independent keyboard layout for address bar globally or on pre-tab basis
  • Preserving independent keyboard layout for web search bar and page find bar
  • Session restore support
  • Undo close tab/window, tab drag-and-drop and tear-off support
  • Panorama support
Homepage
addons.mozilla.org page
Last edited by Crazy-EyE on June 29th, 2011, 3:20 pm, edited 7 times in total.
t800
Posts: 2
Joined: July 9th, 2008, 1:02 am

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by t800 »

Hi.

I have installed TabLang for FireFox 3.0 on Win2000 and WinXP machines. On Win2000 everything is just fine. However on WinXP FireFox consider the plugin not compatible with version 3. How come it happens? Is there any workaround to fix that?
Thanks in advance.
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

First of all thank you for your feedback and for your review.

I'm sorry to hear that because it is very strange issue. I can install it in my Ff3.0 in WinXP without any problems.

First of all make sure that TabLang version is NOT 0.1.0 (it has a similar bug). Also if it says something about WINNT_x86-msvc, you accidentally downloaded version for Linux.

If this doesn't help please post your version of Firefox (if it doesn't match one in your UserAgent string saved by the forum), version of TabLang and from where you downloaded it (addons.mozilla.org or tablang.mozdev.org). Also please say what exact message did you get and when (just after installation or before restart of Firefox). Hope this will make things clear.
t800
Posts: 2
Joined: July 9th, 2008, 1:02 am

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by t800 »

Hi.

Thanks for the prompt reply. I took TabLang from addons.mozilla.org. That was a latest Windows version (surely not for Linux). Now I have solved the problem with the "Nightly Tester Tools" addon, so the question is no longer as topical as it was. Anyway it is still quite strange why FireFox reported TabLang to be not compatible with the v3.0. As for the place I have seen the message that was a common "Plugins" window. After the installation, TabLang became visible in the list of plugins, but it was inactive having remark of incompatibility.
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

Usually if extension is incompatible Firefox doesn't install it at all (you even don't need to restart it). As I understand you installed my extension into Firefox and restarted it. After restart Add-ons window appeared and the extension was in it, but it was marked disabled and incompatible and "Enable" button was disabled too. What about other extensions? Do they install properly?

You can try to update it using "Check for updates" button in Add-ons window. You can debug this update process by setting extensions.logging.enabled to true (you may have to create the property with this name) in about:config and running Firefox with -console option. You will see version, minVersion and maxVersion information about all add-ons and Firefox version information too in requests to AMO. May be this will help somehow.

You can try to install it into new profile and see if the problem still exists.

You don't have to install Nightly Tester Tools if the only thing you want to do is to disable extension compatibility check. You can set extensions.checkCompatibility property to false in about:config, but, of course, it's not recommended.

Thank you for your patience.
tarnegur
Posts: 1
Joined: January 15th, 2009, 12:48 pm

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by tarnegur »

A very good extension, it is really usefull. But I'm missing one option: the extension saves most likely the domain name or something like that and the language for it, but if the site-name comes with subdomain like "www.w35.domainname.com" and this subdomain changes automaticly, the language will be set to default again. A very good feature would be to set language to a site name like "*.domainname.com" and a step further would be a list, to wich I could add a site and its default language 8-) :wink:
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

Thank you for the feedback.

Of course, saving language for particular site would be good feature and I've thought about it but I can't promise I'll implement it soon, sorry. Currently I try to add support for session store and new Fx3.1 tab features to make extension fully compatible with Fx3.1. However as you "vote" for this feature I'll try to implement it next.

However I don't know how to reproduce the glitch you've mentioned. The only thing that depends on URLs is "parent search": when you open link in a new tab extension tries to guess which tab was the new one opened from and set the same language for it. Another thing here is that in such cases this guess can be performed only after HTML of the new page is fully loaded so if you change language it may be reset after loading finishes.

If what I've just mentioned causes your problem then I'm sorry: I really don't know how to do it without a delay in the way compatible with other extensions. If it's not then it's a bug and it would be nice if you post accurate steps how to reproduce it.

P.S. Also check that urlbar doesn't get focused because it's language is (almost) always English.
carsten09
Posts: 2
Joined: February 8th, 2009, 11:48 am

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by carsten09 »

I was looking for a tool that would simplify development of multi-langauge Web sites, specifically when using content negotiation. To me, the ideal solution would be an extension to Firefox that lets me set the language preference sent to the server on a per-tab basis; TabLang seemed to fit the bill exactly. Having just installed it, I am now puzzled:

1) How do I set the language for a particular tab? I have found no way to do this; my first choice would be an entry in the context menu of the tab. (The extension ColorfulTabs does this). I have looked under Tools|Options|Tabs and Tools|Add-ons|Extensions|TabLang -> Options button.

2) Does TabLang actually alter the Accept-Language: header as described in the HTTP/1.1 spec? Or does it only change the system locale used by the browser? The former would be most important to me.

I have installed TabLang as a global extension, as I do with almost all other extensions, since I use an unprivileged account for my development and day-to-day work. I am using Windows 2000 and Firefox 3.0.5 in a VMware virtual machine. All other extensions work well.
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

My extension doesn't fit your needs completely, sorry. It has nothing to do with locale preferences sent to web servers. It works with keyboard input language on local machine.

I don't know an extension that does what you need. If you can't find something appropriate you can try to ask in development forum
carsten09
Posts: 2
Joined: February 8th, 2009, 11:48 am

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by carsten09 »

I was afraid of that... Thank you for your reply. I'd still like to know how to use your extension. What did I miss?
jfmxl
Posts: 82
Joined: October 13th, 2005, 1:55 am

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by jfmxl »

Hi Carsten 09,

I was looking for just what you are. I didn't find it on a per-tab basis, but Quick Locale Switcher
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1333
will change the locale for all of Firefox from an icon on the status line.

It's better than what I used to have to do. Maybe if Crazy-EyE and Captain Caveman merged their code... but I'm happier than I was. I'm sure this is a good extension too, but I passed Quick Locale Switcher on a search for "change locale" and went back and got that from page 1 of the results after i read your posting. So I thought I'd return the favor.

Thanks for making your work public Crazy-EyE. We all appreciate it.
John Francis Lee
Chiangrai, TH
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

I'd still like to know how to use your extension.

carsten09 and jfmxl, you probably won't ever need to use my extension because according to your user agent strings you both have en-US Firefox. If the only language you use (for example for typing messages in this forum or in some chat or in webmail) is English and you don't have any other keyboard layout (one that you can switch to using for example Alt+Shift in Windows) my extension is completely useless for you.

MS Windows and some programs for Linux allow to have different keyboard layouts in different programs. So say I can type messages in my ICQ in Russian then switch to (graphical) console and type commands in English and when I switch back to ICQ keyboard language will be automatically switched to Russian so I can start typing a message immediately. My extension does similar thing but with tabs in Firefox.

You can see my extension in work only when you start typing in some form on the webpage or by keyboard indicator in the tray:

Image

Maybe if Crazy-EyE and Captain Caveman merged their code...
His extension is completely different. It isn't somehow related with mine.
jfmxl
Posts: 82
Joined: October 13th, 2005, 1:55 am

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by jfmxl »

Do you mean like สวัสดีครับคุณ Crazy-EyEs? I can type English and then switch to another language in Firefox, but I cannot keep one tab using one keyboard and another using Thai or Russian. I can keep different windows using different keyboards but not different tabs in the same window. I have to use the "windows" key (I use ubuntu so it's a "free" key) to switch keyboards. That's what your extension does, right? Allows one tab to have a Thai or Russian keyboard and another to have English or Italian, or some other language, right?

But what I have to do is visit a website with the locale set to en_US and check it out and then switch the locale to th_TH and view it again in Thai, to make sure that the two views are appropriately translated in the two languages. I can do that with the other extension but, again, not on a tab by tab basis.
John Francis Lee
Chiangrai, TH
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

Allows one tab to have a Thai or Russian keyboard and another to have English or Italian, or some other language, right?

Yes. Strange that it doesn't because it works well in my Ubuntu. Though Linux version needs more testing and is less stable
Crazy-EyE
Posts: 397
Joined: February 24th, 2008, 6:27 am
Location: Moscow, Russia

Re: [Ext] TabLang - keeps separate keyboard layout for each tab

Post by Crazy-EyE »

After the short exchange of PMs jfmxl confirmed that TabLang worked as expected in his Ubuntu.

Also I want to state it once more: keyboard input language is not connected with locale request in HTTP (Accept-Language header) in any way. So please don't try to use my extension to change locale preferences for websites and don't ask me how to do it.
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