Extension Manager alpha build

[clav]

An alpha build of the Extension Manager i've been working on is now available for Firebird.

It manages to load the entire Extension Room database, filter out the non-Firebird extension, then list the details of the rest and allow you to install them. I'll get it to filter out extensions that aren't applicable to your build as sson as I figure out how to find the build ID from javascript.

The UI still needs a lot of work, particularly the iframe which displays a description of the extension, as it is not resizing with the window at the moment

At present it shows up as a Get Extensions item in the Tools menu, or you can type <kbd>chrome://em/content/em.html</kbd> if you have the Tools menu hidden as I do. In future builds it will most likely move into the Options window, initially as a Get Extensions button on the Extensions panel, and later it might replace the Extensions panel altogether (once I've got it to recognise which extensions you already have installed).

The next build will probably let you post comments about extensions, since we've got the server side part of this sorted out already

Suggestions welcome.

[nilson]

I just installed it; It's nice. Thanks.

[alanjstr]

You get to be my 4000th post. A few comments:

I coudln't see the Install Extension button until I resized by dragging the bottom border down. I kept dragging and the bottom is being filled with grey instead of letting me see more of the two panels.

Bottom box should probably be inset instead of flat. If you stretch the box wider, the version number and the XPI size kinda wind up floating out in the middle of nowhere. I know it's alpha, but when it's done I'd like to be able to sort on Name and Updated Ascending/Descending.

I'm not sure why the Created By is on one line but author's name on a seperate line. A link to the extension home page would be good. Multiple authors means additional lines, causing the box to shift

You need a menubar, even if the only thing on it is the File menu so that you can close it with accesskeys.

Maybe bold the extension name at the top of that middle grey strip.

The word "Description" probably isn't necessary.

4000 baby!

[djst]

4000 baby!

I salute you!

[jensb]

I'll get it to filter out extensions that aren't applicable to your build as soon as I figure out how to find the build ID from javascript.

I investigated on this issue because I might need it for MozGest some time. Querying the user agent string will make you vulnerable to things like UserAgent Bar, Prefbar's Useragent spoofing tool and so on. A safe way, however, exists. Just include the DTD "chrome://global/content/build.dtd" into one of your overlays and insert

Code: Select all

<data id="extMgrBuildId" value="&buildId.label;"/>

Its value will be set to something like this: "Build ID: 2003031211" (for both Seamonkey and Firebird).

[clav]

I couldn't see the Install Extension button until I resized by dragging the bottom border down. I kept dragging and the bottom is being filled with grey instead of letting me see more of the two panels.

yeah, the resizing behaviour is weird.

Bottom box should probably be inset instead of flat.

yuck. i hate inset boxes.

If you stretch the box wider, the version number and the XPI size kinda wind up floating out in the middle of nowhere.

good point. i'll try and come up with a better layout

I know it's alpha, but when it's done I'd like to be able to sort on Name and Updated Ascending/Descending.

You'll be able to sort on everything which shows as a column at some point. I expected that to happen automatically when using a listbox, but it looks like I might have to switch to a tree widget instead (though it would be a tree without any branches, if that makes any sense )

I'm not sure why the Created By is on one line but author's name on a seperate line.

because you can have more than one author. see Link Toolbar, LinkIt, Ook, and various other things me and cdn wrote together.

A link to the extension home page would be good.

forgot about that. I'll add it in the next version.

Multiple authors means additional lines, causing the box to shift

do you have a better idea? bear in mind that a link for the author's homepage and email address might well have to fit in as well

You need a menubar, even if the only thing on it is the File menu so that you can close it with accesskeys.

it's meant to be a dialogue window, and will probably eventually be part of the options window. dialogue windows do not have menubars

Maybe bold the extension name at the top of that middle grey strip.

was planning on highlighting it in the manner the names of panels used to be in the Options window

The word "Description" probably isn't necessary.

true.

all the details of an extension might be shown in the html page with the long description eventually. that's what I think would look best (because then it'd all be white, or whatever, which would be more consistent, and the scrollbar would be for the whole of the description)

4000 baby!

time to get the admins to add some more levels beyond Mozilla Lover

[clav]

Querying the user agent string will make you vulnerable to things like UserAgent Bar, Prefbar's Useragent spoofing tool and so on.

yeah, I'd realised that.

A safe way, however, exists. Just include the DTD "chrome://global/content/build.dtd" into one of your overlays and insert

Code: Select all

<data id="extMgrBuildId" value="&buildId.label;"/>

Its value will be set to something like this: "Build ID: 2003031211" (for both Seamonkey and Firebird).

thanks. that saves me some work

[nilson]

I think that the bottom box should be inset too; it has consisteny across the browser and the OS. It also looks better to me, being inset. At least put a border on it if nothing else.

[clav]

an inset box would not be remotely consistent with Firebird on my computer or OS (win xp). I'll find out what css is used on similar boxes already in Fb and copy that, since it'll presumably give an inset box when appropriate.

it is version 0.00001 you know

[nilson]

Are you really going to go through 99,998 more sub-1.0 versions?

[clav]

how about I count them in binary?

[alanjstr]

Bottom box should probably be inset instead of flat.

yuck. i hate inset boxes.

Then a border at least. The white against grey is a little abrupt. But since the top box is inset, I think it's approriate for the bottom box to be, too.

I'm not sure why the Created By is on one line but author's name on a seperate line.

because you can have more than one author. see Link Toolbar, LinkIt, Ook, and various other things me and cdn wrote together.

Multiple authors means additional lines, causing the box to shift

do you have a better idea? bear in mind that a link for the author's homepage and email address might well have to fit in as well

Comma seperated list? Homepage can say "Theme Homepage" and the author's name can be a link to their email address.

You need a menubar, even if the only thing on it is the File menu so that you can close it with accesskeys.

it's meant to be a dialogue window, and will probably eventually be part of the options window. dialogue windows do not have menubars

Even dialogs have an OK button to close them. Or Done.

Maybe bold the extension name at the top of that middle grey strip.

was planning on highlighting it in the manner the names of panels used to be in the Options window

Ow, that hurt my head.

[chrisgeleven]

Great start! Glad someone is working on something like this since this can become a huge selling point for Mozilla Firebird.

No major problems that no one else has noticed.

Suggestions include:

- Would be really cool if the current build of an extension on MozDev matches the build you have installed, then the install button is greyed out.
- Some type of tree widget to sort through different categories of extensions, right now it is a jumbled collection of extensions.
- Eventually buttons somewhere for Themes and Search Plugins
- The date of last update needs to be more readable instead of yyyymmdd. Not sure what you can do, but there has got to be a better way to format it.
- A screenshot of the particular feature and/or settings window for an extension in the little info pane below. Think that would be interesting.
- Install Extension should probably go above the description, the current location (once the window is resized) isn't quick to find.

[nilson]

...- Would be really cool if the current build of an extension on MozDev matches the build you have installed, then the install button is greyed out. ...

That would be nice.

[alanjstr]

- Eventually buttons somewhere for Themes and Search Plugins

Yeah, Themes awaits the XML backend.

- The date of last update needs to be more readable instead of yyyymmdd.

I like ccyymmdd, but it could always be hyphenated to ccyy-mm-dd

- A screenshot of the particular feature and/or settings window for an extension in the little info pane below. Think that would be interesting.

Would have to download it on demand. At some point this extension will be eating significant bandwidth.