Add-ons that can not function without taking space from the address bar of Firefox

Add-ons
#1

Today’s screenshots at https://github.com/mozilla/testpilot-containers/issues/771#issuecomment-328325416 showed four extensions that can not function without consuming space. Those shots were somewhat contrived; I began with a clean profile.

Realistically: I forgot that with my everyday profile, I already use at least two more.

Six in this shot:

2017-09-10 10:13:16 six of seven extensions that can not function without taking space from the location field
2017-09-10 10:13:16 six of seven extensions that can not function without taking space from the location field.png1178×762 190 KB

Shortlist below.

Any others? (I’ll add to the list.)

https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/enable-rightclick-and-copy/


https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/jxl-page-translator/
https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/taborama/

(Only one of the two icons for Taborama is movable. The other, which overrides containment, is immovable.)

It’s remarkable that all of them are modern (only one, Mozilla’s, is not yet compatible with Firefox 57).

Is there something about WebExtensions APIs that inadvertently over-encourages consumption of space from the location field?

It troubles me that these things are immovable. No overflow …

Postscripts

Three of the originally shortlisted extensions were fixed on the day of this topic, see https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/-/19044/4 below.

#2

I think these have a page action instead of a browser action. Try right click-ing on them and pin them in the overflow menu.

Try to do the opposite of this https://twitter.com/FirefoxNightly/status/906136908727713792

1 Like
#3

Thanks. Previous tests were with release 55.0.3.

I tested seven with 57.0a1. Two of them default to the toolbar:

  • Navigate Up WE
  • Search Site WE

The other five are immovable from the location field:

  • Enable Right Click and Copy
  • Extension source viewer
  • Firefox Multi-Account Containers
  • Page Translator
  • Taborama (discussion).
#4

For two extensions that were originally on the shortlist: major updates, to version 2.0, became available a few minutes ago. Neat coincidence!

https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/navigate-up-we/versions/?page=1#version-2.0

https://addons.mozilla.org/addon/search-site-we/versions/?page=1#version-2.0

Both defaulted to the toolbar, instead of the location field:

2017-09-10 14:19:54
2017-09-10 14:19:54.png1178×323 57 KB

:+1: :100: :-)

One of the two, I moved from the toolbar to the menu. (There is a new user preference, Show add-on submenu on context menu, but it does not appear when expected. I’ll write to the developer.)

The other, I removed from the toolbar.

#5

… and another enhancement, another removed from the shortlist. Same-day. Outstanding. Thanks to Rob Wu.

Result:

2017-09-10 19:06:18
2017-09-10 19:06:18.png1178×219 79.9 KB

Attention is drawn to:

– assigned, P1 … work in progress :+1:

#6

I imagined that disabling the Firefox Multi-Account Containers extension would allow containers to be used without the visual noise. Eventually I realised:

  • the noise is not added by the add-on
  • the noise has become integral to Firefox

– as far as I can tell, it’s simply not possible to use containers without the three-pronged approach.

#7

Firefox containers

With two of those three prongs in the address bar, there’s this report on behalf of a user who is colour blind:

… hard to differentiate …

– food for thought :wink: and I hope to add something, today, to Bugzilla@Mozilla.

Page Translator