Add bookmark window (Ctrl-D) should be resizable

[jokari]

Hello Mozillians,

Since several years now, Firefox choose to make "Add Bookmark" window (Ctrl-D) a fixed size. I really like the workflow for the user of clicking on the url bar's star then choose a location in my bookmarks folder to save it.

That's the point where the user experience become cumbersome and, after a while, really infuriating especially on desktop.

The problem:

• In most situations I need to click one more time to expand the "location" window. Sometime I doesn't need to, but if it were already expanded it wouldn't bother the user either. One less click in many situations, not a click more in any other situation. Win-win.
• "location" window is way too small. On desktop I have a large screen but I am forced to, again, click and drag the side bar to painfully look for my bookmark folder. A 7 lines tall window for something like 30 lines tall bookmark folder (without sub-folders expanded).

To fix those issues, in "Add Bookmark" menu (Ctrl-D):

• "Location" drop down menu should be expanded by default. Even if it is not always needed, it doesn't add supplementary click ever.
• Last used location in "Location" should be remembered.
• Remove the most used locations shortcuts we have now (or make it optional) in "Location" drop down menu. For me, those are rarely needed. I often need to go in a sub-folder anyway.
• Make the "Add Bookmark" and more specifically the "location" drop down window resizable and/or larger. This is the most important modification.

On a side note, I did research how to resize this window. I found old posts and issues spanning several years and many subpar solutions about extensions (most doesn't exist anymore) or userChrome.css file to bypass this UI problem.

I hope it doesn't come to harshly on the Devs of Firefox. It's an amazing piece of software that I love.

[Jon]

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

[jscher2000]

I think it's a good idea to remember and restore the last state of the little folder browsing window (if left open, keep open, etc.).

I did want to mention an add-on that takes a different approach. If you are a person who frequently uses the bookmarks menu or keep the bookmarks sidebar open, this add-on allows bookmarking the current page to a folder by right-clicking the folder and using a context menu item. I'm not explaining it very well, but you can take a look:

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/bookmark-tab-here/ 

[jokari]

It's interesting thank you. I tried it. The shortcut it adds is welcome but it doesn't fix the workflow:

• You still have to click on your bookmark or use its shortcut Ctrl-Shift-O which is more complex than just Ctrl-D.
• You can't add tags directly in the Bookmark sidebar, you have to go in another menu.
• Bookmark menu icon is not directly accessibe in url bar, which is a very welcome natural place for this.
• It is one more add-on 😉

[Anonymous]

Could the various windows in Firefox be replaced by a sidebar? I imagine the sidebar opening automatically instead of displaying a window.

[jscher2000]

Hi jokari, regarding a couple of the new points:

"You can't add tags directly in the Bookmark sidebar, you have to go in another menu." -- when you right-click > Edit Bookmark, you should get a dialog with a Tags field.

"Bookmark menu icon is not directly accessibe in url bar, which is a very welcome natural place for this." -- there is an optional Bookmarks Menu button for the toolbar; see: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/bookmarks-firefox#w_how-do-i-add-the-bookmarks-menu-button-to-t...

[jokari]

A sidebar take screen real estate and push your content to make room for itself. A window can be overlaid on another one.

If you are using a large display with Firefox in full screen this is probably ok. You have plenty of space on either side of your webpage in mot cases.

If you are using half your screen for firefox (and a terminal on this other half for example), you probably don't have unused display space to put a sidebar.

Another problem with sidebar is its permanent nature: You have to click to open and click again to close it.

Bookmark window (Ctrl-D) is closed immediately when you click outside it. It's temporary by nature, as it should be: It's only to bookmark a page after all. I don't do that every second. No need to keep the window permanently open.

[GriffFirefox0]

I started this profile just to mention this glad someone else already did. The size is fine when I am on my large screen TV plugged in. But when I am sitting in a wifi spot with my small screen laptop it seems to be fine as long as I am okay with leaning in and staring at my screen which I dont want to change the size of cause it messes all the other things up in my computer....

This "Add Bookmark" window (Ctrl-D)  window is so small and hard to see what all folders are because they are stuck in a smaller than needed drop down window/menu.

Thanks for the great ideas

[lukaszbojarski]

The idea is great, I very support the main subject:

Add bookmark window (Ctrl-D) should be resizable

I have more than 30 bookmarks folders with a big tree of subfolders and it is always a pain when I'm searching a specific subfolder because of very very small location window (only 6 rows). This window really should be resizable. It seems to be locked at the times of 640x480 screen sizes... Making this window resizable is very needed.

Technically deeper, I guess making this window resizable assumes:

- "undocking" this window from the "Star" icon (now it is like a "popup window" expanding from the "Star icon").

- changing the "Add Bookmark" window into the "normal window" (with the resize, maximize, minimize, close options etc.).

The window could continue to start popping up from the "Star icon" but could be then undocked manually by resizing the window with a "resize right down corner". The resized window should have the possibility to be moved by mouse like every normal window, should have options to maximize, minimize etc. For making it easier for developers - it could be a "normal window" from the beginning, only having the left upper corner initially connected with the "Star icon".

PS.

There is only a little technical issue with the original posted idea of jokari - it is not obeying the new ideas rule:

"2. One idea per post. "

I suggest leaving here only the "making resizable the Add Bookmark Ctrl+D window" idea - and moving other ideas:

• Location" drop down menu should be expanded by default. Even if it is not always needed, it doesn't add supplementary click ever.
• Last used location in "Location" should be remembered.
• Remove the most used locations shortcuts we have now (or make it optional) in "Location" drop down menu. For me, those are rarely needed. I often need to go in a sub-folder anyway.

to new separated ideas. Separated ideas have more chances to be considered.

[DoboBear]

A bit of a rant here:

After a year of struggling and scrolling through a tiny space of "6 folders" and unable to change the size of the "Add New Bookmark" window. I nearly throw my laptop out of the window. I miss the OLD bookmark Firefox has, the new one is incredibly frustrating and painfully annoying.

I totally understand what you mean by "really infuriating especially on desktop." I can feel my blood pressure rising up after about, oh I don't know, 20-30 bookmarks for research papers in 1 sitting? I have to stand up and get away from Firefox or I'll go nut.

Everything about Firefox is great, I don't use Chrome, Safari, Edge, or any else. I have been loyal with it for a very long time now. Please fix this problem, Firefox!

[Jiayu]

Style when bookmarking

Hello, I recommend making the bookmark selection list resizable because it's too narrow to view.

[Jon]

(Note: a similar idea has been merged into this thread)

[SpringCatalogue]

surprised jscher didn't paste some CSS.

OP mentioned something about CSS but I'm unclear if it's not working like the extensions he mentioned.
In the meantime you can use the following userchrome.css (google it).

in about:config put to 'true' toolkit.legacyUserProfileCustomizations.stylesheets

#editBookmarkPanelContent {
	min-width: 47em !important;}
#editBMPanel_folderTree {
min-height: 320px !important;
}
/*remove picture from ctrl-d bookmark menu*/
html #editBookmarkPanelInfoArea {
display: none !important;}

change the em or px number to whatever you want.
Either restart the browser to apply userchrome.css changes or use jscher's code to reload it live https://www.reddit.com/r/FirefoxCSS/comments/cia5n2/is_there_a_way_to_refresh_userchromecss_without/

@jokari@GriffFirefox0@lukaszbojarski@DoboBear

[SpringCatalogue]

@hansolocambowhile you're right, you have a solution above, until a potential change comes.

@jokari , @GriffFirefox0 , @lukaszbojarski , @DoboBear pinging again because the above ping had all names jumbled together

[Ansive]

The fact that I need to click Location -> Choose

The fact that only 6 lines are visible.

The experience is dreadful. I tried various extensions, but they either got deprecated or changed more than I needed.

I recently found a 2-step workaround by bookmarking to the root folder and then just manually dragging the bookmark in the correct folder using the bookmark menu.

I might try the CSS fix from SpringCatalogue

But this could surely be improved.

[SpringCatalogue]

I recently found a 2-step workaround by bookmarking to the root folder and then just manually dragging the bookmark in the correct folder using the bookmark menu.

If you apply many bookmarks to a select few folders then the following extension will serve you well https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/bookmark-router/

@Ansive,

aside from that, I prefer a Firefox where I at least have CSS than a chrome, brave, etc.
What happens once Firefox for performance reasons or whatever switches, I don't know but it will be a sad day and will cause distress to a lot of people and force many to change their behaviors etc.

but to be fair the bookmark window has the 7 last folders you have used, so unless you bookmark every website then this should alleviate a lot, for anything else there's the addon above.