Make the Library tab-based

[lolrepeatlol]

The Library is a neglected part of Firefox that very clearly combines decades-old technology with new design specs and icons. Unfortunately, it therefore looks like a frankensteined-together part of Firefox that could really, really use a facelift because it catches you by surprise with its window-based nature when you try to manage your history or bookmarks.

This vital piece of Firefox should be rewritten to be part of a tab, like every other part of Firefox. Modernize it! 🙂

Screenshot 2022-03-11 065226.png

[lovelyjubbly]

It's reminiscent of the old certificate viewer window.  That looked pretty dated as well, it got a redesign, became tab based,  and it's amazing now! A similar treatment for the library could be just as good.

[KellyC]

SeaMonkey had an option to put the download window in a tab way way back when. It was really nice.

Re: lovelyjubbly's comment, yes, but just as long as it doesn't take as many clicks to get to as the cert viewer 😓 (that's another topic, but seriously, it should take like one click after I click the padlock to get the full cert. Currently takes 3, and moves from overlay popup to full window to a tab in the process)

[steel835]

There was an idea in crowdicity about library being a web page like settings etc. - that would be a nice lift-up actually.

But I personally would've left Downloads window in some form or another as an option - for downloading stuff when you close the browser. Now you can close all windows except library, and it will continue the download (though firefox process will still eat a lot of memory). Maybe a service with tray icon and popup window will do for this.

Btw does the fact that XUL is old make it bad necessarily?

[GABINA1984]

Ficaria muito melhor se tivesse como olhar o histórico e todas as páginas como abas ao invés de abrir no modo que não dar pra alternar com o atalho do teclado, desse modo não precisaria usar o mouse com frequência, que tornar a navegação mais cansativa. E também poderia criar mais atalhos no teclado ou deixar nós usuários poder também criar de modo que cada saberia o atalho sem precisar ficar usando mouse.

It would be much better if I could look at the history and all the pages as tabs instead of opening in the way that you can't switch with the keyboard shortcut, that way I wouldn't need to use the mouse often, which makes browsing more tiring. And it could also create more keyboard shortcuts or let us users be able to create them so that each one would know the shortcut without having to use a mouse.

[Krille]

No, please no modernization! The window-based Library is fine, keep it that way!

[lolrepeatlol]

@KrilleIt is not fine. I actively follow Firefox development and it has been slowed down by the clunkiness and overall neglect of its existence.

I made a comment on the bug that made several good (IMO) points. It got marked as advocacy, which I understand, but it's still there for you to read. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=697359#c54

@steel835Yes. It's essentially doomed to look out of place compared to other parts of Firefox, and its old architecture slows down development that could be used for other parts of the front-end.

[Jon]

Hey all,

Here with an exciting update…

Your idea has received a great deal of votes (kudos) and support here in the Mozilla Connect community, so we are upgrading the status to “Trending idea.” This means it’s now one step closer to reaching our internal teams for review—learn more about The Idea Journey.

Please keep the conversation going, add any details (the more, the better) and stay tuned for updates 😃

-The Community Team

[Luca_Pavan]

I suggested it at least 1 year ago by feedback, but setting that the user can choose on Settings how to see its Library between new window or new tab to satisfy everyone, @Krille likes it as window as many others so the choice must be up to the user 🙂👍.

[Krille]

I just realized: If the Library would be a tab, it could also be opened as the only tab in a new window. But, and IMHO this is a pretty large but, to emulate the current behaviour one would have to:

• Open a new window
• Resize the window to a size suitable for the Library, as it opens with the default size for browser windows
• Open the Library tab in it
• Make the Tab bar and Address bar disappear (not sure how to do it) or accept that space being wasted

These are quite a lot of hoops to jump through, while the current behaviour does all that with one keypress or two clicks. There have been a lot of usability botches, the largest one being the recent mandatory downloads. Please, don't do that again!

@Luca_Pavan's suggestion sounds like a good compromise.

[lolrepeatlol]

Making everything an option isn't feasible or realistic. It's clear that Firefox developers have been heading in a tab-style design for other panels like Settings and Add-ons, so like those, the Library should be definitively integrated into a tab.

[dfhcr453wedr]

Hi, could you redesign the bookmarks page?, the most and main options in the current Firefox open in a new tab instead in a new window like the older Firefox versions, i think in terms of design the old bookmarks manager is inconsistent with the rest of Firefox, the bookmarks manager should be open in a new tab, the icons shold be bigger, in accordance with the rest of the Firefox design, buttons and icons are larger, being more friendly for touch devices and you could add an option to find and locate duplicate bookmarks.

I know this is a lot of work, but i believe that all corners of Firefox should feel the same.

Thanks for listening me. Regards.

[Jon]

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

[Foxy]

I agree, the separate window for History should be replaced with a webpage in a Tab like settings.

[RenanSantos7]

It would also be interesting if the library could be accessed from the side panel. So, you wouldn't need to leave the current tab to see your downloads, for example.

[BestTiger]

Good idea! There was an extension that allowed this (pre-proton), but I forgot the name. I really miss tabbed library