GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 319503
Middle click on a tab should close the tab
Last modified: 2014-10-22 15:22:10 UTC
Distribution/Version: Ubuntu 5.10 Middle click on a link opens the URL in a new tab, but to close a tab one has to hit the little X button on the tab. This makes it a bit more hard to do, and it doesn't match the expectation of users coming from many other browsers. Some reflexes are hard to lay off, and it's so much easier to casually middle-click anywhere on the tab. In addition, this wastes the middle button for tabs, as it goes unused, although this may not be too important. :) It's also unlikely to be happening by accident, at least no more than clicking on the X button. If middle click is fine for opening in tabs, it should be fine for closing tabs too. This is also more consistent. (Personally, I would like the option to also remove the X as I feel it wastes space I could use for either more tabs or more text, but I think it is correct to have it visible as the default).
I'd say this is something worth being implement.
I disagree. The mouse wheel is already used to flip through tabs when the pointer hovers over the tab row. It would be very easy to accidentally close a tab when actually trying to flip tabs.
Oh. That explains why Epiphany sometimes seemingly random switches to another tab. Personally, I'm not using my wheel to scroll around in tabs. In fact, trying it out that seems like a pretty uncontrolled way to choose what to view? I also wonder what users expect here? My use case for selecting page would be to click directly on the matching tab I want to go to. :)
I'd say that an extension would be the right place for this to be implemented...
And I would think that scrolling would be a better candidate. But never mind. I'm fine with things like these going into extensions, if there will be a good way to find, select, use and configure extensions. As it is now, there's just this big list, and if every little thing is going into an extension, it will be HUGE.
As far as I know the tab flipping is no specific Epiphany feature but is inherited from GtkNotebook. Could you please file appropriate bugs in epiphany-extensions? I think the resolution for this bug is WONTFIX.
Oops, this was (not so) slightly forgotten; sorry about that. I see that you are correct about GtkNotebook btw. What are the "appropriate bugs" to file? Is there a special tabs-extension underway that could add this ability, or should every little thing be its own extension?
There are several extensions related to tabs. If you don't know which one to pick, just file enhancement bugs under 'general'. NOTABUG'ing this one.
*** Bug 351702 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
making epiphany behave like firefox should ease the transition from firefox to epiphany. I'm using firefox for more than 4 years and i'm used with it's behaviour. I'm trying to switch to epiphany but all those little changes in the browser behaviour delays the switch.
Search for 'Middle click tab close' on http://live.gnome.org/Epiphany/ThirdPartyExtensions <pedantic>Since Epiphany existed before Firefox, technically it's Firefox who introduces changes in behaviour... ;)</pedantic>
for me having a different plugin for each button action is a wanted "feature". Maybe some actions like View page source or "View selection source" are not used by a normal user but there should be an Advange tab in the setting page to enable them. If you want people to use epiphany you should make it friendly to web developers. This is why many people talks about Firefox and not about epiphany even thou the use the same engine.l
*** Bug 575748 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
*** Bug 596462 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
See also bug 621381.
It seems like Firefox has had a huge impact on what people expect of tabs. There is a huge number of open bugs for all kinds of GNOME applications asking for this feature. And usually the answer is: Epiphany does not behave so and it violates HIG. Is there any room for reconsideration? https://bugzilla.gnome.org/buglist.cgi?bug_status=__all__&content=middle+tab+close
Firefox may have invented it, but everyone else seems to have realised it's a good idea. Chrome, Internet Explorer and Opera all close tabs on middle-click. Closing a tab on a middle-click might be inconsistent with other Gnome apps, but not doing so is inconsistent with every other browser in the world, and is therefore certainly contrary to user expectations.
Why is reading about the GNOME project decisions always such a PITA? You leave a mouse button with NO FUNCTION when every other browser make it useful to close a tab for the sake of tantrum! I ask myself why anyone would use Epiphany.
(In reply to comment #18) > I ask myself why anyone would use Epiphany. Please, refrain from posting comments that don't add anything to the bug.
Rafael, your attitude needs fixing. The answer is that epiphany is the only browser which can be drag scrolled with finger without javascript extension if you use touchscreen (eg a tablet or phone).
What needs fixing is GNOME's opposition to common sense. Well, I know I'll stop testing Epiphany real soon.
Created attachment 266082 [details] [review] ephy-notebook: Close a tab with middle click If someone interesting..
Yosef, if this once gets changed, then nautilus, gnome-terminal and any other core program with tabs should do the same. So this is slightly broader issue than epiphany only. I myself would love to see it happen.
To implement this in each app of GNOME is realy simple, but this is an issue-design, for now as unnecessary. Personally, I think it realy unnecessary, btw.
(In reply to comment #24) > To implement this in each app of GNOME is realy simple, > but this is an issue-design, for now as unnecessary. > Personally, I think it realy unnecessary, btw. I'm a bit confused now. Middle-click paste was removed in the 3.x transition (something I did use, btw) but are we now really talking about reintroducing the middle click to do something destructive that isn't easily discoverable from the UI? I think the design team should be involved in that case.
(In reply to comment #25) > (In reply to comment #24) > > To implement this in each app of GNOME is realy simple, > > but this is an issue-design, for now as unnecessary. > > Personally, I think it realy unnecessary, btw. > > I'm a bit confused now. Middle-click paste was removed in the 3.x transition > (something I did use, btw) but are we now really talking about reintroducing > the middle click to do something destructive that isn't easily discoverable > from the UI? I think the design team should be involved in that case. IIRC the design team say „not” for this. This why the bug mark as „NOTABUG”. I realy not understand why we need this, why to close tab with middle click when you can to do this in the normal way, with left click on the close button.
First and foremost: no one performs a middle-click by accident. Secondly: IE, Fx, Chrome, Opera, etc, users are millions and they aren't screaming "omg middle-clicking tabs is destructive" or something like that!! You guys are creating a discussion that shouldn't exist, that whole destructive talk makes no sense. @Yosef: - Middle-clicking requires less precision. - In the case of Epiphany I don't think that's true(?), because it features a scrollable tab bar (which is another deal breaker for me), but in Opera for example when you open a bunch of tabs the close button of the background ones disappear. Closing background tabs with middle-click is much easier when you don't have to focus each of them first and aim that close button.
(In reply to comment #23) > Yosef, if this once gets changed, then nautilus, gnome-terminal and any other > core program with tabs should do the same. So this is slightly broader issue > than epiphany only. I myself would love to see it happen. If this is changed at all, it should probably be done in GtkNotebook and not in individual apps. Otherwise we're doomed to a fate where middle click closes tabs in some apps but not others. (In reply to comment #26) > IIRC the design team say „not” for this. This why the bug mark as „NOTABUG”. > I realy not understand why we need this, why to close tab with middle > click when you can to do this in the normal way, with left click on the close > button. FWIW I agree, but to play devil's advocate: middle click close is pretty standard for a web browser. The point is that the tab itself is a much bigger click target than the little X. It's especially useful if you're closing many tabs at once. It's no more destructive or undiscoverable than, say, Ctrl+W or Ctrl+Q: less, actually, because if you accidentally close one tab, it's easy to reopen in two clicks using the app menu. (In reply to comment #25) > I'm a bit confused now. Middle-click paste was removed in the 3.x transition > (something I did use, btw) Well it's still inconsistently available... works in Bugzilla comments, at least. :)
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 725123 ***