toolbar button shouldn't have separate drop-down arrow

[jsamuel]

imported trac ticket
created: 2009-08-06 13:49:09
reporter: justin

The toolbar button uses a button type that has both the icon button and a separate, smaller button (an arrow) that indicates a drop-down menu. However, clicking on the main button or the drop-down arrow part of the button gives the same menu. We should save space and just use the normal button as long as the two parts of the button do the same thing.

Thanks to Fakir for the suggestion.

[jsamuel]

imported trac comment
created: 2011-02-20 16:00:42
author: eibwen

Actually, the "dropmarker" (the "arrow") should stay as it is generally used to indicate a submenu -- the button (the flag) nested in the toolbar button (includes both the flag and dropmarker) should be removed. Concur that the nested buttons is particularly confusing and unnecessary.

It really should be changed:
{{{
from type="menu-button" (menu toolbar button with nested button)
to type="menu" (menu toolbar button)
}}}

Note that while this should be trivial to implement, it appears that in addition to the type attribute change, there may be further XUL changes required, based on observations from changing the attribute using DOM Inspector on an existing window -- the dropmarker became vertically aligned with the flag on a horizontal toolbar, without resizing either element, thus extending the height of the whole toolbar.

[anubeon]

I Have to say, I do rather despise dropmarkers on a purely aesthetic basis.

I of course realise that they are somewhat important for discoverability, and absolutely imperative for elements with both a button and a drop menu. However, for me they outlive their usefulness pretty quickly (except in the latter case) and I find myself compelled to rid my browser of them. Currently I achieve this with a simple stylish hack (see below), but I suspect that this will only work for menu-button elements (and not straight-up menu elements). If RequestPolicy does eventually move the toolbar button over to the straight-up menu element, will it be possible to hide the dropmarker ONLY with a similar stylish hack or will end users such as I need to replace the entire icon?

@namespace url(http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul);

toolbarbutton:not([class*="tabs-alltabs-button"]) dropmarker {display: none !important;}
toolbarbutton:not([type="menu"]):hover dropmarker {display: none !important;}
toolbarbutton[type="menu"]:not([class*="bookmark-item"]) image {margin: 0px !important;}

Of course I'm sure this is a fringe concern, and I wouldn't want it to influence design/development decisions at all for that very reason. I'm just curious as to whether such a change (from menu-button to menu) would allow for removal of the dropmarker by those so inclined, and with a little nous and Stylish installed.

P.S.: Brilliant add-on. Thanks for putting the effort in! :-D