[JENKINS-13995] Would like the ability to disable hover-over context menus.

The context menu was added as a feature a few versions ago.
While it is useful for many (probably most), I would like to suggest an enable/disable switch of some sort for it - preferably something that users can set individually instead of having it site-wide.

Originally reported by khushsk, imported from: Would like the ability to disable hover-over context menus.

assignee: kohsuke
status: Resolved
priority: Major
component(s): core
label(s): context-menu, gui
resolution: Fixed
resolved: 2014-06-09T21:21:41+00:00
votes: 34
watchers: 33
imported: 2025-11-24

Raw content of original issue

The context menu was added as a feature a few versions ago. While it is useful for many (probably most), I would like to suggest an enable/disable switch of some sort for it - preferably something that users can set individually instead of having it site-wide.

environment

Jenkins 1.464<br/>
CentOS 6.0 x64 Master, multiple slaves

3 attachments

mrysanek:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Yes. Obscures features, some of us really (and I mean REALLY ) hate popups, changes the workflow as in I can no longer right-click on a job in a tab to open it on another tab and continue to the next job.

Please.

Remove it or allow disabling.

Thank you.

Yes. Obscures features, some of us really (and I mean REALLY ) hate popups, changes the workflow as in I can no longer right-click on a job in a tab to open it on another tab and continue to the next job.

Please.

Remove it or allow disabling.

Thank you.

sirkkalap:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Another example of obscured and broken functionality is the ability to navigate with keyboard from tab to tab in browsers, when the popup steals focus on Jenkins pages.

It also is not easy to copy & paste job links or build links when the popup obscures the links and breaks copy operation.

I guess it is important to save clicks too, but for me it is not the clicks that are the problem, instead it is the page load and render speed.

So I wish that popup menus would be optional, either globally and/or by user.

Another example of obscured and broken functionality is the ability to navigate with keyboard from tab to tab in browsers, when the popup steals focus on Jenkins pages.

It also is not easy to copy & paste job links or build links when the popup obscures the links and breaks copy operation.

I guess it is important to save clicks too, but for me it is not the clicks that are the problem, instead it is the page load and render speed.

So I wish that popup menus would be optional, either globally and/or by user.

eyealike:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

They pop up to early, too often and obscure too much content. I hardly ever use them, I'm just constantly swatting them away like flies. Of course, this is just subjective so I suggest conducting a poll about this feature in a prominent place on the site or in the Jenkins UI itself.

marc_swingler:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

"I'm just constantly swatting them away like flies." I'll second that comment.

jglick:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Try making a plugin with JavaScript in the page footer calling


Behaviour.specify("A.model-link", 'breadcrumbs', 100, function (a) {
    $(a).stopObserving("mouseover");
});


(Cf. breadcrumbs.js.) Might work.
Ideally would be a per-user setting configured perhaps with a cookie set by a small link in the page header/footer, say near “ENABLE AUTO REFRESH”.

Try making a plugin with JavaScript in the page footer calling

Behaviour.specify("A.model-link", 'breadcrumbs', 100, function (a) {
    $(a).stopObserving("mouseover");
});

(Cf. breadcrumbs.js.) Might work.

Ideally would be a per-user setting configured perhaps with a cookie set by a small link in the page header/footer, say near “ENABLE AUTO REFRESH”.

shish:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Maybe binding to "contextmenu" (ie, right-click) rather than "mouseover" would be less annoying? Less obvious that the feature is there though...

bep:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Those context menus also hide/conflict with regular tooltips.

E.g. if you want to check the time I job needs to finish, the tooltip with that information is hidden by this context menu.

Assigning the context menu to the right mouse button looks like a good approach to me.

Those context menus also hide/conflict with regular tooltips.

E.g. if you want to check the time I job needs to finish, the tooltip with that information is hidden by this context menu.

Assigning the context menu to the right mouse button looks like a good approach to me.

jglick:

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Raw content of original comment:

The main problem I see with the right mouse button is discoverability: so few web apps use it that a user may never think to look for it.

Also it would conflict with browser-specific functions available on links, such as opening in a new tab. That could possibly be worked around by placing the original link at the top of the context menu so you can right-click on it again for these functions.

The main problem I see with the right mouse button is discoverability: so few web apps use it that a user may never think to look for it.

Also it would conflict with browser-specific functions available on links, such as opening in a new tab. That could possibly be worked around by placing the original link at the top of the context menu so you can right-click on it again for these functions.

sirkkalap:

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Raw content of original comment:

Maybe a dropdown menu could work. Place a small triangle before the link and bind mouseclick listener to it. So then it might be discovered, it would be separate from normal links and would not popup unneccessarily.

cdandoy:

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Raw content of original comment:

+1. Those popups are annoying. I have tried to get used to them but after a few months of frustration I finally have decided to create an account and complain.

IMHO, I very much doubt that this feature is considered as an improvement by the majority of your users. I would personally be satisfied if it could be disabled by a user setting but quite honestly I suspect you will achieve greater satisfaction by turning it off by default.

+1. Those popups are annoying. I have tried to get used to them but after a few months of frustration I finally have decided to create an account and complain.

IMHO, I very much doubt that this feature is considered as an improvement by the majority of your users.
I would personally be satisfied if it could be disabled by a user setting but quite honestly I suspect you will achieve greater satisfaction by turning it off by default.

kohsuke:

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Raw content of original comment:

We dicussed this in FOSDEM 2013, where we basically agreed on working toward the direction of this comment.

I'll post the note to Wiki.

We dicussed this in FOSDEM 2013, where we basically agreed on working toward the direction of this comment.

I'll post the note to Wiki.

scm_issue_link:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Code changed in jenkins User: Kohsuke Kawaguchi Path: changelog.html core/src/main/resources/lib/layout/breadcrumbs.css core/src/main/resources/lib/layout/breadcrumbs.js core/src/main/resources/lib/layout/menu_down_arrow.png http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/jenkins/b41aa9e0a6489ec8f45aaf1c9f7cd3ad81419adf Log: ~~JENKINS-13995~~ Disabled the automatic pop-up of context menu.

Instead, it shows a small 'v' icon to the right that needs to be clicked to open a context menu.

Code changed in jenkins
User: Kohsuke Kawaguchi
Path:
changelog.html
core/src/main/resources/lib/layout/breadcrumbs.css
core/src/main/resources/lib/layout/breadcrumbs.js
core/src/main/resources/lib/layout/menu_down_arrow.png
http://jenkins-ci.org/commit/jenkins/b41aa9e0a6489ec8f45aaf1c9f7cd3ad81419adf
Log:
~~JENKINS-13995~~ Disabled the automatic pop-up of context menu.

Instead, it shows a small 'v' icon to the right that needs to be clicked
to open a context menu.

jglick:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Better. Still pops up context menu automatically in crumb bar; is this intentional and should be the issue be marked fixed?

bep:

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Raw content of original comment:

IMHO, the context menu should not open automatically in the crumb bar.

dogfood:

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Raw content of original comment:

Integrated in jenkins_main_trunk #2420

Result = UNSTABLE

Integrated in jenkins_main_trunk #2420

Result = UNSTABLE

dikndd:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

After updating to 1.510 I got a lot of feedback from our about 30 users complaining about the new approach with the down arrow. They miss the pop up menu now and complain about it's removal without choice.

I know that the popup menu solution was not perfect in every case - it has drawbacks. But I can't see that the current 'v' solution has achieved a better degree of being perfect !

using the 'v' requires special, fine tuned move-and-click - annoying for everyone who used the popup menu so far with its bigger click-able areas in
often the 'v' disappears before you can move the mouse-pointer to it and click on it
if the link, to which the 'v' belongs, is followed by other text that does not belong to the link text, then the 'v' is hard to see because it has a completely transparent background

From my opinion you should really offer to the users a choice to use the popup menu or not. Even a system wide setting would be sufficient to keep user groups on going with what they are familiar with.

As a second step a more perfect solution could be developed in the lab.

After updating to 1.510 I got a lot of feedback from our about 30 users complaining about the new approach with the down arrow.
They miss the pop up menu now and complain about it's removal without choice.

I know that the popup menu solution was not perfect in every case - it has drawbacks.
But I can't see that the current 'v' solution has achieved a better degree of being perfect !

using the 'v' requires special, fine tuned move-and-click - annoying for everyone who used the popup menu so far with its bigger click-able areas in
often the 'v' disappears before you can move the mouse-pointer to it and click on it
if the link, to which the 'v' belongs, is followed by other text that does not belong to the link text, then the 'v' is hard to see because it has a completely transparent background

From my opinion you should really offer to the users a choice to use the popup menu or not.
Even a system wide setting would be sufficient to keep user groups on going with what they are familiar with.

As a second step a more perfect solution could be developed in the lab.

jglick:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

@dikndd feedback on 1.510 is irrelevant since the implementation was heavily modified in 1.513.

bep:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

1.514 looks good to me.

A suggestion: A click on the "v" when the menu is already visible could close the menu again. (If you accidentally open the menu you can easily close it again)

1.514 looks good to me.

A suggestion: A click on the "v" when the menu is already visible could close the menu again. (If you accidentally open the menu you can easily close it again)

dalewking:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

In my opinion the pop-up menus that popped up with mouse hover were the PRIMARY ADVANTAGE that Jenkins had over Hudson! Bring them back!

I can understand the need to allow it to be disabled, but not for getting rid of it entirely. The hover menus allowed me to get to almost anywhere in Jenkins with a single click. The new version is back to the multiple clicks and page loads to get anywhere that drove me crazy in Hudson.

Note I will be upgrading to an older version until this is fixed.

I wonder if it would be possible to restore old functionality with a grease monkey script

In my opinion the pop-up menus that popped up with mouse hover were the PRIMARY ADVANTAGE that Jenkins had over Hudson! Bring them back!

I can understand the need to allow it to be disabled, but not for getting rid of it entirely. The hover menus allowed me to get to almost anywhere in Jenkins with a single click. The new version is back to the multiple clicks and page loads to get anywhere that drove me crazy in Hudson.

Note I will be upgrading to an older version until this is fixed.

I wonder if it would be possible to restore old functionality with a grease monkey script

danielbeck:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

Another option: When hovering one of these links, right-clicking opens the context menu. This would significantly increase the clickable area to open the context menu. Of course, you'd need to learn which links support this, so the triangle or some other indicator should stay.

Artifactory works like that when you right-click any entry in the tree on the left: http://repo.jenkins-ci.org/webapp/browserepo.html

A possible downside is that these links have no normal context menu anymore, e.g. for copying the link URL without navigating there, or for those users who haven't learned to use keyboard modifiers to open links in new windows or tabs.

Another option: When hovering one of these links, right-clicking opens the context menu. This would significantly increase the clickable area to open the context menu. Of course, you'd need to learn which links support this, so the triangle or some other indicator should stay.

Artifactory works like that when you right-click any entry in the tree on the left: http://repo.jenkins-ci.org/webapp/browserepo.html

A possible downside is that these links have no normal context menu anymore, e.g. for copying the link URL without navigating there, or for those users who haven't learned to use keyboard modifiers to open links in new windows or tabs.

millenix:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

I'm running 1.532.2 (LTS), and just got this change in the upgrade from 1.509. Count me as another voice in the "liked the hover menu" camp. Its implementation may not have been optimal (especially given the complaints from users it was hindering), but not having it (and thus having to click to get the drop-down) definitely makes things worse for me.

iplaman:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

liked the hover menu Just updating from 1.509.4, sadly realized the hover is gone.

liked the hover menu
Just updating from 1.509.4, sadly realized the hover is gone.

kohsuke:

Original comment link

Raw content of original comment:

1.513 has the last substantial change on the way context menu is displayed; in this version, a small 'v' icon appears to the next of links, and clicking on it reveals the context menu.

This issue was originally reported against 1.464 that had a very different implementation.

I consider the change in 1.513 to have sufficiently addressed the original issue of the reporter.

Future enhancement requests to the way context menu behaves should be filed as separate tickets.

1.513 has the last substantial change on the way context menu is displayed; in this version, a small 'v' icon appears to the next of links, and clicking on it reveals the context menu.

This issue was originally reported against 1.464 that had a very different implementation.

I consider the change in 1.513 to have sufficiently addressed the original issue of the reporter.

Future enhancement requests to the way context menu behaves should be filed as separate tickets.

[Original is_duplicated_by from Jira: JENKINS-13620]

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