how to switch to text mode when not finding the target icon

[hg42]

I'll continue the discussion here:

Originally posted by @hg42 in https://github.com/ssborbis/ContextSearch-web-ext/issues/215#issuecomment-539282649

when thinking about it, I don't have text mode when expanding the "+" in flat mode, so my problem was transformed into another space now.

I am not sure how this could be handled in flat mode.

Eventually, the expanded icons could be shown in single column with title, but this mixed mode seems to be weird and implementation should be difficult.

When hovering over an icon, I get a display of the title below the search box and after some time I get a tooltip. However, when dragging a selection, both title displays and even Ctrl + . do not work.

The most useful option would probably be to have an area or button working as mode switch when hovering over it. May be, a button in the titlebar (with settings and close) would do best.

my main usage scenario:

• I am dragging text to the sidebar
• it popups with all folders in flat mode
• I look for the target icon and cannot find it
• now I would like to see the icon titles
  • to verify it's really not at that level
  • to find it's new position probably in a closed section

I see several possibilities (while still dragging):

• a button to switch to text mode on hover
• a tool to switch on hover
• a timeout
• hovering over the "+" button could open only that folder in text mode (I guess most of the time the folder of the target icon should be known)
• (already possible) drop the text into the search field and work from there (still a button for switching to text mode would be convenient)

When switching the whole menu to text mode, it could also expand all (flat) folders, because the next action would be to open one or several folders (using "+"). Scrolling may be easier.

[hg42]

well, this option would first need an implementation of the tools in the sidebar :-)

• a tool to switch on hover

[ssborbis]

So the shortcut (ctrl+ . ) doesnt work while dragging... Not sure why that is, but ok. Also, it looks the the title bar doesn't update while dragging ( except folders ). I can probably fix the latter, but dunno about the keyboard shortcut + dnd. I'll have to look up how keyboard events are handled during dnd. Would either of those options get you what you need?

[hg42]

it looks the the title bar doesn't update while dragging

In further investigations, I found, that the title isn't shown, when moving the mouse between icons, but it is shown, when entering an icon from the outside of the icon list. So it doesn't seem to be a dragging problem. May be the "enter" event is handled for the list instead of for each button?

For the usual case, this title display would be more helpful than Ctrl+. , because I usually don't use the keyboard in this operation and the main purpose is to distinguish similar icons (or even identical ones).

Though in some cases, when I don't have any clue where I should look, the Ctrl+. may also be useful. But if I already break the "flow" by using the keyboard, I can also drop the text on the search box and then press Ctrl+. , I think this doesn't make much difference. So don't waste the time on that.

[ssborbis]

I can relatively easily add a tool for toggling the view. That should get it done unless you're set on your layout and don't want to add another tool tile

[ssborbis]

Bah. Just realized tools don't show in subfolders. I'll have to think on it

[ssborbis]

pushed a fix for the title bar. Looks like recent code or recent FF revisions are causing a mixup in mouseenter / mouseleave events, clearing the title bar when moving from one tile to the next. I put in a 1ms timeout and it seems to have corrected the problem. I'm still thinking on a good way to handle the layout toggle.

[hg42]

Bah. Just realized tools don't show in subfolders. I'll have to think on it

when you think already...the sidebar wants to have tools, too :-)

[hg42]

pushed a fix for the title bar

nice, works well...makes me happy :-)

[ssborbis]

I've added a toggle tool to the tools list. Currently, it will only show on the top menu tier, and only in the sidebar if using the right settings ( tools position = top, display as separate toolbar = disabled, qm cols = sb cols ), but it should activate on dragover with a 1s pause.

edit: also, tools don't display in single column mode. I'll have to add more settings for tools display. A few tools at least are useful to the qm and the sb now.

[hg42]

unfortunately these settings are all the opposite of mine :-) Especially the same column number is a problem for my usage. My sb is 3 columns, so it usually doesn't overlay any element of the page and can stay open. qm is 9, nearly width = height for shorter distances. But I guess this is all temporary...

testing:

With switching via hover while dragging, the text mode should probably be temporary (reset automatically to icon mode after usage). And while saying this, the sb could also close automatically after usage. In fact auto-close combined with the new collapsed flat folders (but also with normal folders) could completely remove the need for icons, because the sidebar would only be open while dragging and thus never be in the way.

When I use the tool in qm, it always closes the menu after the switch (not sure it kind of flickers and closes very quickly).

[ssborbis]

Just for testing right now. I'll eventually get an option for tools in the sidebar like the qm has.

With switching via hover while dragging, the text mode should probably be temporary (reset automatically to icon mode after usage)

There are a ton of settings I'd have no problem adding to the Advanced menu for users to tweak. I just need a better process to actually add them to the options page / config. My current approach is a bit tedious.

And while saying this, the sb could also close automatically after usage.

Shit, I thought I had an option to close the sb after search. Must just be the Toolbar. I'll add it.

When I use the tool in qm, it always closes the menu after the switch (not sure it kind of flickers and closes very quickly).

I'm not seeing that on my config, but I haven't checked without animations. I'll take a look.

[ssborbis]

I've rewritten the code to display the tools in menus and they should be available in all menus now. Each tools is enabled / disabled based on which menu they appear in. All are available in the qm. Some are disabled in the sb and tb.

Added an option to close after search in the sb

Fixed the menu closing when using the view toggle

FYI, there may be an issue when loading the newer pushes as temp addons where the menus will not work. If you sideload and that happens, let me know.

[ssborbis]

It's been a while, but did this issue ever get taken care of or do I need to include more display options for tools?

[hg42]

sorry that I didn't react for such a long time... adding the tool for switching between text and icons solved the problem perfectly.

Btw. the tools need to wrap like the other icons, because if I have 4 columns (which is nice for the sidebar), the tools get clipped. I'll add an issue for this...