Firefox/Projects/Statusbar Redesign

Intro

This project will remove the statusbar from Firefox and accommodate the features currently located there, namely loading status, URL location information, and add-on access.

Status

BOARDING INFANTS & PEOPLE WHO NEED EXTRA TIME (starting)

Goals

• Simplify the Firefox interface
• Move all browser functions (other than window resize) away from the bottom of the window
• Provide prime, accessible UI real-estate to add-on authors who currently use the status bar
• Give users a clear indication of the status of their page
• Gives users a clear indication of where a link will lead them

Non Goals

Milestones

Dates in the future are only estimates.

• 2010/03 - Start sprint, research, begin sketching solutions
• 2010/03 - Talk to AMO team and add-ons developers about needs
• 2010/03 - Test potential perf impact on awesomebar searches
• 2010/?? - Integrate the required ICU components with our tree, build system
• 2010/?? - Integrate awesomebar with SQLite's fts extension using ICU tokenizer

Delivery Requirements

• Testing to make sure awesomebar functionality and certainly perf is not regressed.

Constraints

• Have to convince people that pulling in parts of ICU is worth it. Expect pushback...

Dependencies

• Since this project is broadly defined -- improving FTS all the way to using FTS in the awesomebar -- none?

Testing

• Will require manual testing of the awesomebar.
• Maybe we can set up some automated harness to time awesomebar searches.