[serious] VBF Extension Mk II

[Cander]

I have begun the planning stages of a complete redesign and rewrite of the VBF Firefox Extension. I want to make it easier to use and more efficient. It is still very early in planning, but here is a quick mockup of how I envision it as a new easier to use tabbed popup window rather than a popupmenu.

Tell me what you guys think.

As always, everyone is welcome to contribute. Especially my good pal NoteMe and all the other contributors who added new ideas and features who has been invaluable to me with work on the previous version.

[si_the_geek]

It looks good, but would that mean that the normal popup menu (copy/paste/...) doesnt get shown?


While I'm thinking about it, there's a couple of things I didn't like about the 'old' version (which I get a lot of use out of!):

• The smilies were on a different site - fine if the other site is up to speed, but several times I noticed it was very slow, so the page would often be waiting for the smilies to load. Perhaps a thread in our "Support Images" forum would be better?
• The code snippets all had the [Code] tags, whereas it would be nice to have that part optional (for VBCode, or none).

It would also be nice to have a way of removing unwanted code snippets too (without editing the files manually).

[Cander]

It looks good, but would that mean that the normal popup menu (copy/paste/...) doesnt get shown?


While I'm thinking about it, there's a couple of things I didn't like about the 'old' version (which I get a lot of use out of!):

• The smilies were on a different site - fine if the other site is up to speed, but several times I noticed it was very slow, so the page would often be waiting for the smilies to load. Perhaps a thread in our "Support Images" forum would be better?
• The code snippets all had the [Code] tags, whereas it would be nice to have that part optional (for VBCode, or none).

It would also be nice to have a way of removing unwanted code snippets too (without editing the files manually).

Point 1: That would be up to the owners of Vbforums.com. Don't know how they would feel about.

Code snippet stuff: An overhaul to make it alot more intuitive IS planned. Not much else to say on it at this time until I get past the basics.

The ulitmate goal is to have this a free form floating window. I meant to say that, not popup window as to not interfere with your normal right click. I am experimenting on making the window moveable and 'minimizable' to keep it from being a nuissance. Haven't quite figured it all out yet.

[RobDog888]

The smilies were on a different site - fine if the other site is up to speed, but several times I noticed it was very slow, so the page would often be waiting for the smilies to load. Perhaps a thread in our "Support Images" forum would be better?

I could see this as a support need so it should be ok I believe. The extension will be available for download on the forums? Code Bank thread or Utility Bank thread?

[Cander]

I could see this as a support need so it should be ok I believe. The extension will be available for download on the forums? Code Bank thread or Utility Bank thread?

It will be available on the forums in zip format and elsewhere in xpi format. Unless they want to allow xpi as a valid file extension so that Firefox will automatically know to install it. But like exe's they may not want to do that for security reasons

[RobDog888]

Well if you place the thread in the Utility Bank (which is moderated), Si can scan the exe and validate it as safe just like the other programs in there.


Ps, can you make on for IE?

[Cander]

Well if you place the thread in the Utility Bank (which is moderated), Si can scan the exe and validate it as safe just like the other programs in there.


Ps, can you make on for IE?

It isn't an exe. But Firefox does execute files in the XPI package during installation which does have the possiblity of someone doing something naughty.

XPI is really just a zip file and the file extension tells Firefox its an extension to be installed. You can unzip the xpi with any archive tool and see all the code and files.

Doing it for IE would be a completely different project. Coding for IE versus Firefox are 2 completely different beasts. There is still the old IE menu extensions floating around on the forum which my extension was originally based on because people wanted a version that worked in Mozilla/Firefox. Maybe someone can go find that and start back on a new IE version.

[RobDog888]

Oh I know its a separate program

Maybe someone will create an AddOn for IE 7 one of these days for VBF?

Cheers on the new version and use the Support Images for your similes as i'm sure its proper use and will be ok.

[si_the_geek]

Go for it Robert, just modify the old version (in Marty's sig).


UtilityBank would be the place for this extension to go - in Zip format (with a note to rename to XPI), and Support Images would then be absolutely fine (actually prefered by Brad).

[Cander]

Alrighty then.

[NoteMe]

Go for it Robert, just modify the old version (in Marty's sig).

RD, go here, and never come back..
http://www.ieaddons.com/default.aspx?cid=home&scid=0





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[RobDog888]

Yes, I know about those hence why I used the term AddOn


No! Make me!

[|2eM!x]

That looks really cool man! Go for it!

[Cander]

Argh. Once again the piss poor documentation of XUL shows its ugly head.

Undocumented elements
Methods not working as advertised.

sigh. I love Firefox, but jesus they can't document jack and ....coke.

[NoteMe]

Change to Opera....

[NoteMe]

Ohh, and spam this blog....

http://www.xulplanet.com/ndeakin/




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