The buttons toolbar’s buttons get revamped

Mar 15, 2010 15:48 GMT  ·  By

Mozilla is pressing on with its overhaul of the graphical user interface for the next iteration of Firefox. The upcoming major version of the Mozilla open source browser, Firefox 4.0 will feature a completely redesigned GUI, which, as far as Windows users are concerned, will be tailored to Windows Aero in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Loyal to its open source development model, Mozilla has already shared the plans for the new Firefox facelift with the world, however details are still contouring. Firefox 4.0 developer Stephen Horlander revealed the new buttons that Firefox 4.0 would sport when it would be made available to the general public.

The images included with this article feature the revamped Firefox 4.0 toolbar buttons on multiple backgrounds. Users need to understand that, as the successor of version 3.6 is taking shape, the design details shared by Mozilla are no longer concepts or mockups, but elements that will be implemented into the actual Firefox 4.0 user interface. “Initially designed for variable backgrounds on Glass but pleased with their melding abilities in other situations,” Horlander noted.

Two stages of the Firefox 4.0 redesign process have been already completed, namely “Mockups for main browser window interface with N tabs, [and the start of implementing the] work on graphic elements and code changes.” The company is currently hard at work on the next phase, namely “Alpha quality implementation of new theme for Windows on mozilla-central.”

According to Mozilla, the latest step is scheduled to complete by the end of this month. Coincidentally, or not, a new Alpha development milestone of the Mozilla Developer Preview of Gecko 1.9.3 / Firefox 3.7 is cooking. Mozilla Developer Preview of Gecko 1.9.3 Alpha 3 / Firefox 3.7 Alpha 3 is just around the corner, as Mozilla was discussing a possible release by the end of the past week.

Alexander Limi, from the Firefox UI Team at Mozilla, shared the phases of the Firefox 4.0 UI overhaul:

Act 1: The Big Changes

“- Landing new theme graphics. - Tab structure work and new capabilities. - Initial work on our respective ‘side projects,’ but the menu bar is still present on Windows Vista/7. - Improved default behaviors for downloads.

Act 2: The Hard Changes

“- New Firefox menu, drawing in titlebar capabilities. - Home tab. - App tab behaviors. - Improved notifications. - Add new download panel, improved download history.

Act 3: Tying Things Together

“- New toolbar buttons: bookmarks, downloads, developer, full screen. - Menu cleanup, remove menu entries that should no longer be there, add missing ones. - Security review for new download behaviors, integration & polish.”

Firefox 3.7 Alpha 2/ Mozilla Developer Preview of Gecko 1.9.3 Alpha 2 for Windows is available here.
Firefox 3.7 Alpha 2/ Mozilla Developer Preview of Gecko 1.9.3 Alpha 2 for Mac OS X is available here.
Firefox 3.7 Alpha 2/ Mozilla Developer Preview of Gecko 1.9.3 Alpha 2 for Linux is available here.

Firefox 3.6 Final for Windows is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Final for Mac OS X is available for download here.
Firefox 3.6 Final for Linux is available for download here

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