14 DAY TRIAL // Mozilla is moving ahead with the development of the next iteration of its open-source browser. But even with Firefox 3.5 Beta 4 just around the corner, Mozilla continues to build new features into the successor of Firefox 3.0. The latest modification to the browser involves the addition of restore closed tabs and windows capabilities to Firefox 3.5 Beta 4. Codename Shiretoko will allow users to open the last three closed tabs and windows in its default configuration. Opening recently closed tabs and windows is an option that Mozilla has built into the History menu.
“I’m happy to announce the landing of Undo Close Window. This adds a menu & keyboard shortcut for reopening your previously closed windows. By default we store 3 windows (though sometimes more due to special cases involving pop-up windows),” revealed Mozilla's Paul A. O’Shannessy. Handling recently closed windows was a project that debuted initially in Firefox 2.0 via a few APIs, but which failed to materialize. Only in Firefox 3.5 will the feature be fully implemented.
Mozilla is of course permitting end users some flexibility and control when it comes down to the new feature. In this regard, users will be able to modify the value of browser.sessionstore.max_windows_undo in about:config, in order to increase the number of windows and tabs that are stored and available to be restored. One important aspect that the end users have to notice is the fact that Firefox will monitor the tabs and windows closed and will keep track of each separately. In this regard, closed tabs will restore as tabs, and closed windows can only be re-opened as windows.
“My primary reason is that windows and tabs serve a different purpose. Opening a new window vs a new tab are not the same menu item (or keyboard shortcuts), so why should reopening them be the same keystroke,” O’Shannessy added. “By putting them in the same menu and giving them the same keyboard shortcut, I would argue you’re actually increasing memory load and forcing the use of the menu. If I were to close a window, then close a tab in a different window, I can’t get the window I closed back with a single key command. I have to click the menu, and look. By keeping the two separate, there might be one extra place to look, but they are clearly labeled. There’s an extra keystroke to learn, but it correlates to open window in the same way that undo close tab correlates with new tab.”
Firefox 3.0.9 and Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 for Windows is available here.
Firefox 3.0.9 and Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 for Linux is available here.
Firefox 3.0.9 and Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 for Mac OS X is available here.