Firefox 1.5 (#2): Address Bar changes; Problems after visiting pages with Java; more
Address Bar changes As noted by several readers, the behavior of the URL entry field has been slightly modified in Firefox 1.5. In the new release, a single click on the current URL will not result in the entire address being selected, instead placing the cursor where the user clicks.
One MacFixIt reader writes:
"I hate that the developers made a conscious decision to do this several versions ago. I have seen reviewers lauding this change but I am certainly not one of them.
Users also note that the up and down arrows on the keyboard no longer automatically navigate to the beginning or end (respectively) of the URL field.
A reader writes:
"One thing I am still not accustomed to it the loss of the up and down arrow functionality in single line text fields (like the address bar). Up arrow used to get you to the beginning of the string and down took you to the end."
Note that you can still click the site icon (or the default globe icon if no customized icon exists) next to the URL text in order to select the entire address in one click.
Problems after visiting pages with Java As previously noted, some users experience issues after visiting sites that contain Java content. In particular, many users notice scrolling oddities, or even a complete inability to scroll.
One MacFixIt reader notes some additional issues:
"I too am experiencing odd problems since installing the final update. File menus suddenly do not work after opening a page containing Java. I also did not experience these previous to the current update."
Pop-under ad interference One user reports that pop-under ads on various Web sites are able to take control of the keyboard in the new release of Firefox:
"Another problem with the new version of Firefox is that some pop-under ads steal the keyboard and it won't work on the top (visible) page. The mouse and menus still work, and if you use them to navigate to the pop-under ad(s) and kill it(them) the keyboard function returns."
"View" options not remembered It seems that, for some users, Firefox 1.5 does not keep the change of the "view option" of the toolbar (customization). After exiting then re-launching the browser, default settings return.
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"about:config" (no quotes of course) and press return. Scroll down the list to the
"browser.urlbar.clickSelectsAll" entry and double-click to toggle the value to
"true". A click in the URL bar now selects the entire URL.
Just for reference the click behavior was changed to match the default Mac
behavior of clicking in editable text. The normal Mac behavior is to move the
insertion point not select text.
What a great tip! Thanks! Works great! Although clicking in editable text should prompt the flashing insertion point, a web browsers address bar should highlight in full to make it easier to type in and replace the old address with a new one. Especially if the previous address is very long.
- by baddawg65 December 8, 2005 3:51 PM PST
- I've been noticing a strange issue with Java also. I use dslreport.com to test our network speed and dslreports.com uses java to run their test. I've notice ever since I upgraded to Firefox 1.5 that when you finish an speed test in dslreports.com and after you enter data in the first field then use tab to jump another field you cannot enter data in the other fields. I can move from field to field to get the text entry bar but cannnot enter data in those other fields and when I close an tab then I can enter information in those other fields. Also during the speed test I cannot create or delete tabs. This is the most strange behavior that I haven't seen in the previous versions of Firefox. However I do like the clean up after you quit feature.
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