[Bug] Multi-Account Containers "Hide" action destroys trees.

[QORTEC]

Abstract

Trees are destroyed on Multi-Account Containers "Hide This Container" action.

Steps to reproduce

1. Start Firefox with clean profile.
2. Install TST.
3. Install Multi-Account Containers
4. Create a tree in a Container
5. Hide the container containing the tree
6. Show the container with the tree

Expected result

The tree is preserved, and in the same state as it was before being hidden.

Actual result

The tree is destroyed, all the tabs are now on the 1st level (roots).

Environment

• Platform (OS): Solus OS (Linux)
• Version of Firefox: 108.0.2
• Version (or revision) of Tree Style Tab: 3.9.12

[piroor]

Did you try the option?: TST options => "Tree Behavior" => "When visibility of tabs are changed by other addons" => "Keep tree structure including hidden tabs"

[QORTEC]

Yes, it would seem I have the option enabled;

[piroor]

Thanks, I've confirmed. I've tried to research what's happen at the situation, and I've finally realized that MAC moves tabs in hidden container when they are going to be shown. TST tries to fixup broken tree structure based on tab's position when they are moved by other addons or any user operation on the horizontal tab bar. So, for example, assume that there are tabs with containers:

• A [default]
• B [Personal, hidden]
  • B1 [Personal, hidden]
  • B2 [Personal, hidden]

When you try to turn the container "Personal" shown, MAC does:

1. Move B to the index 1.
2. Move B2 to the index 3. Tabs become:
   • A [default]
   • B [Personal, hidden]
     • B2 [Personal, hidden]
   • B1 [Personal, hidden]
3. Move B2 to the index 3. Tabs become:
   • A [default]
   • B [Personal, hidden]
   • B1 [Personal, hidden]
   • B2 [Personal, hidden]
4. Finally you got flat tabs.

TST expects that showing/hiding tabs won't be moved while changing its visibility. This is the reason why shown tabs become flat after you just turn them visible. Hmm...

[irvinm]

@piroor for this one, it has been 1.5 years ... is this something we want to file a bug with multi-account containers or just close it?

[piroor]

I've tried to reproduce this problem with TST 4.0.25 + Firefox Multi-Account Containers 8.2.0. Curiously the behavior of MAC looks changed when this issue was created: MAC 8.2.0 really closes abs by the "Hide This Container" command, and opens tabs again when "Show This Container" command is invoked.

Sadly MAC 8.2.0 reopens tabs with no openerTabId information, thus shown tabs become flat. There is no hint to reconstruct tree thus TST cannot restore tree of tabs "shown" by MAC 8.2.0. Hmm...

[piroor]

Just an idea, a helper addon (like "Tree restorer for Firefox Multi-Account Container") may solve this compatibility issue as:

1. Track tree structure changes. We can listen changes of openerTabId with tabs.onUpdated listeners.
2. Track removing of mutliple tabs with same container, and save tree structure of removed tabs based on the cached openerTabId information.
3. Track creating of multiple tabs with same container, and restore tree structure based on saved openerTabId information.

Such an addon will be a solution not only for TST but for other tree management addons, so I'm currently negative to implement this behavior as a built-in feature of TST - it should be independent. I hope it will be developed and maintained by people who seriously require.

Otherwise, you should report a feature request to MAC project to restore openerTabId relations of reopened tabs.