[Enhancement] Two improvements for Tab Groups in TST

[BugZappr]

Abstract

This is soft of two-in-one, but both are context menu additions, and closely related. I have been evaluating various Vertical Tab bars, but have been frustrated by the lack of grouping, hibernating, or stability. Reviewing my earlier findings recently, I noticed that TST is evidently unstable when run with Simple Tab Groups (which would have brought needed functionality), but it appears to support Tab Groups natively. I.e., if a Tab Group is open, it shows the colors on the outline in TST, and very nicely opens and folds them when clicked. It would also appear you have a context menu for the groups. The things I'd like to see, which may already be on your RADAR, are:

1. A truly long-overdue feature of the new FF native tabs is the "Close and Save" feature (if it truly makes it as if the tabs in the group were not open). I see you have a context menu for a Tab Group in TST, but it lacks the "Close and Save" feature. I find that I can go to the Horizontal Tab Bar (when I have it showing), customize the toolbar, and drag "List All Tabs" from the tab bar to the toolbar! I can open a Tab Group that way, but can't close it just by unchecking it. If this feature were available, I could hide my Horizontal Tab Bar, open saved groups in List All Tabs, and right-click them in TST to Save and Close them. This would free up a LOT of resources for those of us prone to keeping a lot of tabs open.
2. In order to create a Tab Group in FF, one now drags one tab onto another. If I do that in TST, I notice you already had a different action for doing that - to put one tab under another in the tree. You might think to make the result of drag-and-drop selectable, which would be fine; but better yet, leave it the way it is, at least by default, and add a context menu action for shift-selected tabs: "Create Tab Group" with the appropriate dialog. If they have a way for devs to do this, it would add this important functionality from the Tab Bar to TST. I saw a post saying devs now had access to tab groups in a nightly a few mos. back.

If these were done, they would more or less complete the life-cycle of the new Tab Groups in TST.

Steps to see the situation

1. Start Firefox with clean profile.
2. Install TST.
3. Create some tabs, & drag one over another to create a Tab Group.
4. Show TST, and note the nicely-displayed Group. Right-click on the name of the group itself, and note that there is no "Close and Save" option.
5. Drag one tab in TST on top of another, and note it doesn't form a group. Shift-select some tabs, right-click them, and note there is no choice to form a new group in the context menu.

Expected result

You would see the Context Menu options.

Actual (present) result

You don't. This may help: "[meta] Implement tabGroups WebExtensions API".

Environment

• Platform (OS): Win11 24H2 debloated
• Version of Firefox: 148.0
• Version (or revision) of Tree Style Tab: 4.2.9

[piroor]

Sorry, the "Save and close group" command was intentionally omitted on TST for now, because Firefox does not provide ability to do that via WebExtensions API.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/tabGroups

And you already can create a new group by drag and drop in TST's sidebar, with dropping tabs onto left edge of a tab. Here is a screencast:
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d8dcac65-8534-4fca-a02d-aa60499f0ff1

[piroor]

And I've implemented Shift-key reaction with the commit 871a34c, as you suggested.

[BugZappr]

Sorry, the "Save and close group" command was intentionally omitted on TST for now, because Firefox does not provide ability to do that via WebExtensions API. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/tabGroups

You can only do what they let you. I think it is likely to be added soon.

And you already can create a new group by drag and drop in TST's sidebar, with dropping tabs onto left edge of a tab. Here is a screencast: https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/d8dcac65-8534-4fca-a02d-aa60499f0ff1

Nice.

IAnd I've implemented Shift-key reaction with the commit 871a34c, as you suggested.

I'll have to see how it works. I had in mind to click one tab, Shift-click another, so that several are selected, let up on the left mouse button, and then once a range is selected, be able to right-click and see a Create Group item on the context menu.

In order to be able to Close and Save a Tab Group, it is currently impossible without the Horizontal Tab Bar showing. I take it you got that. I'm currently having both Horizontal and Vertical tabs active; so that I can do that all important "Close and Save", to truly free up resources used by having lots of tabs open. This seems the most promising strategy. I could do it with Bookmarks; but I'm thinking saving and restoring Tab Groups keeps additional info on the tabs around (such as where you are on the pages).

I've come across the TST More Tree Commands command "Create New Groups from Tabs". If there were a way to hibernate them, or Save and Close, then I'd say that should work. I also notice that those groups can be nested, unlike the new FF Tab Groups (tho that's prob. just a matter of time). One thing that kind of tab group lacks, is the ability to rename it, so it says something more helpful than "Group".

The alternatives all have issues. Sidebery has Tab Panels, but it starts doing unpredictable things with large number of tabs; and there's no way to Save and Close. "Tree Tabs" is very promising; but no longer maintained and crashy. I don't think any browser pulls together vertical menus, tree tabs, with tab groups and hibernating them yet. It's just a question of how these very helpful key features of vertical tabs can be pulled together in one vertical menu at the same time. When it happens, it will be big. I think you are the closest and most stable, so that's what I'm using. It works - but currently, that I can't afford to hide the horizontal tab bar is the only problem. It's a smaller problem than not being able to do some of the other things needed for tabs; so the only downsides of doing it this way are not having nestable tab groups (yet), and that the Horizontal Tab Bar must always remain visible. There was a userchrome.css technique to hide the horizontal tab bar until you hover; but it just left a blank spot there where they would otherwise be. All this functionality has already been seen in various extensions and browsers, but not with these key ideas together, i.e. tab groups, hibernating/Close and Saving, and vertical tree menus; not at the same time. I think it's only a matter of time; and it seems to be working now, with only the neg that the Horizontal Tab Bar has to be showing. I do see the benefit of moving forward with the new FF Tab Groups, as it should have ongoing support; so long as Mozilla or its codebase continues. It's one of the few changes spearheaded by Chromium I actually like (the others being the security benefits of running browser threads with very low privileges, and general stability).

[piroor]

I'll have to see how it works. I had in mind to click one tab, Shift-click another, so that several are selected, let up on the left mouse button, and then once a range is selected, be able to right-click and see a Create Group item on the context menu.

Have you not tried the "Add Tabs to New Group" context menu command on tabs in TST's sidebar? I think it should work as you told.

I've come across the TST More Tree Commands command "Create New Groups from Tabs". If there were a way to hibernate them, or Save and Close, then I'd say that should work. I also notice that those groups can be nested, unlike the new FF Tab Groups (tho that's prob. just a matter of time). One thing that kind of tab group lacks, is the ability to rename it, so it says something more helpful than "Group".

You can rename the tab with these steps:

1. Click the tab to make it active.
2. Click the title in the contents area, or press F2 key.
3. The title field becomes to an input field, so you can change the title.
4. Press Enter key to save the new title.