Barlesque is a project mainly written in JavaScript, based on the MIT license.
Extension for Firefox 4.x that collapses the wide grey addon bar into a neat set of buttons.
Barlesque is an extension for Mozilla Firefox 4.x that reclaims useful window space by collapsing the wide grey add-on bar into a neat set of add-on buttons. This extension is Firefox 4.x-only, as add-on bar is a new feature (introduced in Firefox 4.0b7).
Extension implements this proposal of Jennifer Boriss from Mozilla user experience group:
http://jboriss.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/removing-firefox%E2%80%99s-status-bar-and-rehousing-add-on-icons-part-3-of-2-wut/
Barlesque expects user to have the add-on bar switched on ("View" menu -> "Toolbars" -> check the "Add-on Bar").
You'll see the effect of extension immediately after installation; add-on bar won't be the solid horizontal band at the bottom, but will cover only a portion of the space instead. Also, you can quickly hide the add-on bar by clicking on the dark-grey down arrow icon at the left (if add-on bar is bound to the right edge of screen) or right (left edge of screen) side of add-on bar. Later you can expand the add-on bar with the same icon (it will show up-facing arrow).
You can customize some aspects of Barlesque behavior through the options dialog ("Tools" menu -> "Add-ons" item -> "Options" button of "Barlesque"):
"Show the collapser icon" option allows you to show/hide a small collapser icon next to the add-on bar; this icon allows you to quickly collapse/expand the bar. By default, extension shows the icon.
By default, extension doesn't persist the collapsed/expanded state of add-on bar between browser sessions; "Remember the collapsed/expanded state of the add-on bar" checkbox changes this.
"Side the add-on bar is aligned to" option allows you to choose, obviously, the side of screen the add-on buttons are bound to. Default alignment is bottom-right corner of screen.
"Position of add-on bar when find bar is shown" option allows you to decide how add-on bar behaves when find bar is called. Possible values are "on top" (default; add-on bar will be shown above the find bar), "overlaid" (add-on bar will be shown over the right side of add-on bar) and "hidden".
You can switch on and customize the keyboard shortcut to collapse/expand the add-on bar.
You can switch on and customize the keyboard shortcut to change the alignment (side of screen) for the add-on bar.
You can switch on and customize the auto-collapse timer, that will automatically collapse the add-on bar after a given number of seconds. Time is counted from user's last interaction with add-on bar (hover, click, etc.) or the last event/notification happening in the add-on bar.
All changes made through the options dialog take effect immediately.
Please note that the default bottom-right positioning of the add-on bar may interfere with UI elements of some websites (e.g. Facebook chat). If you're frequent visitor to such sites, you may want to change the positioning of add-on bar through the options dialog (or even refrain from using the extension). You'd probably want to read the comments to the article linked above and this discussion on Mozillazine:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=1951751
The .xpi file can be created manually by using the 'zip' command (or any other zipping software). The resulting .xpi file should contain the following files:
chrome/content/options.js chrome/content/options.xul chrome/content/overlay.js chrome/content/overlay.xul chrome/locale/de/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/de/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/en-US/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/en-US/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/fr/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/fr/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/pl/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/pl/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/ru/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/ru/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/sr/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/sr/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/sv-SE/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/sv-SE/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/zh-CN/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/zh-CN/barlesque.properties chrome/locale/zh-TW/barlesque.dtd chrome/locale/zh-TW/barlesque.properties chrome/skin/options.css chrome/skin/overlay.css chrome/skin/arrow-down.png chrome/skin/arrow-up.png chrome/skin/barlesque.png defaults/preferences/barlesque.js chrome.manifest install.rdf LICENSE
Under linux, the following instruction builds the .xpi file:
$ zip -r barlesque.xpi install.rdf chrome.manifest LICENSE chrome defaults
The extension can be installed by drag-and-dropping the 'barlesque.xpi' file over an existing Firefox window, or by pointing Firefox (through File menu, "Open File..." item) to the local URL where the file is stored. Alternatively, if you have Firefox 4 and have the menu bar switched off, you can click on Firefox button -> Addons -> click on gear icon in the top-right corner of screen -> "Install Add-on From File..."
I'd like to hear from you. If you have any issues with Barlesque or have an idea on how to improve it - please feel free to e-mail me:
[email protected]Idea:
Jennifer Boriss.Author & principal developer:
Dmitriy Khudorozhkov.Contributors:
Nils Maier,
Drugoy,
Vitaly Piryatinsky.Translators:
HorstS (de),
Goofy (fr),
Krzysztof Klimczak (pl),
Vitaly Piryatinsky (ru),
ДакСРБИЈА (sr),
Mikael Hiort af Ornas (sv-SE),
yfdyh000 (zh-CN),
velociraptor (zh-TW).Copyright 2010 Dmitriy Khudorozhkov.