Extensions and custom buttons for UXP browsers - Corrections, modifications, adjustments, and special recommendations

[AstroSkipper]

On 4/1/2024 at 3:23 PM, AstroSkipper said:

So, it would be really interesting for me what other users think about custom buttons. Any opinions, experiences or questions are welcome, of course! And it doesn't matter whether you used them in the past or still do.
  

The reason I'm asking so much for your opinion is the impression I get that many users either don't have custom buttons on their radar or don't really know what to do with them or have just never tried them.  Anyway! In my next post, I will present one of my favourite custom buttons made by a great developer of extensions and custom buttons which I install in all my profiles of New Moon and Serpent by default to keep an eye on certain, self-selected browser preferences and control them. 

Cheers, AstroSkipper

Edited April 2, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

Pref Toggler - A custom button for toggling user-selected preferences in about:config

The Pref Toggler custom button, created by the great developer srazzano long time ago, is one of my favourite ones. It gives the opportunity to switch very specific preferences, which have been selected and configured by the user first, much more quickly and clearly than using the about:config page. The controlled preferences by Pref Toggler can be Boolean, String or Integer ones. In addition, this custom button allows direct control over the current state of these user-selected preferences. A tool bar icon in the form of a glowing bulb gives the user an additional indication that some preferences are not in their default state. I only changed the icon images of this custom button inside its code in terms of size for better fit in the tool bar and the main interface window. Here are some screenshots to get an impression how the user interface of Pref Toggler looks like and works:

This is the main interface:



Clicking onto the button "Edit List", you can add, edit or delete preferences to be controlled:



The bulb is glowing due to controlled preferences which are not in their default state:



The bulb is not glowing because all controlled preferences are in their default state:
:


Toggling Boolean preferences is done by a left-click and editing String or Integer preferences by a middle-click or right-click:



The user-selected preferences are stored in about.config by a preference of Pref toggler with the name extensions.custombuttons.PrefToggler.prefList.

Pref Toggler is indeed a great custom button and definitely recommended by me. I uploaded the Pref Toggler custom button as an HTML file for an offline installation.

Here is the download link of my modded custom button Pref Toggler, credits, of course, to its brilliant developer srazzano : https://www.mediafire.com/file/b069qa1jwallwqe/Pref_Toggler_02.04.2024.html/file

Simply open this HTML file in a browser tab and click the embedded custom button link for Pref Toggler! For the installation of this button, as for all others too, the extension Custom Buttons is required and has to be installed first. You can get it from this post: https://msfn.org/board/topic/183923-extensions-and-custom-buttons-for-uxp-browsers-corrections-modifications-adjustments-and-special-recommendations/?do=findComment&comment=1226328

Greetings from Germany, AstroSkipper

 

Edited April 4, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[Ascii2]

On 9/20/2022 at 11:21 AM, AstroSkipper said:

Custom Buttons 0.0.5.8.9.... The version, which I use and can recommend, is Custom Buttons 0.0.5.8.9.6-fixed8, a more recent and compatible one. It works flawlessly in New Moon 28, Serpent 52, and also in other browsers. I uploaded this version for you. Here is the download link: 
https://www.mediafire.com/file/wpf38lupdi4fo0s/custom_buttons-0.0.5.8.9-fixed8-signed.xpi/file

AstroSkipper, what is the original source of the "Custom Buttons 0.0.5.8.9.6-fixed8" version you are offering?  Is the offering a mod?

Edited April 3, 2024 by Ascii2

[dmiranda]

Unfortunately, the custombuttons forum is gone, and the archive backup cover buttons titles in the forum, but not its contents.

 

http://custombuttons.sourceforge.net/forum/index.php

Edited April 3, 2024 by dmiranda

[dmiranda]

Some (compatible?) scattered here and there, f.e., https://github.com/Infocatcher/Custom_Buttons

[billmcct]

https://codefisher.org/toolbar-buttons/

Is also shutdown. Leads to:  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/user/11280414/

[AstroSkipper]

8 hours ago, Ascii2 said:

AstroSkipper, what is the original source of the "Custom Buttons 0.0.5.8.9.6-fixed8" version you are offering?  Is the offering a mod?

As far as I can remember, I got this version from the Custom Buttons Forum many years ago. This forum is no longer active and has unfortunately closed.  The Custom Buttons extension was fixed on a regular base in those days due to breakages which occurred repeatedly after updating Firefox. In these days, you can get this extension either via the Classic Add-ons Archive or here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/custombuttons/files/. I personally have an huge archive of custom buttons themselves and the Custom Buttons extensions which were created in those days. However, the Custom Buttons 0.0.5.8.9.6-fixed8 version, you presumably will get only here.  These fixed versions were never archived officially. 

Edited April 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

30 minutes ago, billmcct said:

https://codefisher.org/toolbar-buttons/

Is also shutdown. Leads to:  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/user/11280414/

However, these toolbar buttons came in the form of extensions. They are not those custom buttons I referred to and we are talking about. But thanks for the hint!

[billmcct]

Yes I know. I have been using many buttons from CodeFisher for many many years.

[AstroSkipper]

6 minutes ago, billmcct said:

Yes I know. I have been using many buttons from CodeFisher for many many years.

Ok! Here is a link via archive.org to see all extensions by Codefisher: https://web.archive.org/web/20221027171012/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/user/11280414/

[AstroSkipper]

7 hours ago, dmiranda said:

Some (compatible?) scattered here and there, f.e., https://github.com/Infocatcher/Custom_Buttons

You will only know whether these custom buttons are compatible with @roytam1's browsers or not when trying to install them and checking their functionality. Most of these custom buttons are very old. Unfortunately, many of them don't work in Firefox 52 based browsers any longer. They would have to be fixed if possible at all. I personally use only those which are fully functional. My self-created custom buttons have been developed for UXP based browsers and are compatible with @roytam1's browsers and most probably with Pale Moon, too. I even managed some of them to also work in Mypal 68. Have a look here: https://msfn.org/board/topic/183657-mypal-68-in-windows-xp-custom-buttons-and-extensions/?do=findComment&comment=1229639
The more universal the JavaScript coding of these custom buttons, the more compatible. And you have to target only functions which are supported in all browsers. That's why only a few of the old custom buttons can be used in Mypal 68.

Edited April 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[AstroSkipper]

@dmiranda, @Ascii2 Do you still use custom buttons at all? This was actually my initial question. What do you think about custom buttons in general? And have you ever tried the Pref Toggler custom button or my modded version I recently presented here? 

Edited April 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[dmiranda]

Hi @AstroSkipper, I tried some of your toggle buttons, and you e-cleaner, but the toggle buttons were made for functions I don't really change, and I have an alternative for the ecleaner  (in the "clean uninstall" addon). 

However, I like the preftogler concept very much, and looking briefly at the code, I think I can fashion settings I actually may want to change to visit some sites, now and then.  And I like your restart and purge startup caches, beginning with the fact that it actually makes a restart, and that it simplifies the process of cleaning said caches when installing/trying new stuff.

In mypal68 I also use the restart button, and the about:everything button.

[AstroSkipper]

25 minutes ago, dmiranda said:

Hi @AstroSkipper, I tried some of your toggle buttons, and you e-cleaner, but the toggle buttons were made for functions I don't really change, and I have an alternative for the ecleaner  (in the "clean uninstall" addon). 

FYI, my toggle buttons can easily be modified to switch other Boolean preferences. I explained it in the corresponding posts.

25 minutes ago, dmiranda said:

However, I like the preftogler concept very much, and looking briefly at the code, I think I can fashion settings I actually may want to change to visit some sites, now and then.

TBH, there is nothing to be changed in the button's code. I think you rather mean changing the selected preferences which you want to control. This is to be done in the main user interface window of Pref Toggler via the button "Edit List".

25 minutes ago, dmiranda said:

And I like your restart and purge startup caches, beginning with the fact that it actually makes a restart, and that it simplifies the process of cleaning said caches when installing/trying new stuff.

That's good to hear. Thanks for your feedback! 

Edited April 3, 2024 by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[dmiranda]

24 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

TBH, there is nothing to be changed in the button's code. I think you rather mean changing the selected preferences which you want to control. This is to be done in the main user interface window of Pref Toggler via the button "Edit List".

So, let's say I want to include the key "browser.backspace_action", I just add it using edit list?