Robot Monkeys

I use Safari as my primary browser. I use Firefox as well, but Safari is my default. It’s because Safari handles mac interface conventions better. Specifically, window maximization behavior and keystroke behavior in the location bar. Now the window maximization isn’t entirely Firefox’s fault. Firefox uses Carbon instead of Cocoa, and the two libraries do things differently. However I lay the breaking the expected up-down arrow behavior on MacOSX at Firefox’s feet.

Firefox uses the Windows and Unix standard where you use home and end to move to first and last positions in the input box, and up and down to navigate the autocomplete. However on MacOSX up and down are supposed to move the curosr to the first and last positions. This is a rare case where treating all the platforms the same, actually breaks cross-platform compatibility. Firefox should handle autocomplete in the location bar on MacOSX like how Safari does. Safari drops down a list showing the various autocomplete suggestions and uses the up and down arrows to navigate the list. (Just like Firefox.) But once an suggestion is selected (or no suggestions are available), the up and down arrows regain the expected behavior of moving the cursor within the location bar’s input box. Basically, this fix would come down to anding the event == DOWNARROW_PRESS with platform != MACOS when triggering the autocomplete dropdown.

But there are times when Firefox shows why opensource can be put a out a superior product.

Firefox’s extensions rock.

There’s simply no better browser for web development. Today, I was checking out Slate’s Delegate Counter. Now the page renders on both Safari and Firefox with input boxes to that are too small to actually read the delegate counts; but with Firefox and the Web Developer Toolbar and Edit CSS, this isn’t a problem. I was able to modify the loaded CSS and expand the boxes to 100px. Awesome.

I’ll consider switching browsers if Firefox 3 handles the location bar correctly, but if it doesn’t, I’ll stay with Safari.