Barlesque
=========

DESCRIPTION
===========

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/

USAGE
=====

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.

USABILITY CONSIDERATIONS
========================

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

PACKAGING
=========

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

INSTALLATION
============

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..."

FEEDBACK
========

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:

	dmitriy.khudorozhkov@gmail.com

PERSONNEL
=========

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).

LEGAL STUFF
===========

Copyright 2010 Dmitriy Khudorozhkov.