{"id":288,"date":"2006-11-10T08:30:01","date_gmt":"2006-11-10T14:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.codedread.com\/archives\/2006\/11\/10\/modern-browser-features\/"},"modified":"2006-11-10T08:30:01","modified_gmt":"2006-11-10T14:30:01","slug":"modern-browser-features","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.codedread.com\/blog\/archives\/2006\/11\/10\/modern-browser-features\/","title":{"rendered":"Modern Browser Features"},"content":{"rendered":"

I've been using Opera 9<\/a> as my default browser for the last 6 months and here are some of the features I'd have a hard time living without if I moved back to Firefox<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Detaching Tabs and True MDI<\/span><\/h3>\n

Quite often, I'll want to compare the contents of two web pages side-by-side. The problem usually is that the web pages in question are usually already<\/em> loaded as two tabs in the same window. With Opera, I can drag that tab out of the Opera window and it becomes a new stand-alone Opera window. I think this is a feature that even novice web browser users could appreciate - think of comparing prices\/features on two different items in Amazon or on different websites.<\/p>\n

Opera also supports a true multiple-document interface that allows you to cascade, tile, minimize and restore tabs within one Opera window. I've missed true MDI ever since the world<\/span> decided to steer clear of it years back in favour of a tabbed-based approach. Mozilla has stated they will not support MDI<\/a> in Firefox either. Every so often I will use this feature in Opera and I really appreciate it, but it's hidden enough from the novice user that it doesn't overtly confuse them. I think Mozilla should take a page from Opera on this one.<\/p>\n

The Wand<\/h3>\n

At first, this Opera feature actually annoyed me because I was used to Firefox' ability to remember the passwords, but I've found that Opera has done a better job for me in remembering passwords over the long run. Now I just go to a web page and click the Wand button (or ctrl+enter) and I'm logged in automatically, no more searching for the Submit\/Login\/Go\/whatever button on the web page.<\/p>\n

Tab Trash<\/h3>\n

Sometimes I'll close a tab that I didn't mean to. Opera has this great little trash can button on the tab strip that lists the most recently closed tabs and I can select the one I want to restore. I should mention that Firefox 2 recently added the ability to \"Undo Close Tab\" (right-click on the tab-strip), but I don't think that's quite the same thing.<\/p>\n

Bleeding Edge Standards Support<\/h3>\n

Opera is much further along in supporting SVG<\/span> [SVG11]<\/a> than Firefox is, especially in terms of declarative animation. I've been a fan<\/span> of SVG for over a year now.<\/p>\n

Opera is the first browser that I know of to support the proposed Sound<\/a> interface of HTML5<\/a>. I've found one good use for this feature in a web application I've been using\/developing for a year and a half. Web games are another obvious target.<\/p>\n