Single-click on URL bar has unexpected behavior

[David Tan]

Clicking on a text field should place the cursor at the position you clicked. However, Chrome and all Chromium-based browsers I've had the displeasure of using all have this bug (yes, bug) where clicking on the URL bar's text field actually selects the entire text. This is completely contradictory to UX design standards and user expectations.

If the purpose of a URL bar is to go to a completely different address (as this bug would suggest), then a button that displays an empty text field would suffice and look cleaner. But a text field filled with the current URL suggests that it is intended for manually editing the current URL or querystring, which is what I am using it for.

As I start typing in this URL bar, the entire URL gets overwritten because it unexpectedly selected the entire text. This is a massive frustration because I have to stop what I was doing to undo the deletion caused by the browser's bug, which was a completely unnecessary and STUPID design choice.

[PhistucK]

In which platform are you seeing this behavior?

For example, on Windows, this behavior is common practice and all of the browsers I have tested (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge and Chrome) behave this way.

For what it is worth, I completely disagree with your opinion. The vast majority of the users do not edit the URL at all. They click on the URL bar in order to either search for something, or type a new URL. A URL is technical gibberish to most users and Chrome/unmodified Chromium caters for most rather than for all (nothing caters for all, someone will not be pleased no matter what you do).

☆PhistucK

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[Jon Perryman]

David,

Please don't make STUPID statements about great design decisions (yes, you). Someone other than you may actually know what they are doing and there is no need to start out being agressive. If you don't understand how something works, you should ask questions to get informed.

1. Double delayed click (about 1 second)  on the address in the address bar places the cursor at that position. Double delayed click to the right of the address places the cursor at the end of the address. Alternatively, if the address is larger than the address bar, use a single click followed by the end key

2. Quick double click selects a word in the address.

3. Selecting the entire URL is the correct default. Even when developing web pages, how often are you modifying the URL?

4. Definition: bug is an error, flaw, failure or fault. Please learn that definition because a design choice can never be a bug even when it deviates from the standard. In this case, it doesn't even deviate from the standard.

5. Unix doesn't support a mouse therefore it can't have such a mouse gesture standard. 

6. xWindows (Unix full screen manager including mouse) doesn't have a standard about mouse gestures. This is the default behavior. Advanced mouse gestures as used in chrome require more coding and the default behavior is often good enough.

Regards, Jon.

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