Back IS Close replaces the "Back" button with a "Close" button when the "Back" button is disabled because there is no page to go "back" to. That Close button will close the tab or browser, as appropriate.
Back IS Close is the perfect complement to tabbed browsing: it closes the many tabs tabbed browsing opens. Back IS Close works most effectively when you map a mouse button (I use the right mouse button) to send "Alt-Left Arrow". Then one mouse button will either take you back to the previous page, or close the tab if no previous page exists, making for quick, convenient browsing.
Back IS Close replaces the "Back" button, the Back menu items on the "Go" Menu and the context menu, and the action of the backspace and Alt-Left Arrow (or Meta-Left Arrow). Replacement is only made when the "Back" button (and other Back GUI elements) is disabled because the current tab or window is on the "back-most" page, and there is no page to go back to.
Using any of these elements will cause the current tab or window to be closed. In this document, we'll use the "Back" button as shorthand for all these GUI elements, unless otherwise noted.
By default, the replacement is only made on tabs, when a window contains two or more tabs. This is to prevent the accidental closing of a window by using the "back" button. When the normal back elements are not replaced, they'll be -- as is normal -- disabled.
You can set Back IS Close to appear on windows as well. If this is set, windows are only closed after all tabs on that window have been closed. When Back IS Close will close a window, its icon changes to a crossed out window.
You can set Back IS Close to appear on all windows and tabs, on all windows unless that window is the only browser window, or on all windows except the oldest browser window. Limiting the windows the Close button appears on prevents the browser window or Firefox itself from being accidently closed.
Allowing Back IS Close to appear on all windows except the oldest prevents the accidental closing of your "main" browser window. Note that if there is only one window, it must also be the oldest window. This setting prevents you from accidentally exiting Firefox. Non-browser windows (such as the Extensions or Downloads windows) are not counted when determining the number of windows or which is oldest.
Allowing Back IS Close to appear on all windows unless there is only one open window prevents the accidental exiting of Firefox, but doesn't prevent the closing of your main window.
Allowing Back IS Close to appear on all windows to be that using the Back IS Close button will exit Firefox if that window is the only open window. If using Back IS Close would close the last window and thus exit Firefox, the Back IS Close icon changes to a doubly-crossed out window.
When any window is closed (by using the Back IS Close button or by any other means), all other windows' Back IS Close buttons are updated. In particular, if closing a window results in only one browser window still being open, the Back IS Close button will either be removed (if your settings don't allow Back IS Close to appear only the only existing window) or its icon will be change to the doubly crossed-out window icon. Similarly, if your settings don't allow Back IS Close to appear on the oldest window, and you close the oldest window, Back IS Close will be removed from the now-oldest window. And if you change Back IS Close's settings, the buttons will be replaced as needed on all browser windows
Settings | If no page to go "back" to, "Back" button is replaced by | |||
Tab | Window | Oldest Window | Only Window | |
Tabs Only | ![]() | Normal (Disabled) Back Button | ||
Tabs and All Windows except Oldest Window | ![]() | ![]() | Normal (Disabled) Back Button | |
Tabs and All Windows except Only Window | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | Normal (Disabled) Back Button |
Tabs and All Windows | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Extension deactivated | Normal (Disabled) Back Button |
If you set your toolbar to show text labels, since "Close Tab" is longer than "back", the replacement of the "Back" button with the Back Is Close button will shift the other buttons on the toolbar to the right. If this is distracting, try setting the toolbar to show only icons. In icon only mode, the "Back Is Close" button is exactly the width as the "Back" button, so no shifting will be noticeable.
Some mice and keyboards have special dedicated "Back" buttons, which Firefox will respond to. Unfortunately, given the way Firefox is designed, Back IS Close cannot capture those buttons. Pressing them when Back Is Close is active will send a normal "Back" command to the browser, which it will ignore, because there will be no page to go "back" to.
However, Back IS Close can (and does) capture the Alt-Left arrow key. So to use these mice and keyboards with Back Is Close, set the mouse or keyboard to send "Alt-Left Arrow" instead of the special "Back" keystroke. Most mice that allow button setting will include software to chnage what the buttons do. Changing the keycodes sent by the keyboard is a bit more complicated, but can also be done.
Back IS Close contacts its author's web site ("phones home") when Firefox is started, to check for software updates and provide debugging information consisting of its current settings. No personally identifiable information is transmitted.
Back IS Close is copyright © 2005 TP Diffenbach. You are granted a limited license to use Back IS Close in conjunction with a Firefox browser. You are granted NO rights to use or reverse-engineer Back IS Close's source code, or to create derivative works.