https://codereview.chromium.org/2108833002

The following revision refers to this bug:
  https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a

commit a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a
Author: thestig <thestig@chromium.org>
Date: Wed Jun 29 18:30:21 2016

Remove Simplify Page option from Print Preview

BUG= 620382 
CQ_INCLUDE_TRYBOTS=tryserver.chromium.linux:closure_compilation

Review-Url: https://codereview.chromium.org/2108833002
Cr-Commit-Position: refs/heads/master@{#402876}

[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/app/generated_resources.grd
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/about_flags.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/dom_distiller/profile_utils.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/dom_distiller/profile_utils.h
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/printing/print_preview_dialog_controller.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/printing/print_preview_dialog_controller.h
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/printing/print_preview_dialog_controller_unittest.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/profiles/off_the_record_profile_impl.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/profiles/profile_impl.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/data/print_ticket_store.js
[delete] https://crrev.com/e5bd187647e715b5aca8755c6f04858d79bcbbcf/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/data/ticket_items/distill_page.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/native_layer.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/preview_generator.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/previewarea/preview_area.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/print_preview.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/settings/other_options_settings.html
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/resources/print_preview/settings/other_options_settings.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/ui/tab_helpers.cc
[delete] https://crrev.com/e5bd187647e715b5aca8755c6f04858d79bcbbcf/chrome/browser/ui/webui/print_preview/print_preview_distiller.cc
[delete] https://crrev.com/e5bd187647e715b5aca8755c6f04858d79bcbbcf/chrome/browser/ui/webui/print_preview/print_preview_distiller.h
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/ui/webui/print_preview/print_preview_handler.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/ui/webui/print_preview/print_preview_handler.h
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/ui/webui/print_preview/print_preview_ui.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/browser/ui/webui/print_preview/print_preview_ui.h
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/chrome/chrome_browser_ui.gypi
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/components/dom_distiller/core/css/distilledpage.css
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/components/dom_distiller/core/javascript/dom_distiller_viewer.js
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/printing/print_job_constants.cc
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/printing/print_job_constants.h
[modify] https://crrev.com/a223560fd493a9f25d23a33bd624328b6eec854a/tools/metrics/histograms/histograms.xml

Rechecked this on chrome version 53.0.2785.8 on Windows 10, MAC 10.11.5, Ubuntu 14.04. Fix is working as intended. "Simplify Page" Option is removed from print preview. Attached screenshot for the same.

Adding TE-Verified labels.

Thanks.!

Deleted: Screen Shot 2016-07-07 at 3.34.24 PM.png 80.7 KB

	Screen Shot 2016-07-07 at 3.34.24 PM.png 80.7 KB View Download

This was a great feature, and if anything it simply suffered from a lack of awareness. Once I discovered it, I used it multiple times a day. It was great for printing blog posts and news articles that I wanted to hang on to.

Why remove a valuable feature if it wasn't causing an issue??  Certainly wasn't taking up an inordinate amount of space in the print dialog box, and "inconsistent quality" simply meant that it was a huge boon when it worked (most of the time) and only every so often it didn't help very much. It was easy enough to see results in the Preview and deselect the option if it didn't seem to work with a given page.

What can be done to bring it back? Could it at least be added as an user selectable option in the browser settings, so those who want it could chose to enable it?  Or would it be possible to make the functionality available through a plug in?

Addendum - It smacks of insincerity when members of the tech world preach sustainability, yet deliberately remove a function that substantially decreases the amount of paper used when printing.  That alone should speak to the need to keep this feature, address "inconsistent quality" and promote its use.

One can use extensions to reformat webpages in arbitrary manners. e.g. remove "unnecessary" bits for printing. A quick search in the Chrome WebStore shows one called "Print Friendly & PDF" that appears to do just that. I have not actually tried it them though.

This is the preferred way to balance the needs of users that need certain features versus not burdening everyone with features they rarely use. I hope you can find an extension that meets your printing needs.

Thanks, I do appreciate your reply and explanation. 

I have indeed installed Print Friendly.  It's adequate, at best. It requires the user to click a tiny button to print, rather than a universal keystroke command (ctrl p), it's much slower to render the page in a simplified format, and leaves a pop up window that has to be closed. 

I may try other extensions, but fully integrated functionality is almost always superior to any add-ons. I can't really see how anyone was "burdened" with the extra check box, but I also realize I'm not a developer.

I agree with charliez. Make "Simplify Page" a non-default option in settings.

"Due to low usage..." and "not burdening everyone with features they rarely use." How does Chrome know how often "Simplify Page" is used? How detailed is Chrome's monitoring?

How does "Simplify Page" burden users? Don't you mean it burdens developers dealing with ever complex pages? But isn't the same task as building a browser? If anything, Chrome's dominance means it sets the boundaries of page complexity.

This fix is obviously a done deal and no notice was given users. Print Friendly is one option; another is Firefox which now includes a simplify page option. I hope you don't fix anything else that ain't broke.

Now it makes sense. Print Friendly boasts an additional major feature: 5 googleleadservice ads with every use.

...I guess I'm one of the "low usage" users who use this constantly???  It is great for printing news articles for later consumption without the distraction of the original formatting and though it may not work 100% of the time, but it's been "good enough" for the 90+% times it works.

Please bring it back!!!

Also many "low usage" users lamenting its loss:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/mDTcnLVXj7c

"Low Usage"?

One of the most used parts of Chrome for myself and plenty of other users. I also never had any issues with using it on a variety of web sites.

Suggest people read the comments at 

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/mDTcnLVXj7c

Why should users have to use another extension just because of poorly made decisions?

I used thie simplify facility several times every day. It's withdrawal without notice is a truly appalling decision with completely implausible justification. Who is this guy thestig? And can s/he please be removed from the development team before s/he makes any more bad decisions?

Rarely post to anything but this option was great even though it did not works sometime. Google should truly consider providing this option again.

Could you please make it available through a native plug-in?

Hey all,

Sorry we removed something you found useful, and thanks for sharing feedback.

The bug tracker isn't the best place to advocate for some sort of re-inclusion of this feature; it's set up to be a work tracker.  A place like the forum link in comment 14 would be a better place to share "I liked this" kinds of sentiments.  Closing, so people don't get the misimpression that replying here will convince someone to re-add this.

Also, please avoid comments that insult or belittle team members, in any forum.  It's possible to say you found something useful without calling for the removal of people from the development team who implemented the task they were given and tried to reply in a brief and helpful way.  It doesn't exactly make team members interested in listening to user feedback when that's the sort of way the feedback is phrased.

 Issue 648044  has been merged into this issue.