
FLST
Focus Last Selected Tab
Description
FLST
is an extension for Google Chrome, providing a natural / MRU style
tab ordering (Most Recently Used), plus options for
Tab Flipping,
New Tab Select, and
New Tab Location.
Some features are related to former FireFox versions.
More details:
Overview
«»
Limitations
«»
Tab Flipping
«»
New Tab Select
«»
New Tab Location
► Intro
FLST
provides a more natural browsing experience with features and options
missing from Google Chrome.
FLST
maintains tabs with MRU ordering (Most Recently Used);
when the current tab is closed, the Last-Selected-Tab
is displayed (or "Focused").
To suit user choices, the other
FLST
features are designed as configurable options.
When this extension is first installed, options are enabled.
Click the other buttons above for option details.
Be sure to read
Limitations (next button)
► Method
Chrome assigns a numeric ID for each tab (eg 111, 14, 79).
During various tab-related events,
FLST
updates sets of tab-IDs with MRU ordering.
Tab ordering is privately maintained for each Chrome window.
Migrating tabs between windows is also supported.
► Background
After Google Chrome was introduced, many features from Mozilla Firefox
and FF extensions were desirable for Chrome.
By 2011, a new independent
FLST
extension was created for Chrome, partly inspired by features
from a mix of now-former Firefox versions. (also see
Limitations, next button)
► Extension history,
FLST Chrome
Release Date | FLST Revision | Chrome Manifest |
Jan 2011 | Rev 1.0 | V1 |
Jan 2012 | Rev 1.1 | V1 |
Jun 2013 | Rev 1.2 | V2 |
Feb 2021 | Rev 2.1 | V2 |
►
Limitations:
Since 2011 / Chrome 8.x and probably earlier,
when the current/displayed tab is clicked,
Chrome ignores that event and does nothing.
Different methods are required to trigger
Tab Flipping.
Click the next button for related details.
►
All
extensions including
FLST
cannot prevent others from altering tab-related activity.
So far all issues reported here have been
caused by another enabled extension.
To resolve any issues, first disable all other extensions,
quit and restart Chrome, then retest.
Re-enable other extensions only 1 at a time between tests.
► ALERT!
Google announced the next major revision for extensions
(MV3 / Manifest Version 3) along with
drastic
changes that eliminate essential Chrome services.
The bulk of Chrome extensions including
FLST
are all based on MV2.
The previous schedule for disabling support for MV2 extensions
was Jan 2023, but is now an evolving date in 2023.
Oddly, Google has maintained their plan despite years of
negative feedback from developers, including Chrome and W3C
extension groups.
For related info, see
this article on EFF.org
(Electronic Frontier Foundation).
If you want to run this extension after the MV2 cutoff,
be sure to donate to
FLST
in 2023 (see links below).
(Option)
Tab Flipping:
When there are
2
or more tabs, clicking the Extension Icon

will flip (or toggle) between the current-tab and the Last-Selected-Tab.
The same flip/toggle can be done with a keyboard shortcut
(example: Alt+N).
Chrome supports configuring shortcuts to most
Ctrl+ or
Alt+
combinations.
Instructions are also provided during installation.
Older extensions used a content script for shortcuts like F9 or F10,
though Chrome support was always incomplete and now gone.
Click the previous button for related
Limitations.
►
To set
FLST Options
►
Right-click the extension icon

and click
►
To set Chrome Keyboard shortcuts (2 choices)
►
• Right-click the extension icon

and click
►
• or type Ctrl+T and paste this URL to the omnibox / address bar
➔
chrome://extensions/shortcuts
(Option)
New Tab Select:
After a right-click on a regular link and choosing
,
also select/display the new tab.
When a tab is opened with that method, the Chrome standard creates a new tab
usually with content, but the current tab would remain selected/displayed.
This option automates selecting the new tab, eliminating the extra step where the user would also have to click the new tab.
►
To set
FLST Options
►
Right-click the extension icon

and click
(Option)
New Tab Location:
After a right-click on a regular link and choosing
,
place the new tab on the far right.
When a tab is opened with that method, the Chrome standard places
the new tab on the immediate right.
The difference is apparent in the common case
where the opener / current-tab is
not the furthest right.
►
Note that Chrome places new blank tabs (Ctrl+T)
and some chrome:// tabs on the far right;
this extension does not alter that behavior.
►
To set
FLST Options
►
Right-click the extension icon

and click
Make any donation to
FLST
Every bit helps. Thanks.
Questions / Requests
Install FLST
► Tell a friend about Google Chrome