The console timestamps should be themeable, so I've separated them out into <span> elements. To do this the following changes were made: (1) The function ConsoleUtils.timestampString() is changed to timestampNode(), which returns a DOM node. (2) The callers of timestampString() are updated to use the new interface. (3) Tests are updated. There is deliberately no styling on the timestamps, to minimize the size of the patch. This patch does not depend on any unreviewed code. This patch is part of the Firefox 4 Console UI. The current UI for the console is simply a placeholder and has not yet been designed from a UX perspective (see bug 559481). Because I am requesting blocking status for the Console UI, and this is a critical part of the Console user experience, I am requesting that this bug block the Firefox 4 release as well.

Comment on attachment 459272 [details] [diff] [review] Patch. > createLogNode: function LM_createLogNode() > { The LogMessage ctor is going away soon in favor of Mihai's (HUDMessage) WebConsoleMessage ctor - mute point really. >@@ -2989,13 +2996,15 @@ > }, > > /** >- * Generates a formatted timestamp string for displaying in console messages. >+ * Generates a formatted timestamp node for displaying in console messages. > * > * @param integer [ms] Optional, allows you to specify the timestamp in > * milliseconds since the UNIX epoch. >- * @returns string The timestamp formatted for display. >+ * @param IDOMDocument [chromeDocument] The document for which the node nit: s/nsIDOMDocument/IDOMDocument/ you'll have to do that globally on this patch:) >+ * should be created. >+ * @returns IDOMNode A node containing a timestamp formatted for display. r+ with changes

Updated patch. Replaces uses of IDOM* with nsIDOM*. Adds myself to the author list.

New patch is rebased to mozilla-central and adds a unit test.

Won't hold the release to make an "under the hood" feature themable, but would happily approve a small, safe, reviewed patch.

This bug will be obsolete once the console is fully XULified. Marking as a duplicate of the more specific bug 586724.