Replacement for "Search Load Options" ??

[JLJ]

As of Firefox 42 (under Windows 7 x64) my surprisingly depended-upon extension Search Load Options is deprecated and -- sacre bleu! -- has even been removed by its author. I don't know why and I can't imagine, but no other single extension did what that one did, simply and cleanly: cleared search terms and reset to default engine after a user-set period of time. Sometimes you can get extensions to work with FF releases by changing the Max version data in the install.rdf file but it doesn't seem to work in this case. Now I need at least two extensions to do what that one did, and I can't seem to find one that resets to my default engine (Google) ever, at all, anyhow. So then:

(1) Does anyone know of a trick to get SearchLoadOptions to work in 42? I have the XPI from earlier installs...
(2) Does anyone know of a substitute that does what it did?
(3) Does anyone know of a native about:config tweak(s) to replicate what it did?

Just to be clear, I want to be able to search for "42" in, say, Yahoo News, hit ENTER, and have the searchbox cleared and reset to Google without having to do anything else. Is that asking so much?!

!Pleh

[patrickjdempsey]

1. In the very near future you will not be able to install "hacked" extensions, so you shouldn't waste your time trying to hack it.

2. There are several extensions that will clear the search bar, none with a timer that I can find.

3. The search bar by default uses "one click" searches now, so you don't need an extension to return to the default search engine now.

[Brummelchen]

with some small changes i guess it its possible to reactivate this extension.

Possible attempt to override new tab page

Code: Select all

Extensions may not programmatically override the new tab page. If this code has another purpose, we nonetheless recommend against testing URLs for these values, since results can be unpredictable, and better options usually exist. If you cannot avoid making these tests, please leave this code unchanged, and it will be ignored in future submissions.
bootstrap.js

161 ( searchLoad_Preferences.pref.detectnewtab && currentURL==window.gPrefService.getCharPref("browser.newtab.url") ||
162  searchLoad_Preferences.pref.detectblanktab && currentURL=="about:blank" ||
163  searchLoad_Preferences.pref.detecthometab && homeTabDetected

Potentially unsafe preference branch referenced

Code: Select all

Add-ons which directly change these preferences must undergo at manual code review for at least one submission. We are currently working to provide libraries and APIs to allow extensions to modify these settings in ways that we can guarantee are in-policy. In the interim, we recommend that you avoid changing these settings altogether, if at all possible.

If you are reading, but not writing, this preference, please consider passing a string literal directly to `Preferences.get()` or `nsIPrefBranch.get*Pref`.
bootstrap.js

149 {
150    let homepages = window.gPrefService.getComplexValue("browser.startup.homepage",Components.interfaces.nsIPrefLocalizedString).data;
151        homepages = homepages.split("|");

Potentially unsafe preference branch referenced

Code: Select all

If you are reading, but not writing, this preference, please consider passing a string literal directly to `Preferences.get()` or `nsIPrefBranch.get*Pref`.
bootstrap.js

160 if( searchLoad_Preferences.pref.newtab==0 ||
161    ( searchLoad_Preferences.pref.detectnewtab && currentURL==window.gPrefService.getCharPref("browser.newtab.url") ||
162      searchLoad_Preferences.pref.detectblanktab && currentURL=="about:blank" ||

(failure always at the middle line of three)

i am not sure if such routines are neccessary for the main function, if not just delete or comment out.

this extension is rather old, last good for firefox 16 (install.rdf) and its construction show same.

i am not sure if such extensions would survive the final break upcoming with firefox 43 and the new search bar. the old code behind which is switchable up to firefox 42 is totally gone.
if not usable on v43 it is like saddling a dead horse for now.

HTH

[JLJ]

3. The search bar by default uses "one click" searches now, so you don't need an extension to return to the default search engine now.

** Updated reply **

Seems adding the pref browser.search.showOneOffButtons and setting to false is the culprit. I preferred the result of that config, which was to choose a search engine first and enter a term second. Guess I'll have to make peace with the New Boss.



On my system this is not so. My default engine is Google. But I've installed other engines through the Mycroft Project and now if I search for "Beatles" using "Amazon" the search engine remains "Amazon" until I manually change it back.

I've tried the "Search Reset" extension that claims to restore all FF default search settings, but it has not changed this behavior: the last-chosen engine remains in place.

It is possible some past config changes I have made prevent the functionality you state, though I'm not sure which ones.

THX JLJ

[Ed1]

Searchbar Autosizer has a setting to revert to the default search engine.