Return to start point when typed text isn't found?

[Ander]

FF's "Find text as you type" feature is great—but when a page doesn't have the text you're looking for, FF dumps you at whatever position may have the beginning of your typed text. For example, if you type barbell and it's not on the page but bar is, FF leaves you at bar. So in most cases, you're left at an entirely random place, and you must manually return to your start point, wherever that was—if you even know where that was. Each. Time. This. Happens.

I'd much FF rather said "Phrase not found" (as it does) and scroll back to where I started typing (as it doesn't). Couldn't this at least be made a sub-option under "Search for text when I start typing"? E.g., "If text isn't found, return to start point"?

If that seems too wildly versatile, how about allowing Alt+Left arrow to return to the start point immediately following a Find attempt, since that's the shortcut associated with returning to the previous position?

BTW, wouldn't it make more sense to call the existing option "Find text when I start typing"? After all, Find is the associated command, not Search. That'd also make the option text more concise—and as we all know, in GUIs, "less is more". (Hey, I'm a tech writer—I can't help it.)

[dfoulkes]

I doubt the native 'Find' is going to get much work done on it... maybe some on AMO handles that... though I did a little searching (lots of stuff out there) ... and did not find a specific fix...

find :: Search :: Add-ons for Firefox

I did find these two that seem to be loaded with options... maybe your suggestion would get into one or both of them? ... contact them?

FindBar Tweak :: Add-ons for Firefox
Find Toolbar Tweaks :: Add-ons for Firefox

Though it could be interesting to figure out a starting position... you might be on a loooonnng page, think to find something or maybe you were already trying to find something, change your mind, search for something else etc... where is your starting position? ... when you first had the find-bar pop up? ... or where you left off from one of your current attempts to find something... I guess there could be lots of diff. scenarios?

[Ander]

I doubt the native 'Find' is going to get much work done on it... maybe some on AMO handles that... though I did a little searching (lots of stuff out there) ... and did not find a specific fix... I did find these two that seem to be loaded with options... maybe your suggestion would get into one or both of them? ... contact them?

Thanks for your reply. I checked those extensions, and neither has the kind of functionality I was thinking of. I'll try to contact the devs, though, to see if they have any interest in it.

Though it could be interesting to figure out a starting position... you might be on a loooonnng page, think to find something or maybe you were already trying to find something, change your mind, search for something else etc... where is your starting position? ... when you first had the find-bar pop up? ... or where you left off from one of your current attempts to find something...

You're right, there'd be various ways to implement this. But here's the kind of functionality I'd like to see:

1. User starts typing searched-for text, and FF, as usual, jumps to that text as it finds it.

2. As soon as the user types a character that makes the searched-for string not found, the regular "Phrase not found" message appears.

3. The user presses Alt+Left arrow—and, rather than returning to the previous URL, is returned to the point where they were when they started typing.

- or -

The user pauses for a second or two (perhaps a user-specified pause period?), then is automatically returned to the pre-typing position. If, during that period, the user presses Backspace and modifies the string, the Find operation resumes as it normally would, either finding the text (unchanged behaviour) or not finding the new text (step #2 recurs).

Make sense? I don't know if an extension could do these kinds of things, but either one would save a lot of time.

[Ander]

Well, I found an email address for the author of one Find-related extension. We'll see if they answer me or not.

Meanwhile, if you have any other ideas where I can submit a request for this kind of extension, thanks for letting me know!

[Ander]

Actually, Esc is traditionally used to stop an operation, so it might be more intuitive for this.

Currently, Esc closes the Find box and leaves found text highlighted.

When text isn't found (and no text is highlighted), what if Esc closed the Find box and returned the user to the pre-search position?

Can you think of any reasons why anyone would want to stay where their text wasn't found? I can't.

I'm sure many FF users would welcome this.

[dfoulkes]

Can you think of any reasons why anyone would want to stay where their text wasn't found? I can't.

No... not really ... are you working with real long pages? ... and are you say... in the middle of one of those pages when you need to search? ... I don't have huge pages to search so your problem doesn't hit me... but if I find myself in say... a PDF and it is big... and I search for something and either find it or not... and I want to just to the top again (for some reason) I have a icon up on my loc-bar that when clicked I go back to the top... I do see what you need... I just don't have much more for you than I already posted... maybe there's an app outside of Firefox, or any browser, that can handle that... maybe a search on the Net for something like that would get you something?

[Ander]

Are you working with real long pages? ... and are you say... in the middle of one of those pages when you need to search? ... I don't have huge pages to search so your problem doesn't hit me... but if I find myself in say... a PDF and it is big... and I search for something and either find it or not... and I want to just to the top again (for some reason) I have a icon up on my loc-bar that when clicked I go back to the top...

Yes, I often work with long pages, and I know I can press Ctrl+Home to return to the top of the page. (BTW, you can press Ctrl+Home to return to the top of a PDF too. You don't have to take your hands off the keyboard, grope for the mouse, and zero in on a toolbar icon every time—unless you prefer that method.)

I guess I'll just keep pressing Ctrl+Home until someone realizes there's no reason to leave people at unsuccessful search positions.

I do see what you need... Maybe there's an app outside of Firefox, or any browser, that can handle that...?

I've checked everything on the FF Add-ons site that looked like a possibility, but couldn't find anything. Thanks anyway.

[dfoulkes]

I've checked everything on the FF Add-ons site that looked like a possibility, but couldn't find anything. Thanks anyway.

No... I was just wondering if some magic app. was out there that maybe worked as a plugin or ??? that ran independently but worked with a browser... not even sure what I really saying there

[Ander]

Well, while I was looking for the other thing, I found an add-on that makes my wife like me—that must be one of those magic ones you're talking about!

[dfoulkes]

Sure glad I had something to do with making your wife like you...

[Ander]

But see, I'm just lucky. If I'd never found her, I'd still be there, wandering around at random.