Google address bar too small

Discussion of features in Mozilla Firefox
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disfigured
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Google address bar too small

Post by disfigured »

Hi folks,

I would like to make my Google address bar longer (more width), I've tried all the spacers and flexible spaces but nothing seems to make it longer.

I'm not using any google extensions.

I have a 21' monitor and my address bar next to the the google address bar is huge, I'd like to use some of that space for the google address bar.

Thx for any help you can give me.
Old Bozz
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Joined: December 31st, 1969, 5:00 pm

Post by Old Bozz »

Put this in your userChrome.css. Adjust to your liking.

/* Make the Search box flex wider */
#search-container {
-moz-box-flex: 800 !important;
}
#searchbar {
-moz-box-flex: 800 !important; }
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disfigured
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Post by disfigured »

Awesome,

I haven't done it yet, but I assume from what it looks like that I can make the bar any width (within reason) that I want.

What I did do in the mean time, was to d/l and install the googlebar extension, and when I don't want it I just hide it (ctrl F8 ).

The search bar is a bit much for me, I'll try your customization, or maybe I'll use both.

Gotta love FF.

Thx Bozz
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disfigured
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Post by disfigured »

Well this leads to another question,

I don't have a "user name" specifically. When ever I do look in: Documents and Settings/(my user name/Application Data/Mozilla/FireFox/Profiles.

It only listed a default user, before it was default. 636 (or something like that), but now it's mgrtbwgr.default.

In that file there's a "chrome" folder. But no css files anywhere.

Or by Chrome.css do you mean the about:config file thingy?

Sorry for the continuing saga of: The Google Bar that was Too Short.

Thx again |)i$
rajshekhar
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Post by rajshekhar »

Have a look at http://texturizer.net/firefox/edit.html#css . it says
<blockquote> userChrome.css
This file sets the display rules for various elements in the Firefox user interface and is located in the sub-folder called chrome in your profile folder. As with user.js, this file does not exist by default, so you need to create it before you can start adding your preferences. There's actually an example file that exists by default, called userChrome-example.css. Basically, you can just rename that file by removing the -example part. </blockquote>
lightspeed
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Joined: December 9th, 2004, 3:04 pm

Post by lightspeed »

Hello. I am having the same problem. I followed Bozz's instructions, including going to the Editing Configuration Files page, now located at: http://www.mozilla.org/support/firefox/edit. To find my profile folder, I followed this path:

C:\Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\default.k72.

I added the user.js file to that directory, and opened the <strong>chrome</strong> directory, and added the userChrome.css and userContent.css files. In the userChrome.css file, I added Bozz's code at the end of the text.

I saved and closed the file, closed FF, and opened it again. Nothing has changed. I can't see a way to expand the Google toolbar.

Anyone have any idea why this isn't working? Am I using the wrong directory/folder?

Thanks - Randy
risetime
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Joined: January 16th, 2005, 10:38 am

Post by risetime »

Make sure you rename "userChrome-example.css" to "userChrome.css" in the chrome folder. It worked great for me. :D
ohman
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Joined: September 30th, 2004, 11:32 pm

Post by ohman »

check out this extension

"Resize Search Box"
http://dragtotab.mozdev.org/resizesearchbox
InvisiBill
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Post by InvisiBill »

ChromEdit is the easiest way to edit your user files.
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MLS
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Re: Google address bar too small

Post by MLS »

disfigured wrote:I would like to make my Google address bar longer.

I was never quite sure what the point of the Google box was. If you type search words into the normal address bar and hit return, Firefox automatically opens Google.com and reports the search results - so why have another box taking up screen space? I removed the Google box and just use the address bar, which WFM.

Am I missing something by not using the Google box? MLS
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ohman
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Joined: September 30th, 2004, 11:32 pm

Post by ohman »

MLS,

the behaviour you have - getting search result from Adress bar - is not default. Default is Google I'm feeling lucky result.

and the box is not "google box" but "search box".
and search box is not only for google. click on Google icon and you will see preinstalled search plugins.
you can install many more plugins by going to "Add engines".
you can have IMDB, Yellow Pages, Wikipedia, or anything else you like. choice is yours.

you can easily change default search plugin to something else. just select it from the list. and close the browser.
next time on it will be default. untill you change it.
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FireManiac
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Post by FireManiac »

You know what there should be? Profile specific search plugins. Right now all of the search plugins are stored in the Firefox directory meaning that they are the same for every profile. It would be better if they were profile specific. Also, there should be an easier way of deleting unneeded search plugins without going to the directory and manually deleting them.
I have an annoying habit of correcting people.
(But that's okay since I am always right)
apollokiev
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Joined: September 14th, 2004, 9:37 pm

Post by apollokiev »

I thought I would add this here...but it might be fitting for another post.

I think they should change the default location and size of the Google toolbar in the next release. I have it to the left of my address bar, and the size has been increased to around 40 characters wide (my resolution is 1400x1050). My reasons for this are twofold:
1) Having the google toolbar improves usability. Why move the mouse cursor to the far upper right of the browser to do something as basic and fundamental as searching the web?
2) Increasing the width of the Google toolbar does reduce the width of the URL bar, but this does not affect performance or usability. How many times is it necessary to view the 120th or higher character in a URL string, especially when it can contain un-readable code? I often go to the URL bar to manually move one or two directories back, but you rarely ever have to do such a thing at the far end of a URL string.
I have attached my layout below.

<img src="http://www4.ncsu.edu/~srvora/pics/firefoxtoolbar.jpg">

Side-note: In another effort to reduce the space taken up by the GUI, I turned off the Bookmarks Toolbar and use the 'flexible space' to the right of the File/Edit/View/Go/etc menus. Because I visit these sites often, I have removed their full name because it's easy to recognize them from simply their icon or acronym.

What do you think?
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