Search bookmarks?

Ander · Post by **Ander** » November 16th, 2004, 10:40 am

Firefox is great---but am I to take it that it won't let me search my bookmarks? (I don't know about you, but I have a ton of 'em, and don't always remember where I've put stuff.) That was only one of the many great reasons I preferred Mozilla over IE.

keithy397 · Post by **keithy397** » November 16th, 2004, 11:07 am

Put them in the sidebar and you will have a search facility above the b/m's.

Ander · Post by **Ander** » November 16th, 2004, 11:25 am

Hey, that's great. Thanks. It's not very intuitive, though. I'm an experienced Mozilla user, and have used Firefox for a month now---and I had no idea.

When you click Go > History, the History opens in the sidebar, no problem. That's intuitive. However, I don't think users who want to search their bookmarks will necessarily look in View > Sidebar---why would they? I think it'd make more sense to include a "Search Bookmarks" command to the Bookmarks menu, right under "Manage Bookmarks."

This is made more confusing because in Mozilla, you search your bookmarks from the bookmark manager. I definitely prefer Firefox's use of the Sidebar---but you have to know it does that.

Cheers, Andy

mai9 · Post by **mai9** » November 16th, 2004, 1:03 pm

chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul

if you open this url you'll have the Bookmark Manager with search.

hip · Post by **hip** » November 16th, 2004, 5:26 pm

mai9 wrote:chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul

if you open this url you'll have the Bookmark Manager with search.

It's really more a filter than a true search feature, right?

I've been advocating for someone to develop a search feature similar to that of Netscape 4.77.

As Ander pointed out, "I have a ton of em" too. The big problem is if you have many nested folders you are unable to locate a specific bookmark.

If you maintain info such as user IDs, passwords, etc. within the bookmark "Info" section (right click on the bookmark in the sidebar and click properties), you cannot access most areas of this Info box when using a filter to locate the bookmark.

This makes updating or adding additional bookmarks to specific folder impossible unless you know exactly where it is within the collection.

mai9 · Post by **mai9** » November 17th, 2004, 2:46 am

hip wrote:
mai9 wrote:chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul

if you open this url you'll have the Bookmark Manager with search.
It's really more a filter than a true search feature, right?

chrome links are direct links to pages that are called behind doors. The trick of that page is that when called to be shown at the sidebar FF removes the toolbar, when called as a window it removes the searchbar. When called directly you get both.

If you ask how does that searchbar search, I'd say yes, it's like a filter.

hip wrote:As Ander pointed out, "I have a ton of em" too. The big problem is if you have many nested folders you are unable to locate a specific bookmark.

well, one would say that you make nested folders to be able to locate specific bookmarks

hip wrote:If you maintain info such as user IDs, passwords, etc. within the bookmark "Info" section (right click on the bookmark in the sidebar and click properties), you cannot access most areas of this Info box when using a filter to locate the bookmark.

what happened to the password manager? why not using that?

hip · Post by **hip** » November 17th, 2004, 1:38 pm

Thanks for the detailed response.

As for the nested folders, the best I can say in my defense is what initially seemed like a good category description doesn't always stand the test of time.

By that I mean when I create a new sub-category such as "resources" under a main category such as "software" then nest another category such as "Mozilla" under it... let's just say it isn't always intuitively obvious as to where it is and why I did it a few weeks later.

It may as well be under "computer" or "internet", who knows.... Anyway it's too late to try and reconfigure it all now so I'm basically stuck with the system. This really underscores the need for a true searchable bookmark extension that not only finds your bookmark, but expands the directory tree to show its physical location. Especailly if you want to add a similar bookmark to the category or modify existing ones.

As for the password manager, I do use it. However, I also have been relegiously upgrading every new release of FF and have been unsucessful at transfering extensions and settings. Inevitably I'm forced to start from scratch each time ](*,)

I've tried to several times to transfer files during upgrades but usually something becomes corrupt. I'm certain there is an easier way, just haven't discovered it yet. I'm open to suggestions if you have any.
Thanks

mai9 · Post by **mai9** » November 17th, 2004, 5:28 pm

extxtension need to be reinstalled on every new build. but you can transfer your configuration without problems.

scroll up this topic:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... 130#965130

mai9 · Post by **mai9** » November 20th, 2004, 6:13 pm

also, this userchrome tweak will show the searchbar in bookmarks manager window aswell, not at sidebar only:

/* Show Searchbar in Bookmarks Manager Window */
#bookmarks-search { display: -moz-box !important; }

lbecque · Post by **lbecque** » December 21st, 2004, 12:51 pm

hip wrote:
mai9 wrote:chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/bookmarksManager.xul

if you open this url you'll have the Bookmark Manager with search.
It's really more a filter than a true search feature, right?

I've been advocating for someone to develop a search feature similar to that of Netscape 4.77.

As Ander pointed out, "I have a ton of em" too. The big problem is if you have many nested folders you are unable to locate a specific bookmark.

This makes updating or adding additional bookmarks to specific folder impossible unless you know exactly where it is within the collection.

I have the same problem and wish there was a feature developed to address this.
When you search on a large base of bookmarks that are nested in folders you can't figure out where the resulting bookmakrs that are found are stored. There needs to be a 'properties' feature that displays the folder info. or a 'go to bookmark folder' feature.

lbecque · Post by **lbecque** » December 21st, 2004, 1:58 pm

To get this fix in the works go to Bugzilla and 'vote for this bug'!!!! at the following URL's:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=196509
Bug 196509 - Search for bookmark should show parent folder

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=171575
Bug 171575 - Implement "find bookmark"

ivanii · Post by **ivanii** » December 21st, 2004, 4:47 pm

I guess it is not of some great importance, but to mention that you can search Firefox bookmarks and history from Copernic Desktop search. I think that this is not good enough reason to download it, but as it has enough good reason to download it anyway, this option may help.

veiledmyst · Post by **veiledmyst** » December 22nd, 2004, 12:34 am

I think bookmark search results should show path for finding them in the Firefox program, but echo the suggestion for downloading Copernic Desktop Search(it will show you the folder to find it in). Far cooler than Google's.

dgrimm1 · Post by **dgrimm1** » January 24th, 2005, 7:20 am

An extension for enhancing the "search bookmark" functionallity of Firefox has been released --
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=206012

hip · Post by **hip** » January 24th, 2005, 11:14 am

A noble attempt but no cigar. Don't mean to be a pain in the ass butt...

Enhanced Bookmark Search extension doesn't really address the bookmark search shortcomings listed.

i.e., no menu tree, no path or indication of bookmark location within the tree, still no editable search results, etc.

More of an improvement for the current bookmark search or filter function than an actual fix.