Talk:Search Service
Personally, I would prefer replacing the Search Plugins with Smart Bookmarks. There are quite a few extensions out there (ie. SmartSearch and Search Type B) that can be combined to completely replace the Search Plugins and they could be integrated to Firefox instead of having to write a lot of code.
The reason I prefer Smart Bookmarks is because they are quite a few users out there that are using this feature: We need to support them. The other reason is because the customization is already implemented. All we need to do is to rename the feature into Search Bookmarks and implemented a dialogue that is tailored towards that purpose (ie. instead of "Keyword" we can try "Nickname"). Lastly, there are a few other browsers with the same feature (ie. Epiphany) and it would be nice if we could import their Smart Bookmarks.
The Smart Bookmarks is evil simply because users can click it and would search "%s". To be sure, the UI is currently better than InternetSearch, but its customizability is still geek oriented. Though there's no need to remove it as it's useful indeed, we should improve the UI for searchbox nontheless. --Torisugari 03:13, 21 Oct 2005 (PDT)
Contents
Aliases
On Windows, the term "alias" is rarely if ever used, so I'd suggest calling them "shortcuts" on that platform, since that's Windows' analogy to the Mac's alias. Plus, on the Windows file properties dialog, there's a similar feature that lets you launch a file using a user-defined key combo – Windows calls that a "Shortcut key." – Minh Nguy�n (talk, contribs, blog) 13:41, 4 Dec 2005 (PST)
- I agree, I prefer "shortcuts" over "aliases" - "aliases" just doesn't seem very intuitive . Why not "keyword"? To keep it distinct from bookmarks keywords? - Gavin, 2006-01-03 10:50 PST
I'd like to have Google, a dictionary, and Wikipedia all in the context menu. How about adding a "show in context menu" checkbox column in the window for editing search engines and aliases, or a "Show [selected engine] in context menu" checkbox below the tree? --Jesse
- How about integrating Context Search by default? --Greg K Nicholson
Interaction with bookmark keywords
Will it still be possible to assign keywords to bookmarks (without %s in the URL)? If so, what will the UI for that look like? --Jesse 18:05, 21 Dec 2005 (PST)
Will I be able to type aliases/nicknames/shortcuts for search engines into the address bar, the search bar, or both? --Jesse 18:05, 21 Dec 2005 (PST)
- How would typing keywords into the searchbar work? I'm interested in improving the search bar UI, especially the discoverability of the other engines, but I don't see how adding keywords to the searchbar would be useful, since you can already switch between engines in the search bar fairly easily (Ctrl+Up/Down). --Gavin 11:12, 3 Jan 2006 (PST)
UI Feature Request
Currently, it's not possible to resize the Search Bar (on the toolbar), which I agree wouldn't be of much use, as it would compete for space with URL bar.
Though it would be very usable, if the Search Bar automatically widened after gaining focus.
George
A couple of interesting solutions in existing extensions:
- Optimoz Tweaks (features a sliiiide-out Auto-Expand Search bar modification)
- Searchbar Autosizer (expands as you type (character-by-character), as needed)
Optimoz's implementation is kinda cool, but nonetheless, I ended up uninstalling it because I found I rarely had a need for auto-expand. But I wouldn't complain if it came standard.. -- RenegadeX
Seach Engine Ordering Extension
Well, you could integrate some of the features of the already existing extension Search Engine Ordering. -- DesertFox
String manipulation of search requests
I'd very much like to see some basic string operations possible on search engine entries. For example, some map services offer the ability to plot a route from Place A to Place B.
The URL for such a site looks something like:
www.sitename.com/search?journeystart=<some place>&journyend=<another place>
So in the firefox search bar, I'd like to be able to enter "London to Liverpool", then get text to the left of " to " ("London"), and to the right ("Liverpool") then pass those two locations as parameters to the search URL:
www.sitename.com/search?journeystart=London&journyend=Liverpool
Steve England 04:58, 10 Feb 2006 (PST)
Remove Search Engines
I would like be able to remove the search engines from the search engine bar.
User Comments
Forgive me if this is not the appropriate location, but I am desperate to suggest an improvement to the Search Service.
The binding of the right click "search for highlighted text" to the search engine selection in the search box needs to be optional, but with the option to select the right click search engine (these options could be managed via the "Manage search engines..." drop down menu item, another drop down menu with "Use search box engine" and all the search engines as entries). My use case is that I left the search box on Wikipedia and used the Google default everywhere else in all previous versions of Firefox.
Now when I use Wikipedia in the search box, I have to remember, or interrupt my right-click search, to reset the search to Google. This is driving me to distraction.
--HamishMacEwan 13:01, 13 November 2006 (PST)
