Bookmarklets
Odds are you've found yourself doing some repetitive task or other while online or when visiting certain websites.
That task may involve, for example, a search for a term, changing the size of text, changing the size of the viewing window, or getting information on the page itself.
All of these things and more can be automated by extending your web browser with what are called 'bookmarklets', or 'favelets'.
These are small scripts, written in a language called
Javascript, which can be run directly from your web
browser ( such as Internet Explorer ) as ordinary
bookmarks would be.
Even better, bookmarklets work across platforms ( Windows, MacIntosh, UNIX ), and most work on all modern web browsers. Thousands are available, almost all are free to use, and they don't require a download or install of software.
Some commonly-used bookmarklets allow the viewer to search Google or another search engine for any term or image without needing to first visit the site. Online general and technical dictionaries can also be searched this way.
Others let you modify a web-page you are viewing by bumping up the size of the text, for example, changing its colour or layout, zooming in on an image, hiding all images, or even hiding advertising banners.
Some bookmarklets function as utilities which can get
information on the page you're on, such as the images on
the page, how recently it was modified, or create shorter
links which won't wrap in an email message.
I could go on with the list, but the possibilities are almost endless, and better to explain how you can start to explore the use of bookmarklets.
A Google search for bookmarklets turns up all the links you'll need, but probably one of the best sites offering them is at http://www.bookmarklets.com/ , which lists more than 150 in different categories.
That site explains well how to use bookmarklets, but first, if you're using Internet Explorer on Windows, it is easiest to make sure your Links toolbar is visible.
Do this by going to the View menu in explorer, mousing
over the toolbars sub-menu, and ticking the Links option.
Then, you can most easily add links to the toolbar by clicking on the bookmarklet you want, holding down the left mouse button, and dragging that bookmarklet link onto the toolbar.
You will probably get a Security Alert dialogue box warning that "You are adding a link that may not be safe", but most bookmarklets pose no security threat.
In versions of Netscape Navigator or Communicator from 4.x onwards, and in modern versions of this browser, you can show bookmarks across the top of the browser window by using the View menu and ticking the 'Personal Toolbar' option.
Then bookmarklets can be added by clicking the link,
holding down the mouse button, and dragging the link
onto the toolbar as above.
Try a few bookmarklets, and chances are that once you get accustomed to using to using them, you'll be surprised at what time-saving gems they can be.
To go further and start modifying bookmarklets or writing your own, you'll need to know at least the basics of javascript.
Some are surprisingly simple, but to look under the bonnet of a bookmarklet, right-click it in your Links or Personal toolbar, and choose Properties. The URL field in the resulting dialogue box is the code for the bookmarklet, which can be copied and pasted into a text editor using the Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V shortcuts.
Whether or not that's too daunting, bookmarklets remain easy-to-drive and useful.
July 12, 2004
site by Urban Legend Designs