Difference between revisions of "Localized Search in Firefox Search Box"

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('''Release v.02''')
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= '''Project Name''' =
 
= '''Project Name''' =
  
Localized Search in Firefox Search Box
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'''Localized Search in Firefox Search Box'''
  
  
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= '''Project Leader''' =
 
= '''Project Leader''' =
  
[http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/User:Sinker Kerry M. Singh]
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==== [[User:Sinker | Kerry M. Singh]] ====
  
  
= '''Project Details''' =
+
= '''Project Contributions''' =
  
  
== '''Release v.01''' ==
+
== '''Web Site List''' ==
  
This release demonstrates my understanding of how some searchbar features currently work in the Firefox browser. I've uploaded a [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Image:Localsearchpatch_v01.txt.zip patch file] that outputs a series of dump("DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE: function name - what the source code is doing") statements to the terminal window while running a debug build of Firefox (i.e. Minefield). Specifically, what functions/methods are called and what is happening in the source code with respect to the searchbar menu when the following events occur:
+
* Please list web sites that have [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Creating_OpenSearch_plugins_for_Firefox OpenSearch] search plugins that can be "Added" to the searchbar's list of search engines. For example, the searchbar's drop-down list's button changes blue in color when Firefox detects a web site with an OpenSearch plugin.
  
* The browser auto-detects a site that has a search plugin available.
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* [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/ Bugzilla@Mozilla]
* The user selects the button to display the search engine list when a search plugin is available.
 
* The user selects the option to "Add this search engine".
 
* The user changes the current search engine by selecting it from the search bar drop-down list (menu).
 
* The user moves the position of a search engine using the Search Engine Manager.
 
* The user removes an auto-detected search engine from the list of "installed" search engines.
 
  
 +
* [http://www.facebook.com/ Facebook]
  
=== '''Downloading and applying the patch''' ===
+
* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ The Globe and Mail]
 
 
1. Download the [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Image:Localsearchpatch_v01.txt.zip patch file] to the root mozilla directory of your source tree and unzip the file there. I suggest renaming the file localsearchpatch_v01.txt.
 
 
 
* '''NOTE:''' This patch requires that you use a DEBUG build of firefox. To see the output messages from the dump() statements in the patch, you have to enable it by setting the preference '''browser.dom.window.dump.enabled''' to '''true'''. You can set this preference in [http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config about:config] or in a [http://kb.mozillazine.org/User.js_file user.js file]. This preference is not listed in about:config by default, so you may need to create it. Enter <code>about:config</code> in the browser's address bar -> right-click the empty content area -> New -> Boolean.
 
* You can preview the patch here: [[Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.01]]
 
 
 
2. Apply the patch.
 
<pre>
 
$ cd mozilla
 
$ patch -p0 < localsearchpatch_v01.txt
 
</pre>
 
* '''NOTE:''' Use the -p0 option to strip 0 leading directories from each filename in the patch because it is being applied in the same directory where the patch was created.
 
 
 
 
 
3. Build your source tree.
 
<pre>
 
$ cd mozilla
 
$ make -f client.mk build
 
</pre>
 
 
 
  
4. Run the browser to test the patch.
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* [http://www.ibm.com/ca/en/ IBM Search]
<pre>
 
$ cd objdir/dist/bin
 
$ ./firefox --ProfileManager --no-remote
 
</pre>
 
  
 +
* [http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx Microsoft's Live Search]
  
=== '''How to use the patch''' ===
 
 
1. Navigate to a web site that offers a search engine plugin:
 
* [https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/ Bugzilla@Mozilla]
 
 
* [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Main_Page Mozilla Developer Center]
 
* [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Main_Page Mozilla Developer Center]
* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ The Globe and Mail]
 
  
'''Note''' the DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE in the terminal window.
+
* [http://www.yellowpages.ca/ Yellow Pages]
  
 +
* [http://www.youtube.com/ YouTube]
  
2. Click the searchbar's dropdown menu button.
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* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Wikipedia]
  
* '''Note''' the DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE in the terminal window and the "Add this engine" option on the searchbar menu.
 
  
 +
= '''Project Details''' =
  
3. Click the "Add this engine" option on the searchbar menu.
 
  
* '''Note''' the DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE in the terminal window and the position of the newly added search engine on the searchbar menu.
+
== '''Release v.01''' ==
  
 +
This release demonstrates my understanding of how some searchbar features currently work in the Firefox browser. I've created a [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Image:Localsearchpatch_v01.txt.zip patch file] that outputs a series of dump("DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE: function name - what the source code is doing") statements to the terminal window while running a debug build of Firefox (i.e. Minefield). Specifically, what functions/methods are called and what is happening in the source code with respect to the searchbar menu when the following events occur:
  
4. Select "Manage Search Engines..." from the searchbar menu and select the newly installed engine from the list. Click the "Remove" button and then click "OK".
+
* The browser auto-detects a site that has a search plugin available.
 +
* The user selects the button to display the search engine list when a search plugin is available.
 +
* The user selects the option to "Add this search engine".
 +
* The user changes the current search engine by selecting it from the search bar drop-down list (menu).
 +
* The user moves the position of a search engine using the Search Engine Manager.
 +
* The user removes an auto-detected search engine from the list of "installed" search engines.
  
* '''Note''' the DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGES in the terminal window.
+
=== '''Release Details''' ===
  
 
+
==== [[Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.01]] ====
5. Select "Manage Search Engines..." from the searchbar menu and select one of the installed engines on the list. Next, click the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons and then click "OK".
 
 
 
* '''Note''' the DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGES in the terminal window.
 
 
 
 
 
6. Click the searchbar's dropdown menu button and select a different search engine as the current engine.
 
 
 
* '''Note''' the DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGES in the terminal window.
 
 
 
 
 
=== '''How to remove the patch''' ===
 
 
 
* You can back-out a patch by using the patch command with the -R or --reverse option. This swaps the new file with the old one to reverse the patch.
 
 
 
<pre>
 
$ cd mozilla
 
$ patch -R -p0 < localsearchpatch_v01.txt
 
</pre>
 
  
  
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The target for this release was to dynamically "Add" a search engine plugin when Firefox loads a web page with an available search plugin, and then propagate the search engine to the top of the searchbar's menu as the current engine. The propagation of a newly added search engine as the current engine in the searchbar's menu was already a behavioral feature of Firefox 3 so there were no changes required for this part of my release target. Determining how to dynamically "Add" an available search engine plugin was challenging to achieve, but in the end, it only required a few modifications to the code in the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/base/content/browser.js browser.js file].
 
The target for this release was to dynamically "Add" a search engine plugin when Firefox loads a web page with an available search plugin, and then propagate the search engine to the top of the searchbar's menu as the current engine. The propagation of a newly added search engine as the current engine in the searchbar's menu was already a behavioral feature of Firefox 3 so there were no changes required for this part of my release target. Determining how to dynamically "Add" an available search engine plugin was challenging to achieve, but in the end, it only required a few modifications to the code in the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/base/content/browser.js browser.js file].
  
 +
=== '''Release Details''' ===
  
=== '''Patch File''' ===
+
==== [[Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.02]] ====
 
 
* The modifications to the code in browser.js are shown below in a copy of the patch file for this release:
 
 
 
<pre>
 
? localsearchpatch_v02.txt
 
? nohup.out
 
? objdir-ff-debug
 
? patch.txt
 
Index: browser/base/content/browser.js
 
===================================================================
 
RCS file: /cvsroot/mozilla/browser/base/content/browser.js,v
 
retrieving revision 1.961
 
diff -u -8 -p -r1.961 browser.js
 
--- browser/base/content/browser.js 10 Feb 2008 06:57:05 -0000 1.961
 
+++ browser/base/content/browser.js 10 Feb 2008 20:07:04 -0000
 
@@ -2771,38 +2771,30 @@ const BrowserSearch = {
 
    if (!this.searchBar)
 
      return;
 
    var browser = gBrowser.getBrowserForDocument(targetDoc);
 
    // Append the URI and an appropriate title to the browser data.
 
    var iconURL = null;
 
    if (gBrowser.shouldLoadFavIcon(browser.currentURI))
 
      iconURL = browser.currentURI.prePath + "/favicon.ico";
 
 
-    var hidden = false;
 
    // If this engine (identified by title) is already in the list, add it
 
    // to the list of hidden engines rather than to the main list.
 
    // XXX This will need to be changed when engines are identified by URL;
 
    // see bug 335102.
 
    var searchService = Cc["@mozilla.org/browser/search-service;1"].
 
                        getService(Ci.nsIBrowserSearchService);
 
-    if (searchService.getEngineByName(engine.title))
 
-      hidden = true;
 
 
-    var engines = (hidden ? browser.hiddenEngines : browser.engines) || [];
 
-
 
-    engines.push({ uri: engine.href,
 
-                  title: engine.title,
 
-                  icon: iconURL });
 
-
 
-    if (hidden)
 
+    // Dynamically "Add" the search engine plugin if it is NOT
 
+    // already on the search engine list and then add it to the
 
+    // searchbar's array of "hidden" engines.
 
+    if (!searchService.getEngineByName(engine.title)) {
 
+      searchService.addEngine(engine.href, Components.interfaces.nsISearchEngine.DATA_XML, iconURL, false);
 
+      var engines = browser.hiddenEngines || [];
 
+      engines.push({ uri: engine.href,
 
+                    title: engine.title,
 
+                    icon: iconURL });
 
      browser.hiddenEngines = engines;
 
-    else {
 
-      browser.engines = engines;
 
-      if (browser == gBrowser || browser == gBrowser.mCurrentBrowser)
 
-        this.updateSearchButton();
 
    }
 
  },
 
 
  /**
 
    * Update the browser UI to show whether or not additional engines are
 
    * available when a page is loaded or the user switches tabs to a page that
 
    * has search engines.
 
    */
 
 
 
</pre>
 
 
 
 
 
=== '''Code Modifications''' ===
 
 
 
Prior to my code modifications, the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/base/content/browser.js#2770 addEngine() function] received a reference to an anonymous JavaScript [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/base/content/browser.js#2758 engine object] which was passed as a parameter to the function by the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/base/content/browser.js#2669 onLinkAdded() function] that created it. Then, addEngine() used an nsIBrowserSearchService object to determine if the search engine was already on the list of engines. The addEngine() function used the ''title'' property of the ''engine'' object to "get" an nsISearchEngine object with a corresponding ''name'' property. If the search engine was on the list, then it was considered to be a "hidden" engine and it was ''pushed'' onto the ''browser.hiddenEngines'' array. This array is used by the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/search/content/search.xml search.xml] file to determine how to populate and display the search engines on the searchbar menu. If the search engine was not on the list, it was ''pushed'' onto the "non-hidden", ''browser.engines'' array. The search engine would then be displayed as an "Add <Search Engine>" item on the searchbar menu and the searchbar button's background color would be changed to blue after a call to the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/base/content/browser.js#2809 updateSearchButton() function].
 
 
 
My code modifications alter the original addEngine() function by using the nsIBrowserSearchService object to check if the new search plugin is NOT on the list. If it is not on the list, I "Add" the search plugin by calling the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/search/nsSearchService.js#2726 addEngine() function] in the [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/search/nsSearchService.js nsSearchService.js] file. This function completes the important step of creating a '''new''' nsISearchEngine object. It is this type of object that is required by important methods in search.xml, such as [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/search/content/search.xml#208 observe()],[http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/search/content/search.xml#262 offerNewEngine()] and [http://lxr.mozilla.org/seamonkey/source/browser/components/search/content/search.xml#290 hideNewEngine()]. I then push the anonymous JavaScript ''engine'' object onto the the list of "hidden" search engines, the ''browser.hiddenEngines'' array. It is not necessary for me to add any of the auto-detected search plugins to the ''browser.engines'' array at this point. My objective is to dynamically "Add" the auto-detected search engines, therefore they are all considered to be "hidden" engines for now and they are not displayed on the searchbar as "Add <Search Engine>" menu items.
 
 
 
 
 
=== How to Use the Patch ===
 
 
 
1. Copy and paste all of the text from the [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Localized_Search_in_Firefox_Search_Box#Patch_File patch file] into a text file and name the file localsearchpatch_v02.txt. Save the file to your root mozilla directory. Then, [http://zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/Localized_Search_in_Firefox_Search_Box#Downloading_and_applying_the_patch apply the patch and recompile] your mozilla source code as described in the release v.01 notes.
 
 
 
2. Navigate to a web site that offers a search engine plugin:
 
 
 
* [http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Main_Page Mozilla Developer Center]
 
* [http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ The Globe and Mail]
 
* [http://www.yellowpages.ca/ Yellow Pages]
 
 
 
3. Notice that the search plugin has been dynamically loaded and added to the searchbar's list of "hidden" engines. The newly added search engine appears as the current engine and it can be used to search the web site.
 
 
 
4. Notice also that the "Add <Search Engine>" menu item is not displayed and the searchbar's drop-down list button did not turn blue because the search plugin was dynamically loaded.
 
 
 
5. Open the "Manage Search Engines" dialog box and "Remove" the dynamically loaded search engine. It will now appear on the the searchbar's list as an "Add <Search Engine>" menu item. It can then be added back as normal to the searchbar's list.
 
  
6. Clicking Firefox's reload button will reload the web page and trigger the code for the search plugin to be dynamically added to the list if it is not already on the searchbar's list of "hidden" engines.
 
  
== '''Release Target for v.03''' ==
+
== '''Release v.03''' ==
  
* When the user navigates away from the web page with the search engine plugin, dynamically remove the search plugin.
+
The target for this release was to build upon Release v.02 by dynamically "Removing" the dynamically "Added" search engine when the user navigates away from the web site offering the search plugin if they do not choose to add the plugin to the installed engines list.
  
 +
=== '''Release Details''' ===
  
== '''Release Target for v.04''' ==
+
==== [[Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.03]] ====
 
 
* TBA
 
 
 
 
 
== '''Release Target for v.05''' ==
 
 
 
* TBA
 
 
 
 
 
== '''Release Target for v.06''' ==
 
 
 
* TBA
 
 
 
 
 
== '''Release Target for v.07''' ==
 
 
 
* TBA
 
 
 
 
 
== '''Release Target for v.08''' ==
 
 
 
* TBA
 
 
 
 
 
== '''Release Target for v.09''' ==
 
 
 
* TBA
 
 
 
 
 
== '''Release Target for v1.0''' ==
 
 
 
* TBA
 
  
  
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For up-to-date information about my project, visit my blog: [http://kmsingh.blogspot.com/ Kerry's Open Source Blog]
 
For up-to-date information about my project, visit my blog: [http://kmsingh.blogspot.com/ Kerry's Open Source Blog]
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 +
 +
'''[[#Project Name | Return to top]]'''
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[[Category : Localized Search in Firefox Search Box]]

Latest revision as of 10:52, 19 March 2008

Project Name

Localized Search in Firefox Search Box


Project Description

Firefox features a search box that can be customized to work with different search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, etc.). Most websites have their own search facilities, but the location of the search box on the page varies considerably. This project creates a mechanism for Firefox to pick up a web site's search mechanism and make it accessible to the user through the Firefox search box so that users have a consistent place to look for site-specific search.


Project Leader

Kerry M. Singh

Project Contributions

Web Site List

  • Please list web sites that have OpenSearch search plugins that can be "Added" to the searchbar's list of search engines. For example, the searchbar's drop-down list's button changes blue in color when Firefox detects a web site with an OpenSearch plugin.


Project Details

Release v.01

This release demonstrates my understanding of how some searchbar features currently work in the Firefox browser. I've created a patch file that outputs a series of dump("DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE: function name - what the source code is doing") statements to the terminal window while running a debug build of Firefox (i.e. Minefield). Specifically, what functions/methods are called and what is happening in the source code with respect to the searchbar menu when the following events occur:

  • The browser auto-detects a site that has a search plugin available.
  • The user selects the button to display the search engine list when a search plugin is available.
  • The user selects the option to "Add this search engine".
  • The user changes the current search engine by selecting it from the search bar drop-down list (menu).
  • The user moves the position of a search engine using the Search Engine Manager.
  • The user removes an auto-detected search engine from the list of "installed" search engines.

Release Details

Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.01

Release v.02

The target for this release was to dynamically "Add" a search engine plugin when Firefox loads a web page with an available search plugin, and then propagate the search engine to the top of the searchbar's menu as the current engine. The propagation of a newly added search engine as the current engine in the searchbar's menu was already a behavioral feature of Firefox 3 so there were no changes required for this part of my release target. Determining how to dynamically "Add" an available search engine plugin was challenging to achieve, but in the end, it only required a few modifications to the code in the browser.js file.

Release Details

Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.02

Release v.03

The target for this release was to build upon Release v.02 by dynamically "Removing" the dynamically "Added" search engine when the user navigates away from the web site offering the search plugin if they do not choose to add the plugin to the installed engines list.

Release Details

Localized Search in Firefox Search Box: Release v.03

Resources

Bugzilla@Mozilla

Mozilla Cross-Reference

MDC- Mozilla Developer Center

Search Service: Code Design - Automatic Detection

SearchLoad Options :: Firefox Add-ons

Project-Related Bugs

Bug 236587 - Allow bookmark keyword searches from the search bar

Bug 249481 – User-defined searches available not only as bookmark keywords, but also from the Search box

Bug 261124 – Textbox context menu should have "Add to Search Bar..."

Bug 335102 – support search engine renaming

Bug 335448 – Autodetect repeated use of a search field, and ask the user if they want that engine added to the browser search box

Bug 356332 – Select default search engine again after searching with another

Bug 360907 – Search current site with OpenSearch

Bug 374268 – Quicksearch/keyword should be integrated into search engine manager

Bug 384124 – Option to reset search bar engine to default when starting Firefox

Bug 394979 – Search Service is slow on startup (Ts hit)

Bug 408244 – show opensearch plugin availability same as feed availability

Bug 405443 – Making search engine discovery more discoverable

Bug 407922 – Changing the Search plug in order for en-US from alpha to category based


Project News

For up-to-date information about my project, visit my blog: Kerry's Open Source Blog


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