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K-Meleon development related discussions. 
Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: plasmapelz
Date: November 10, 2008 02:25PM

Hi,

I just stumbled over Kmeleon and it is exactly the browser that I want - slim , simple and fast. It resembles the camino browser that I use on OSX and this is great.
However, there is one big disadvantage with Kmeleon (and some minor bugs, but that's not the point here): Kmeleon has no search toolbar! All other browsers that I used so far and that are based on gecko have this and even Opera has it: A search field in which you can type some keyword and use one of several search engines to search for the term.
There is a plugin at http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?2,49336 but it is only half way there not being configurable. Besides that I think that this functionality is so essential and useful these days that every browser has to have it builtin.

So my question: do you plan to include such a thing in Kmeleon?

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JujuLand
Date: November 10, 2008 03:28PM

http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?2,83845

A+



Mozilla/5.0 (x11; U; Linux x86_64; fr-FR; rv:38.0) Gecko/20100101 Ubuntu/12.04 K-Meleon/76.0


Web: http://jujuland.pagesperso-orange.fr/
Mail : alain [dot] aupeix [at] wanadoo [dot] fr



Ubuntu 12.04 - Gramps 3.4.9 - Harbour 3.2.0 - Hwgui 2.20-3 - K-Meleon 76.0 rc



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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: plasmapelz
Date: November 10, 2008 05:14PM

Yes, I have seen that (after I wrote the post, sorry winking smiley.
It helps right now, but I still think that it should be part of base Kmeleon, not just a plugin. Plugins are for features that some people use, but features that (almost?) everybody uses should always be part of the base package.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JujuLand
Date: November 10, 2008 05:24PM

If the plugin makes the job, why integer it in the exe ?

It's also easier to update a plugin than a build.

The only problem now is that :

1) searchbar Ext doesn't handle completely all the opening modes

2) searchbar handles it ok, but is simplest than searchbarExt, and doesn't handle easily the engine change (you must use a menu, instead of the toolbar button of ext).

As searchbarExt doesn't handle opening modes, I use searchbar.

To answer to your question, a nativ k-meleon searchbar isn't planned.

A+



Mozilla/5.0 (x11; U; Linux x86_64; fr-FR; rv:38.0) Gecko/20100101 Ubuntu/12.04 K-Meleon/76.0


Web: http://jujuland.pagesperso-orange.fr/
Mail : alain [dot] aupeix [at] wanadoo [dot] fr



Ubuntu 12.04 - Gramps 3.4.9 - Harbour 3.2.0 - Hwgui 2.20-3 - K-Meleon 76.0 rc



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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: Fred
Date: November 10, 2008 06:00PM

I prefer the existing button to open the search prompt
with one single click.
The preferred search engine is easily selectable.
A search bar is using too much space, as it shortens
the URL address bar, if it is on the same line,
and a long address is not visible anymore then.
Or else open the search prompt using the keyboard
shortcut.

Fred

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: plasmapelz
Date: November 10, 2008 06:14PM

Quote
Fred
I prefer the existing button to open the search prompt
with one single click.
The preferred search engine is easily selectable.

I see that point. But I wasn't able to easily figure out that you can change the search engine by right click on the search button.
Searching by this way would be fine I think, but can you at least turn that search button into a menu button - like that of searchbarext - and make it display an icon of the current search engine? This would enhance usability a lot (and fewer people might cry for a search toolbar ;-).

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: panzer
Date: November 10, 2008 08:30PM

Juju, searchbar should be part of Kmeleon as a plugin (it should be included in Kmeleon package). If you do not like it, throw it out.

Searchbar ext should have paste and go instead of just paste and it should not be fixed size.

I have both of them in my version of Kmeleon, but most of the time i use searchbar.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/2008 08:32PM by panzer.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JamesD
Date: November 10, 2008 10:40PM

Quote
plasmapelz
and make it display an icon of the current search engine?

I have tried to get button to change but have not made it work yet. Does anyone know how to set up the arguement to the plugin? See "Toolbars" here http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/wiki/PluginCommands

This is my test code.

#  K-Meleon Macros (http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php?id=MacroLanguage)
#
# ---------- Snippet.kmm
# ---------- Located in KM 1.5.0 ---------------
# ---------- code testing 
#
# Dependencies        : main.kmm, Windows Scripting Host
# Resources           : -
# Preferences         : -
# Version             : -
# --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#

_Snippet_RunCode{
	$_SnippetSearchName = getpref(STRING,"kmeleon.general.searchEngineName") ;
	if ($_SnippetSearchName == "Yahoo! Search") $_SnippetSearchIcon = $_Snippet_Path. "\\filter_url.bmp" ;	
	if ($_SnippetSearchName == "MSN Search") $_SnippetSearchIcon = $_Snippet_Path. "\\hourglass.bmp" ;
	if ($_SnippetSearchName == "Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia") $_SnippetSearchIcon = $_Snippet_Path. "\\red_clock.bmp.bmp" ;
	if ($_SnippetSearchName == "Google Images") $_SnippetSearchIcon = $_Snippet_Path. "\\yellow_clock.bmp" ;

	$_SnippetTag =  "\"" . "&Main Bar, &Search Buttons, HOT," . $_SnippetSearchIcon . "\"" ;	
	alert( $_SnippetTag , "String for third item of pluginmsg" );
	pluginmsg(toolbars, "SetButtonImage", $_SnippetTag);

	}

_Snippet_BuildMenu{
	# add another option to Favorites menu 
	setmenu("F&avorites",macro,"Snippet Testing",_Snippet_RunCode,3);
	}

_Snippet_GetPath{
	### Snippet.js is supposed to be located in the same folder as Snippet.kmm (this file).
	### If it isn't, Windows Script Host will notify the user.
	### Double underscore makes variable local only.
	$__Data=readfile(getfolder(MacroFolder)."\\Snippet.kmm");
	#$_Snippet_Path=getfolder($__Data==""?UserMacroFolder:MacroFolder)."\\Snippet.js";
	$_Snippet_Path=getfolder($__Data==""?UserMacroFolder:MacroFolder)."\\SearchButtons";
	}

$OnStartup=$OnStartup."_Snippet_GetPath;";
$OnInit=$OnInit."_Snippet_BuildMenu;";
$macroModules=$macroModules."Snippet;";



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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JamesD
Date: November 10, 2008 11:46PM

I had the bar and button names wrong. I think they should be "&Search Buttons" and "Search". Made the change but still not working.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JamesD
Date: December 10, 2008 01:42PM

I have a working macro to display the search engine icon on the button. See this thread. http://kmeleonbrowser.org/forum/read.php?1,85641,page=2

I am working now to include more search engines. It would help if I knew if my macro will work with languages other than English.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: caktus
Date: December 11, 2008 02:25AM

Quote
JamesD
I am working now to include more search engines.

I seems this is already a very simple task for users using Preferences > Browsing > Finding Websites > Search tabs.

Charlie

~~If it ain't broke, why screw it up?~~


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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JamesD
Date: December 11, 2008 03:35AM

I am not planning to change how search works. I only am trying to get the icon of the default engine to appear on the search button as requested by plasmapelz.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JamesD
Date: December 17, 2008 02:38PM

SearchIcon.kmm has been added to the MacroLibrary http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/wiki/KmmSearchIcon

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: jmillar
Date: December 17, 2008 08:39PM

I like the way the url window works together with the "globe" for searches, and the way the right-click brings up different search engines to which you can add more. It's neat, clean and uncluttered. It's surprising, at first, but a VERY clever and elegant solution.

I installed K-Meleon on my mother's first computer (she's past 70 and a recalcitrant luddite), and she took to it like a duck to water. "One 'window'? Right-o. Why would you need more? It would be confusing"! That's what she said!

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: caktus
Date: December 17, 2008 10:25PM

Quote
jmillar
clever and elegant solution.

Couldn't have said it better. The KM's leave a lot of opportunity to clear out the unnecessary bell's, whistles and eye candy to make way for mucho screen real estate.

If I recall correctly, one or more of the previous KM's had a dedicated Search bar which was the first thing I'd gotten rid of. But then, if we were not all permitted to have our own way of doing things we probably wouldn't have these crazy machines to talk on.:cool:

Charlie

~~If it ain't broke, why screw it up?~~


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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: Rapido
Date: December 25, 2008 11:59PM

What about my searchbar where you can add searchengines i have 20+ engines as we speak.

yours: Rapido



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2008 12:00AM by Rapido.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: desga2
Date: December 26, 2008 10:26AM

Are you tried this SearchBarExt by teK?

K-Meleon in Spanish

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: Yogi
Date: December 26, 2008 01:51PM

Quote
plasmapelz
It helps right now, but I still think that it should be part of base Kmeleon, not just a plugin. Plugins are for features that some people use, but features that (almost?) everybody uses should always be part of the base package.

The point is that not everybody would use that feature.
If any feature that somebody might use would be added to the base package, K-Meleon would end up becoming an unnecessary bloated and sluggish browser.

Quote
plasmapelz
Searching by this way would be fine I think,
Agreed smiling smiley

Quote
plasmapelz
but can you at least turn that search button into a menu button - like that of searchbarext - and make it display an icon of the current search engine?

What if you are the type of person who prefers performance over bells and whistles?
What if K-M is set to not load website icons?

Quote
panzer
Juju, searchbar should be part of Kmeleon as a plugin (it should be included in Kmeleon package). If you do not like it, throw it out.

Strange logic. How about installing the extension in case you like it winking smiley
Imagine FF originally shipped with dozens of extensions grinning smiley

Quote
panzer
I have both of them in my version of Kmeleon, but most of the time i use searchbar.

IMHO, still no reason to include it in the basic package.

How about keeping K-M a slimmed down cousin of Firefox for people who prefer performance over bells and whistles.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2008 03:11PM by Yogi.

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Re: Is a configurable search toolbar planned?
Posted by: JamesD
Date: December 26, 2008 02:08PM

Can somebody explain to me what a searchbar system would add to the current search options? I have never used any searchbar before.

I do know that currently in KM I can click on the search button and get an input box for a search item. I can highlight some text and click on the search button for a search with the current search engine. I can put text in the URL bar and click on the search button for a search. I can right click on the search button and pick another engine or go to configure to add to the pick list or add a completely new engine. With the SearchIcon.kmm file I now can see the search button display the icon of any search engine. What does a searchbar add to that?

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