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Bookmark Current Tab Set: A Firefox Extension for Quickly Bookmarking All Tabs

Several months ago, I mentioned that when I browse the web, I often find that I want the ability to reopen the set of browser tabs that I have open at a later time. I mentioned then that I often chose the option to bookmark all tabs, and give the bookmark folder in which these bookmarks are to be stored a name that is based on the date that this new folder for storing these bookmarks was created. Although I noted then that doing this leads to clutter in my bookmarks, it was something that I continued to do. In fact, I did this so often, I wanted to be able to automate this process. This is a process that can be automated via a Firefox extension, so I began work on an extension that could perform this task.

It was only after I began writing this extension that I discovered that an extension that performs this task already existed. This extension, titled “Bookmark All”, can also be used to quickly bookmark all open tabs and store them in a bookmark folder whose name contains the date the folder was created. However, this extension is not compatible with Firefox 3. There are some extensions that can be easily upgraded so that they will work with Firefox 3. However, this extension was not one of them. So after seeing that at least a few individuals wanted this extension to be compatible with Firefox 3, I made this extension work with Firefox 3.

This extension is about as basic as Firefox extensions get. It only adds options to menus for creating these bookmark folders, and it has no configuration options. In future versions of the extension, there may be options for adjusting the format of the names of the folders created by the extension. There may also be an option for informing the user when the bookmarking of tabs is complete. Options for sorting tabs in a particular order in the folder could also be included. This extension does what I would like it to do at this time. However, I would like it to be useful to as many people as possible by adding features its users would want.

At this time, this extension is considered experimental at addons.mozilla.org. However, you may install this extension if you have an account on addons.mozilla.org. You may click here to visit the page on AMO where this extension can be found. This is the first Firefox extension that I have written, and it may appear to be one that was written by someone who was only beginning to learn about writing Firefox extensions. Feedback on what I have written is welcome as always. I would like to know how I can make improvements to this extension, as newer versions of it will be released in the future.

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15 Comments

  1. HEY, You seem like a real smart cookie for sure- I wish I could understand half of what you know… anyway, I love the idea of the CURRENT BOOKMARK TAB SET, and it should be updated right away to match the latest firefox version. COME TO MY URL LISTED and you can download a favorite of mine that is no longer active in the public light called BROADPAGE browser. IT SAVES TAB SETS AS “LAYOUTS” ! I wish you could give this a workover and make it like firefox with add-ons. It uses the IE engine. I mention it to you not only for this but because you seem like the type that would really enjoy it. I wish it would do duel scroll like one of the firefox addons though. You see, it cries out for updating, and yes it’s copyrighted – probably for the method of multi-screen browsing. I have a review on my page from the year 2000. I’d love your opinion of this fabulous program – and I’ve just given you a million dollar idea. Cut me in when you’ve developed it…. write me when you’ve checked it out! thanks – FRANK in Lincoln, Nebraska.

    Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 6:03 am | Permalink
  2. jkasprzak wrote:

    Hello, and thank you for the compliments. I will take the time to consider what you suggested, and I may write about it at a later time.

    Friday, October 24, 2008 at 8:45 pm | Permalink
  3. paul wrote:

    Hi Jake,

    When i try to install your addon, i get the following error:

    Firefox could not install the file at

    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/downloads/file/38258/bookmark_current_tab_set-0.1.0-fx.xpi

    because: Invalid file hash (possible download corruption)
    -261

    Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 11:53 am | Permalink
  4. jkasprzak wrote:

    Hello.

    After viewing your comment, I downloaded and installed the add-on from this page on AMO where it can be found. I found that the add-on was installed successfully, as I did not receive this error message.

    I suggest trying to download and install the add-on again at a later time. You may also refer to this page on the MozillaZine Knowledge Base on this error for more information on it. I hope this helps.

    Thanks,

    J.K.

    Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 6:40 pm | Permalink
  5. paul wrote:

    Hello,

    I just tried to install the addon from the page you linked, which is where i originally tried to install it from. same problem.

    how about taking the experimental flag off? i can install regular add-ons, it’s experimental add-ons that give me this error (all experimental add-ons give me this error when i try to install them)

    Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 6:48 pm | Permalink
  6. jkasprzak wrote:

    Hello again.

    In order for the extension to no longer be considered experimental, I need to send a request for it to be considered public to the editors at addons.mozilla.org. I will send that request again, as I understand that the error that you are receiving tends to occur with experimental extensions.

    Thanks again,

    J.K.

    Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 7:20 pm | Permalink
  7. paul wrote:

    Jake,

    I saw on your rss feed that you had updated the plugin. I tried to install the latest version, but it is the same error as before.

    Do you know of a way to fix my firefox so that I can install experimental addons?

    Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at 2:01 pm | Permalink
  8. jkasprzak wrote:

    Hello once again.

    If you are still receiving the same error message when trying to install this extension, it seems that the solution to this problem can be found here on this page on the MozillaZine Knowledge Base. It is mentioned there that problems with the addons.mozilla.org database could cause this error to appear. For this reason, I suggest that anyone who has received this error click here to try installing the extension from this site. I would appreciate it if you could inform me whether or not you were able to successfully install the extension from this site.

    Thanks again,

    J.K.

    Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 1:18 am | Permalink
  9. paul wrote:

    Jake,

    I just installed the addon with you link on this site.

    Thanks!

    I’ll leave feedback after I’ve used it.

    Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 1:47 am | Permalink
  10. jkasprzak wrote:

    It is good to know that my suggestion helped. However, I apologize for not making my extension available on a different site sooner.

    If you would like to leave feedback about this extension, it would be best to leave it here on this page on AMO.

    Thank you once again,

    J.K.

    Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 4:04 am | Permalink
  11. Ahmed wrote:

    Hello Jake,

    Thanks for a great add-on.

    There is something I think you can be able to help me and others with.

    I don’t know if you are familiar with this extension “Snaplinks”
    http://snaplinks.mozdev.org/
    It has this feature to bookmark all selected links, but as I dug into the code “With Very limited knowledge of code” I found that the feature to bookmark all selected links was not updated to the new Firefox 3 way to bookmark pages, it still used:
    chrome://browser/content/bookmarks/addBookmark2.xul

    And since this feature is somewhat similar to what bookmark current tab set do I Thought that if you have the time you might like to take a look.
    I know it’s not your add-on, so feel free to refuse.

    Thanks anyway.

    A.W.

    Saturday, May 2, 2009 at 4:04 am | Permalink
  12. jkasprzak wrote:

    Hello, and thank you for your comment and for complimenting my work.

    I have taken some time to work with this Firefox extension that is now known as “Snap Links Plus.” I have looked through the source code of it to determine why selected links cannot be bookmarked when Firefox 3 is used. And I found that it is true that some of the source code of it has not been updated so that it will work with Firefox 3. In fact, if you click here to view one of the source files of this extension you will see on line 621 of it that the XUL file that you mentioned, which is not used by Firefox 3, is used.

    I might be able to take the time to modify the source code of this extension to make it work properly with Firefox 3. However, I suggest contacting the author of the extension about this. It might be best to post a forum topic about this here.

    Thanks again,

    J.K.

    Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 1:11 am | Permalink
  13. Ahmed wrote:

    Thanks a lot Jake,

    I did post something on their forum (First post):
    http://snaplinks.mozdev.org/drupal/recent_changes

    The problem with this extension is that it exchanged hands a lot of times after the original author disappeared, and there is like three different versions of this extension right now, all of which did not pay any attention to actually updating the extension.

    So thanks a lot for taking the time to do it.

    I appreciate it as will a lot of other users.

    Thanks again.

    A.W.

    Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 1:23 am | Permalink
  14. jkasprzak wrote:

    Hello again, and thank you for your comment.

    Perhaps posting this information on the general discussion forum might be a good idea even if you have mentioned this error elsewhere. If this error is mentioned more often, then there may be a greater chance that something will be done about it. I may not be able to guarantee that I will be able to take the time to correct this error. However, I plan on taking some time to work with this extension.

    Thanks again,

    J.K.

    Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 1:51 am | Permalink
  15. Ahmed wrote:

    I did post on the forum, but it looks like it takes time to moderate the post and actually include it in the actual forum rather than in the recent changes section, and the forum is not that active.

    Thanks again.

    Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 7:27 am | Permalink

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