The release notes for 114 include

Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
to the toolbar.

If I click the three lines to access the toolbar extension, I get a
Bookmarks submenu with the search option. It's not available on the
Bookmarks menu on the menu bar.

I clicked the feature and got a search box replacing the Awesome Bar,
but nothing happened when I put in my search term and clicked the arrow
or just hit enter.

Has anyone tried it?

"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> The release notes for 114 include
>
> Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
> Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
> to the toolbar.
>
> If I click the three lines to access the toolbar extension, I get a
> Bookmarks submenu with the search option. It's not available on the
> Bookmarks menu on the menu bar.
>
> I clicked the feature and got a search box replacing the Awesome Bar,
> but nothing happened when I put in my search term and clicked the arrow
> or just hit enter.
>
> Has anyone tried it?

Under about:preferences#search -> Search Shortcuts, bookmarks are
included in the list of locations to search. In the address bar, enter
* (asterisk) followed by a space results in "Bookmarks" appearing as a
preface to whatever you enter in the address bar on which to search.
Basically * is a shortcut to search just bookmarks.

I recall customizing the toolbar to add the Bookmarks Menu icon. When
hovering the mouse over the icon, popup text shows "Show your bookmarks
(Ctrl+Shift+O)" appears. Clicking on the button brings up a drop-down
list of bookmarks versus Ctrl+Shift+O that brings up the entire Library
window with Bookmarks as one of the nodes in the tree pane. Clicking on
the toolbar button presents a drop-down list very similar to using 3-bar
menu -> Bookmarks, but without the Recent list. In the drop-down list
(when clicking on the toolbar icon) or in the 3-bar -> Bookmarks menu,
there is a "Search bookmarks" entry. All that does is what I described
in the first paragraph (prefix the "Bookmarks" search type in the
addressbar), but without you having to enter * in the address bar to
trigger a search on just bookmarks. I find * a lot easier to use than
drilling through menues.

If I open the sidebar with Bookmarks selected, there is a search bar.
However, I thought that was there before, but then I wasn't looking for
it before because I wouldn't have used it before. I've never used any
search functions in menues or via toolbar buttons. I just enter a
string in the address bar to find bookmarks that match. Under
about:preferences#privacy -> Address Bar - Firefox Sugges, several
options can be selected on what to search when entering text in the
address bar. I only have the following selected:

Browsing history
Bookmarks
Open tabs

I do not have Shortcut and Search Engines included, plus the other
options are disabled (Suggestions from the web, Suggestions from
sponsors, Improve the Firefox Suggest experience). When I start
entering text in the address bar, if any bookmarks match then those
appear in the drop-down match list under the address bar.

The release notes, as you mention, say:

Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
to the toolbar.

Whether I use the search entry in the popup menu when clicking on the
toolbar button, or I use 3-bar -> Bookmarks, that does nothing more than
if you prefaced your string in the address bar with "* " (asterisk, and
space to delimit the search type preface). All those supposedly new
search function entries do nothing but initiate a Bookmarks-type search
in the address bar. Perhaps you don't have Bookmarks included in the
address bar search options at:

about:preferences#privacy -> Address Bar - Firefox Suggest

I think all those options are enabled by default, but lots of users,
like me, disable some of them as unwanted behavior, unnecessary
functionality, or having privacy issues. Enable bookmarks as a search
type for address bar searches to see if the menu shortcuts to Search
Bookmarks then works. I'd also check under:

about:preferences#search -> Search Shortcuts

to check there is an entry for bookmarks (the asterisk preface).
Possibly the "Search bookmarks" menu entries just use the asterisk
search shortcut to start an address bar search.

Preface * (and space) in address bar ---.
|
3-bar menu -> Bookmarks |
https://imgur.com/a/DI48n8f |
|
Click on "Search bookmarks" |
https://imgur.com/a/uc54592 <--|
(same effect as * preface in address bar) |
|
Click on Bookmarks Menu toolbar button |
https://imgur.com/a/Vj9d962 |
|
Click on Search bookmarks in popup menu ---'

The menu entries are merely shortcuts to * in the address bar. Here are
my settings:

about:preferences#search
https://imgur.com/a/SNJyb8D
(notice the * is included for doing bookmark-type searches)

about:preferences#privacy
https://imgur.com/a/X9kReGr
(bookmarks are included as a search type)

Since the search bookmark menu entries work for me, I suspect there is a
difference in the above settings in your setup and upon which those menu
shortcuts rely. All those search bookmark menu entries do is start an
asterisked/Bookmarks search in the address bar. The only one that is
different (independent of the address bar) is the search box in the
sidebar.

The "Awesome Bar" (address bar) isn't getting replaced. It's getting
used for a search type; i.e., it gets repurposed. You can do the exact
same thing as the menu entries by entering "* sometext". If that
doesn't work, maybe you configured the address bar to NOT include
bookmarks in address bar searches.

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

>>The release notes for 114 include

>> Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
>> Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
>> to the toolbar.

>>If I click the three lines to access the toolbar extension, I get a
>>Bookmarks submenu with the search option. It's not available on the
>>Bookmarks menu on the menu bar.

>>I clicked the feature and got a search box replacing the Awesome Bar,
>>but nothing happened when I put in my search term and clicked the arrow
>>or just hit enter.

>>Has anyone tried it?

>Under about:preferences#search -> Search Shortcuts, bookmarks are
>included in the list of locations to search. In the address bar, enter
>* (asterisk) followed by a space results in "Bookmarks" appearing as a
>preface to whatever you enter in the address bar on which to search.
>Basically * is a shortcut to search just bookmarks.

No, that doesn't call up the feature for me.

I've got Bookmarks, Tabs, and History ticked, which I assume is by
default. Those options don't appear below the search bar.

I've got a separate search bar from the awesome bar.

I think I a preference default or two a long time ago to prevent
unwanted searches in the Awesome bar but I can't remember what they
were.

>I recall customizing the toolbar to add the Bookmarks Menu icon. When
>hovering the mouse over the icon, popup text shows "Show your bookmarks
>(Ctrl+Shift+O)" appears. Clicking on the button brings up a drop-down
>list of bookmarks versus Ctrl+Shift+O that brings up the entire Library
>window with Bookmarks as one of the nodes in the tree pane.

CTRL-SHIFT-O brings up the Library window with Other Bookmarks
highlighted. I organize bookmarks under the Bookmarks Menu and the
Bookmarks Toolbar but never under Other Bookmarks. I use the Library's
search feature.

If this stuff works as expected for you, then I think I need to figure
out the two changes I made in about:config and revert to default.

>. . . Perhaps you don't have Bookmarks included in the
>address bar search options at:

>about:preferences#privacy -> Address Bar - Firefox Suggest

I have all those unticked. But that's a different kind of pattern
matching function. I allow suggestions in the separate search box
because I use it to check my terrible spelling.

>I think all those options are enabled by default, but lots of users,
>like me, disable some of them as unwanted behavior, unnecessary
>functionality, or having privacy issues. Enable bookmarks as a search
>type for address bar searches to see if the menu shortcuts to Search
>Bookmarks then works.

I ticked it but it didn't get the feature working.

>I'd also check under:

>about:preferences#search -> Search Shortcuts

It was ticked by default. I hadn't changed that.

>. . .

>The "Awesome Bar" (address bar) isn't getting replaced. It's getting
>used for a search type; i.e., it gets repurposed. You can do the exact
>same thing as the menu entries by entering "* sometext". If that
>doesn't work, maybe you configured the address bar to NOT include
>bookmarks in address bar searches.

Yeah, I changed something.

Lemme just search about:config for "search"; in the preferences it shows
as modified, nothing really looks familiar when I attempted to prevent
searching from the search bar.

Oh well.

On Fri, 9 Jun 2023 20:09:05 -0000 (UTC), Adam H. Kerman wrote:

> The release notes for 114 include
>
> Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
> Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
> to the toolbar.
>
> If I click the three lines to access the toolbar extension, I get a
> Bookmarks submenu with the search option. It's not available on the
> Bookmarks menu on the menu bar.

If I do as it says, add the Bookmarks menu button to the toolbar,
then 'Search bookmarks' is available in the menu which appears when
I click on the *Bookmarks menu button* on the *toolbar*.

Screen-shot: <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=26_u600t1_1__firefox-search-bookmarks-menu-item.png>

> I clicked the feature and got a search box replacing the Awesome Bar,
> but nothing happened when I put in my search term and clicked the arrow
> or just hit enter.
>
> Has anyone tried it?

I get a _live_ search of bookmarks in the drop-down below the URL Bar.
As I type, the bookmark search results are updated in real time.
Without needing to click the arrow or press enter to trigger a search.

Screen-shot: <http://img4.imagetitan.com/img.php?image=26_u600t1_2__firefox-search-bookmarks-live-results.png>

--
Kind regards
Ralph

“Ofte rap reweþ,” quoþ Hendyng.

"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> I've got a separate search bar from the awesome bar.
>
> I think I a preference default or two a long time ago to prevent
> unwanted searches in the Awesome bar but I can't remember what they
> were.

As I recall reading here, the suggestion was to go into about:config to
change settings that disabled searches from the address bar (aka Awesome
bar). Maybe the following discussion is for the about:config settings
that you might want to undo, unless not searching from the address bar
is more important to you. I got rid of the separate search bar a long
time ago when the address bar usurp its seach functions.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1284577

When you go into about:config, and you previously changed those
settings, they should be bolded to not they are not at the defaults.

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

>>I've got a separate search bar from the awesome bar.

>>I think I a preference default or two a long time ago to prevent
>>unwanted searches in the Awesome bar but I can't remember what they
>>were.

>As I recall reading here, the suggestion was to go into about:config to
>change settings that disabled searches from the address bar (aka Awesome
>bar). Maybe the following discussion is for the about:config settings
>that you might want to undo, unless not searching from the address bar
>is more important to you. I got rid of the separate search bar a long
>time ago when the address bar usurp its seach functions.

If I fat finger a URL, I don't want a search to get triggered. I want the
page load to fail.

>https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1284577

>When you go into about:config, and you previously changed those
>settings, they should be bolded to not they are not at the defaults.

I've got plenty of bold entries that I had not changed in the
preferences editor, so that must have happened due to settings changes
in about:preferences.

"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> I've got plenty of bold entries that I had not changed in the
> preferences editor, so that must have happened due to settings changes
> in about:preferences.

Yep, options in the GUI config screens are reflected in the settings
shown in about:config. However, add-ons can also change settings. When
in about:config, there's no way to tell who or what changed settings
away from defaults.

On 9 Jun 2023 23:55:40 -0500 VanguardLH wrote:
>
>Yep, options in the GUI config screens are reflected in the settings
>shown in about:config. However, add-ons can also change settings. When
>in about:config, there's no way to tell who or what changed settings
>away from defaults.

I don't think add-ons can change prefs, or WebeXtensions can't. The old
type could use prefs starting 'extension.' iirc; it was a simple way to
set options via about:config withput having to write an options panel.

An old version of Fx, or an old profile, might still have some of those.
--
(Remove numerics from email address)

On 9.6.23 9:09 pm, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> The release notes for 114 include
>
> Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
> Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
> to the toolbar.
>
> If I click the three lines to access the toolbar extension, I get a
> Bookmarks submenu with the search option. It's not available on the
> Bookmarks menu on the menu bar.
>
> I clicked the feature and got a search box replacing the Awesome Bar,
> but nothing happened when I put in my search term and clicked the arrow
> or just hit enter.
>
> Has anyone tried it?

I guess (haven't used Firefox for a while) the bookmarks button is new
and that is to what it refers? Right click toolbar > customise > drag
the Bookmarks button to the toolbar > close.

I can't see any point though, as you still have to make several clicks
on the button to get to the active bookmarks. Far better is the "Popup
Bookmarks" extensions that single-clicks straight into the bookmarks
ready to use.

--
Bob,
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything. — Mark Twain

Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote:
>>
>> Yep, options in the GUI config screens are reflected in the settings
>> shown in about:config. However, add-ons can also change settings.
>> When in about:config, there's no way to tell who or what changed
>> settings away from defaults.
>
> I don't think add-ons can change prefs, or WebeXtensions can't. The
> old type could use prefs starting 'extension.' iirc; it was a simple
> way to set options via about:config withput having to write an
> options panel.
>
> An old version of Fx, or an old profile, might still have some of
> those.

For example, use to have a GUI option the enable/disable Javascript.
Mozilla took that away, and left use with javascript.enabled in the
about:config editor. Then Mozilla took that away, and now only add-ons
can programmatically enable/disable Javascript. However, one step back,
there are add-ons that merely added a toolbar button that toggled the
javascript.enabled setting. At one time, add-ons could toggle the
setting, but later they had to do it programmatically.

Another example is uBlock Origin. It has an option to disable
pre-fetching which overrides blocking of unwanted resources (ads and
tracking). By default, Firefox allows pre-fetching, because it makes
web pages seem to load faster (while you're reading one page, another is
pre-loading in the background). This uBO option toggles the
network.prefetch-next setting in about:config.

Another example are add-ons that attempt to set the default volume away
from Firefox's defaults, like videos play at way too loud a volume when
they start, and a user wants the volume to start softer or muted. They
can change the media.default_volume and media.volume_scale settings. I
don't remember the add-ons I used to use for lower initial volume, and
which changed these settings, but it's easy 'nuff for me to edit
about:config to change the settings since I really only do it once.
These settings only work with HTML5 video or audio elements, not with
Javascripted players.

Yes, I realize that settings for an *extension* were usually (but not
always) stored in extension.<name>.* settings, but add-ons may change
settings in Firefox rather than just for themselves. When uninstalling
an add-on, you can delete all the remnant extension.<name>.* settings,
if any, but that doesn't undo settings elsewhere the add-on changed.

https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/publish/add-on-policies/

I don't see any restrictions on add-ons that bar them from modifying
settings for Firefox. I don't recall seeing permission prompts when
installing uBO (other than installing the add-on versus permissions on
it changing settings in Firefox), but it's been years since I added uBO
to Firefox.

On 10 Jun 2023 07:23:17 -0500 VanguardLH wrote:
>Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:
>
>> VanguardLH wrote:
>>>
>>> Yep, options in the GUI config screens are reflected in the settings
>>> shown in about:config. However, add-ons can also change settings.
>>> When in about:config, there's no way to tell who or what changed
>>> settings away from defaults.
>>
>> I don't think add-ons can change prefs, or WebeXtensions can't. The
>> old type could use prefs starting 'extension.' iirc; it was a simple
>> way to set options via about:config withput having to write an
>> options panel.
>>
>> An old version of Fx, or an old profile, might still have some of
>> those.
>
>For example, use to have a GUI option the enable/disable Javascript.
>Mozilla took that away, and left use with javascript.enabled in the
>about:config editor. Then Mozilla took that away, and now only add-ons
>can programmatically enable/disable Javascript. However, one step back,
>there are add-ons that merely added a toolbar button that toggled the
>javascript.enabled setting. At one time, add-ons could toggle the
>setting, but later they had to do it programmatically.
>
>Another example is uBlock Origin. It has an option to disable
>pre-fetching which overrides blocking of unwanted resources (ads and
>tracking). By default, Firefox allows pre-fetching, because it makes
>web pages seem to load faster (while you're reading one page, another is
>pre-loading in the background). This uBO option toggles the
>network.prefetch-next setting in about:config.
>
>Another example are add-ons that attempt to set the default volume away
>from Firefox's defaults, like videos play at way too loud a volume when
>they start, and a user wants the volume to start softer or muted. They
>can change the media.default_volume and media.volume_scale settings. I
>don't remember the add-ons I used to use for lower initial volume, and
>which changed these settings, but it's easy 'nuff for me to edit
>about:config to change the settings since I really only do it once.
>These settings only work with HTML5 video or audio elements, not with
>Javascripted players.
>
>Yes, I realize that settings for an *extension* were usually (but not
>always) stored in extension.<name>.* settings, but add-ons may change
>settings in Firefox rather than just for themselves. When uninstalling
>an add-on, you can delete all the remnant extension.<name>.* settings,
>if any, but that doesn't undo settings elsewhere the add-on changed.
>
>https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/publish/add-on-policies/
>
>I don't see any restrictions on add-ons that bar them from modifying
>settings for Firefox. I don't recall seeing permission prompts when
>installing uBO (other than installing the add-on versus permissions on
>it changing settings in Firefox), but it's been years since I added uBO
>to Firefox.

I don't know what mechanism add-ons like uBO use to do all these things.
But I do remember that add-ons' access to the preferences _in
about:config_ was removed in Web eXtensions, and not only for their own
prefs. Many people were unhappy about it:

<https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37241450/how-to-change-firefox-preferences-aboutconfig-using-the-new-webextensions-api>
(random search result)

Caveat: having rewritten my own add-ons I ceased to pay much attention to
the development of WX APIs, so they may have changed to allow it. And
there were/are 'experiment' addons which retained features of the old
system.
--
(Remove numerics from email address)

Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:

> I don't know what mechanism add-ons like uBO use to do all these
> things. But I do remember that add-ons' access to the preferences _in
> about:config_ was removed in Web eXtensions, and not only for their
> own prefs. Many people were unhappy about it:
>
> <https://stackoverflow.com/questions/37241450/how-to-change-firefox-preferences-aboutconfig-using-the-new-webextensions-api>
> (random search result)

That discussion has a link pointing to:

https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebExtensions/FAQ#Will_I_have_access_to_about:config_or_the_preferences.3F

where the "#Will_I_have..." anchor supposedly points to some mention
about access to about:config using the WX API, yet that article is
absent of any mention of about:config. The anchor is missing, so
whatever the author was trying to point at is no longer there.

The other link in that discussion points to yet another discussion where
a poster said WE cannot access/write to about:config. Whether or not
they directly read to those settings or not does not prevent add-ons
from changing per-user preferences as noted below.

> Caveat: having rewritten my own add-ons I ceased to pay much attention
> to the development of WX APIs, so they may have changed to allow it.
> And there were/are 'experiment' addons which retained features of the
> old system.

Looks like preferences changed from the defaults are stored in the
prefs.js file. It's a text file. I looked in there, and there is the
line:

user_pref("network.prefetch-next", false);

So, writing to the prefs.js file effects changes to the about:config
settings that Firefox will use. The default for this setting is True
which means this line would be absent from prefs.js. Because it got
changed to False is why it appears in prefs.js.

https://kb.mozillazine.org/Prefs.js_file
"The prefs.js file does not actually contain all of the settings. It
only stores changes made to the defaults, after they are written back to
disk."

I don't have a user.js file where, I think, many folks mention making
edits to effect changes to Firefox. Maybe the changed about:config
settings could go there, too, but, for me, they're in prefs.js in my
Firefox profile folder. Both are text files. Although articles may
discourage editing the prefs.js file (it's supposed to be generated by
Firefox), I don't see anything preventing that action. WX API may not
allow uBO to edit about:config settings, but uBO can still edit the
prefs.js file to effect the same change.

Is the prefs.js file not longer supported by Firefox? Looks like it is
still used. If prefs.js is still used, add-ons could edit that to
effect changes to Firefox settings. When I open it in Notepad
(Windows), there is no permission/access or read-only lockout on the
file; i.e., I can edit it. Why can't an add-on?

On 10 Jun 2023 09:52:58 -0500 VanguardLH wrote:
>
>
>
>That discussion has a link pointing to:
>
>
>https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebExtensions/FAQ#Will_I_have_access_to_about:config_or_the_preferences.3F
>
>where the "#Will_I_have..." anchor supposedly points to some mention
>about access to about:config using the WX API, yet that article is
>absent of any mention of about:config. The anchor is missing, so
>whatever the author was trying to point at is no longer there.
>

Here's what it said, from archive.org April 2017:

Will I have access to about:config or the preferences?

Very unlikely. Access to the preferences in the past has caused us
problems. Multiple add-ons try to change them and conflict. There is no
security limitations so low risk preferences and high risk preferences are
mixed together. Sadly these have been exploited by add-on authors in the
past.

The preferences though are generally a low level implementation detail.
They are altered and changed frequently, with new preferences being added
or just ignored quite frequently. Instead we'd rather WebExtensions focus
on higher level APIs that implement specific tasks, those APIs might alter
preferences, but it would be to the WebExtension API to manage that, not
the WebExtension developer.

(ends)

As I said, it might have changed. But I doubt it. I'd have to look through
all the APIs to see what's available now.

--
(Remove numerics from email address)

Dave Royal <dave@dave123royal.com> wrote:

> VanguardLH wrote:
>
>> That discussion has a link pointing to:
>>
>> https://wiki.mozilla.org/WebExtensions/FAQ#Will_I_have_access_to_about:config_or_the_preferences.3F
>>
>> where the "#Will_I_have..." anchor supposedly points to some mention
>> about access to about:config using the WX API, yet that article is
>> absent of any mention of about:config. The anchor is missing, so
>> whatever the author was trying to point at is no longer there.
>
> Here's what it said, from archive.org April 2017:

March 2017 was when the Firefox Electrolysis (v52) came out that dropped
XUL/XPCOM support for add-ons. There were still some XUL components of
Firefox, but they eventually disappeared. Seems the mandate to
eradicate access to about:config settings was not yet in stone,
especially after mention was removed from the reference article.

Nov 2017 was when Firefox Quantum (v57) came out that that removed
remaining legacy add-on support of XUL. Moving forward from there meant
you had to replace legacy add-ons with WE add-ons. While it seems short
from March to November of the same year of 2017, Mozilla announced the
change 2 years earlier to give add-on authors a chance to rewrite their
add-ons. A vast number of add-ons were abandoned, to this was also a
way to shed all those dead add-ons (although they might still useful).

> Will I have access to about:config or the preferences?
>
> Very unlikely. Access to the preferences in the past has caused us
> problems. Multiple add-ons try to change them and conflict. There is no
> security limitations so low risk preferences and high risk preferences are
> mixed together. Sadly these have been exploited by add-on authors in the
> past.
>
> The preferences though are generally a low level implementation detail.
> They are altered and changed frequently, with new preferences being added
> or just ignored quite frequently. Instead we'd rather WebExtensions focus
> on higher level APIs that implement specific tasks, those APIs might alter
> preferences, but it would be to the WebExtension API to manage that, not
> the WebExtension developer.
>
> (ends)

But not mentioned now in the ref article. Not sure that means the API
was changed to allow modifying about:config settings, or not, or the
issue became moot after a while, so authors had become accustomed into
not considering writing those settings (similar to how Sun changed from
versions of Java, and versions of Java 2, to just renaming Java 2 as
Java, and everyone eventually just called it Java).

> As I said, it might have changed. But I doubt it. I'd have to look
> through all the APIs to see what's available now.

Okay, I'll grant that the WE API might've been restrictive in accessing
about:config settings (can't tell if it still is since the reference
article has changed to omit mention of the restriction), but you skipped
responding my additional mention for the use of prefs.js (and user.js).

How does the API limitation affect, if at all, using prefs.js to change
settings? Those seem to get loaded when Firefox loads, and the file
does not stay locked with an open file handle since I was able to edit
it in Notepad even while Firefox was running. Did Firefox, at some
point, kill write access to external files in the file system unless the
writes were via the API?

I gave uBO (which became a WE add-on years ago) as an example that can
change Firefox settings. I don't know how it implements the setting
change, but it appears imprinted into the prefs.js file.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Working_with_files#open_files_in_an_extension_using_a_file_picker

Perhaps "access to content" just means read-only access, but uBO must
somehow be changing the network.prefetch-next setting to effect its
option to enable/disable prefetching.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/FileSystemWritableFileStream/write
(updated April 2023)

Although I've seen many articles stating Javascript is neutered for
writes to files in the local file system, seems there is a WE API
function to write to local files. There is lock (open file handle) on
prefs.js after Firefox is done loading its content on startup.

That article is on Web APIs, and not necessary the WE API for add-ons.
Mozilla defers to Google WE API reference on what WE add-ons can do, and
where I found:

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/
fileSystem
Use the chrome.fileSystem API to create, read, navigate, and write to
the user's local file system.

but when you go to the page link on "fileSystem" which takes you to:

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/fileSystem/

it says "This API is part of the deprecated Chrome Apps platform."
Deprecated means it will eventually get removed, that it is now
unusable. I can still write HTML code using tons of deprecated tags
instead of dealing with CSS. Maybe the replacement is:

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/FileSystemWritableFileStream/write
The write() method of the FileSystemWritableFileStream interface writes
content into the file the method is called on, at the current file
cursor offset.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/FileSystemWritableFileStream
The FileSystemWritableFileStream interface of the File System Access API
is a WritableStream object with additional convenience methods, which
operates on a single file on disk. The interface is accessed through the
FileSystemFileHandle.createWritable() method.

I didn't waste further time trying to find out what the preferred
replacement function might be since I'm not writing add-ons to Firefox,
or for any web browser. All of this really gets way beyond what I need
to know about Firefox and Webkit add-ons.

uBO does it, so I know it can still be done. I have not heard uBO has
some special privileges granted by Mozilla.

____________________
<Aside>

Why are you using a FollowUp-To header that is exactly the same as your
Newsgroups header? If both list the same newsgroups, what's the point?
I ask because I use a colorizing filter and an alert shown in the view
pane to identify when the FollowUp-To header is used. Unlikely there is
a valid reason for its use, but its use (to specify a different set of
newsgroup in an attempt to get respondents to post elsewhere or in a
limited set of the original newsgroups) is very likely to be rude to
other posters.

Newsgroups: alt.comp.software.firefox <--.__ what's the diff?
FollowUp-To: alt.comp.software.firefox <--'

The FollowUp-To header does not force a respondent to use your choice of
newsgroup for where to continue a discussion, or even use the same
newsgroup(s) specified in your header(s). Just seems redundant to have
both of them with the same newsgroups list.

</Aside>

On 6/9/23 1:09 PM, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> The release notes for 114 include
>
> Bookmarks can now be searched from the Bookmarks menu. The
> Bookmarks menu is accessible by adding the Bookmarks menu button
> to the toolbar.
>
> If I click the three lines to access the toolbar extension, I get a
> Bookmarks submenu with the search option. It's not available on the
> Bookmarks menu on the menu bar.
>
> I clicked the feature and got a search box replacing the Awesome Bar,
> but nothing happened when I put in my search term and clicked the arrow
> or just hit enter.
>
> Has anyone tried it?

I have a few thousand bookmarks. Doing ANYTHING with the bookmarks menu
takes forever, largely because of the slow start. BUT...

I export my bookmarks to an .html file, which I then set as my home
page. FAST search. Every once in a while I re-export the bookmarks. I
keep meaning to do some pruning of the actual bookmarks menu/file, but
that hasn't happened so far...

--
Cheers, Bev
Q: How many lawyers does it take to grease a combine?
A: One, if you feed him in real slow.

On 10 Jun 2023 14:32:42 -0500 VanguardLH wrote:
><Aside>
>
>Why are you using a FollowUp-To header that is exactly the same as your
>Newsgroups header?

The post/reply screen is just a text editor, including the headers. If I
want to modify follow-up it's easier to delete one or more groups than add
the whole header.

--
(Remove numerics from email address)

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

>>I've got a separate search bar from the awesome bar.

>>I think I a preference default or two a long time ago to prevent
>>unwanted searches in the Awesome bar but I can't remember what they
>>were.

>As I recall reading here, the suggestion was to go into about:config to
>change settings that disabled searches from the address bar (aka Awesome
>bar). Maybe the following discussion is for the about:config settings
>that you might want to undo, unless not searching from the address bar
>is more important to you. I got rid of the separate search bar a long
>time ago when the address bar usurp its seach functions.

>https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1284577

>When you go into about:config, and you previously changed those
>settings, they should be bolded to not they are not at the defaults.

Thanks. I reset these back to defaults; no joy. I'll keep looking.

"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>
>> "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
>
>>> I've got a separate search bar from the awesome bar.
>
>>> I think I a preference default or two a long time ago to prevent
>>> unwanted searches in the Awesome bar but I can't remember what they
>>> were.
>
>> As I recall reading here, the suggestion was to go into about:config
>> to change settings that disabled searches from the address bar (aka
>> Awesome bar). Maybe the following discussion is for the
>> about:config settings that you might want to undo, unless not
>> searching from the address bar is more important to you. I got rid
>> of the separate search bar a long time ago when the address bar
>> usurp its seach functions.
>
>> https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1284577
>
>> When you go into about:config, and you previously changed those
>> settings, they should be bolded to not they are not at the defaults.
>
> Thanks. I reset these back to defaults; no joy. I'll keep looking.

I never know which settings require a restart of Firefox, so if the
setting is not effected after changing it then I restart Firefox and
retest.

Are you entering the * in the address bar (aka Awesome bar), or in the
search bar? Firefox still has the option of showing just the address
bar, or both the address bar and search bar (about:preferences#search).
I just show the address bar, and is where I preface the * (and space) to
initiate a Bookmarks type search. In the address bar, I enter an
asterisk, and the moment I add a space the * turns into a "Bookmarks"
tag. The asterisk is a search shortcut (same settings page).

Under about:preferences#search -> Search Shortcuts is a list of strings
that will initiate the shortcut (when followed by a space). However,
notice there are blue checkmarks to the left of each search type. A
checkmark means the search type is enabled. A missing checkmark means
the search type is disabled.

https://imgur.com/a/SNJyb8D
(notice the blue checkmarks for which search types are enabled).

Mozilla came out with their Awesome Bar some 12 years ago in FF v4. I
haven't heard it called that for a long time. Even Mozilla does not use
Awesome Bar when referring to the address bar.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/get-started-firefox-overview-main-features
("awesome" not found)

Sometimes the address bar is also called the location bar. For a short
time, it was called the Awesome Bar, but I think that's because there
was an Awesome Bar add-on that got usurped or integrated by Mozilla.
There are some "Awesome" named add-ons, too. Just want to make sure you
are using the address bar (aka location bar) when trying to enter * as
the Bookmarks search type shortcut. And you are not using the search
bar you can add/remove from the toolbar row since that doesn't support
the search type shortcuts.

I've seen the Awesome Bar phrase used for Firefox Lite just a couple
years ago. Are you using regular Firefox (on a desktop, not mobile
version) or its Lite version?

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/get-started-firefox-lite

I don't have any experience using their Lite version of Firefox. Looks
like it's a mobile version (Android) of Firefox due to the mention of
getting it from the [Google] Play Store. On Android, I have the mobile
(regular) version of Firefox, and know that it is missing several handy
features of the desktop version of Firefox.

On my old Android 8.0.0 smartphone, Firefox Mobile is at 113.2.0, so it
looks like 114 isn't yet available for Android (and the Play app doesn't
show an update for it yet to 114). You said version 114, and I assumed
you meant on Windows, but maybe you're running Firefox on Linux. I've
seen users complain that Firefox Linux is different (in features or
behavior) than Firefox Windows.

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:
>>VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:
>>>"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

>>>>I've got a separate search bar from the awesome bar.

>>>>I think I a preference default or two a long time ago to prevent
>>>>unwanted searches in the Awesome bar but I can't remember what they
>>>>were.

>>>As I recall reading here, the suggestion was to go into about:config
>>>to change settings that disabled searches from the address bar (aka
>>>Awesome bar). Maybe the following discussion is for the
>>>about:config settings that you might want to undo, unless not
>>>searching from the address bar is more important to you. I got rid
>>>of the separate search bar a long time ago when the address bar
>>>usurp its seach functions.

>>>https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1284577

>>>When you go into about:config, and you previously changed those
>>>settings, they should be bolded to not they are not at the defaults.

>>Thanks. I reset these back to defaults; no joy. I'll keep looking.

>I never know which settings require a restart of Firefox, so if the
>setting is not effected after changing it then I restart Firefox and
>retest.

I had restarted. No joy.

>Are you entering the * in the address bar

Yes

>or in the search bar?

In the search bar, because I have search suggestions turned, it brings
up matching popular searches in which "*" is the left-most character.

>Under about:preferences#search -> Search Shortcuts is a list of strings
>that will initiate the shortcut (when followed by a space). However,
>notice there are blue checkmarks to the left of each search type. A
>checkmark means the search type is enabled. A missing checkmark means
>the search type is disabled. . .

You had asked me to check this earlier. I had left those choices ticked
by default. Still ticked

As I stated previously, when I invoke the command from the Bookmarks
submenu on the command overflow menu, I get the Bookkmarks search box
but cannot invoke the search after entering the search string.

>On my old Android 8.0.0 smartphone, Firefox Mobile is at 113.2.0, so it
>looks like 114 isn't yet available for Android (and the Play app doesn't
>show an update for it yet to 114). You said version 114, and I assumed
>you meant on Windows, but maybe you're running Firefox on Linux. I've
>seen users complain that Firefox Linux is different (in features or
>behavior) than Firefox Windows.

Version 114.0.1, Windows 8.1

Linux Mint on the old laptop. I didn't make as many configuration changes
and can invoke the command as expected.

"Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

> You had asked me to check this earlier. I had left those choices ticked
> by default. Still ticked

Okay. Sometimes when users see an entry they figure it's active (in the
list, so it's used) not realizing there are checkmarks that determine if
an entry is active or not. Clarified now.

> Version 114.0.1, Windows 8.1
>
> Linux Mint on the old laptop. I didn't make as many configuration changes
> and can invoke the command as expected.

Hmm, sure looks like a config-caused problem. You could make a new
Firefox profile (use Refresh) that has all default settings, and test if
the search methods then work. If so, maybe there is some way to compare
settings between old and new profiles, like doing a diff compare on the
prefs.js files in each profile folder.