Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Jordan117 —Tue, 05/08/2012 - 07:55

I rely heavily on a modified version of Firefox's "smart keywords" for navigation, especially when opening a new tab. Unfortunately the latest version of Fast Dial on the latest Firefox seems to interfere.

Normally with smart keywords, you tag a bookmark with a keyword ("a" for amazon.com, say) and entering that keyword in the address bar will take you to that site. To get more mileage out of short keywords, I use a nifty Javascript trick to combine two functions -- a bookmark and a search -- in one. Here's an example:

javascript:if('%s')%20location.href='http://www.google.com/search?q=%s&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=1&output=search&source=lnt&tbs=dfn:1';else%20location.href='http://www.dropbox.com';

With this bookmarked, typing in the letter "d" will take you to dropbox.com, while a "d" followed by a word will search Google Dictionary for that word. It's very useful, and lets you have individual bookmarks and search operators for many different sites.

Problem is, the Fast Dial page that loads when I open a new tab won't accept these shortcuts. A regular smart bookmark works fine -- "a" takes you to Amazon -- but if I type "d" or "d foo" in the address bar while on the Fast Dial page, it turns into the relevant Javascript code... and then just sits there. Same thing happens if I click the Javascript bookmark in the bookmark sidebar, or use an extension that loads a Javascript function in the current page. They work elsewhere, but not on the Fast Dial page.

Is there any way to fix this? It only started recently, when I upgraded to Firefox 12 from ~7 (I'm slow). I use these keywords at least as much as I use Fast Dial, and I'd hate to have to choose between them. :(

Fast Dial

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Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by chiaroscuro on Wed, 05/09/2012 - 06:32

As you are probably aware, Firefox has recently changed.
That is the old about:blank as default has now changed

So Fast Dial too had to adapt to this.

This has been the only change.

So it suffests that the funaemental change in Firefox has mabe created an environment where your previous methods no longer work

Had you considered for the moment changing in Fast Dial preferences not to open Fast Dial in a new tab, and instead access Fast Dial through the toolbar icon.

I am not familiar with your way of working and we may need to discuss a bit, to see if we can together understand the fundamental nature of the problem

many thanks

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by Jordan117 on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 03:37

Hi chiaroscuro,

I think the problem is with Fast Dial rather than Firefox. I tried disabling Fast Dial to test this out -- when I open a new tab, the blank page allows me to use Javascript as normal. So there's something about the Fast Dial page specifically that seems to be blocking Javascript from loading.

I also ran the Firefox Error Console while attempting to use the keyword search on the Fast Dial page to see if I could spot any problems. Here's the error message it gave me when I tried to enter it:

Error: uncaught exception: ReferenceError: location is not defined

There's some old discussion referencing this error (as well as Javascript bookmarklets) here:

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=658220

Any thoughts?

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by chiaroscuro on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 05:08

I tried disabling Fast Dial to test this out -- when I open a new tab, the blank page allows me to use Javascript as normal

Good so you can for the moment use this as a workaround

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by chiaroscuro on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 05:14

As mentioned above Fast Dial has not changed

Firefox has

The only change in fast dial is to adapt to the change in firefox

Would you be so kind as to try running fast dial 4.2 and see if this improves matters.
(I am not saying it will)
The difference is that Fast Dial 4.2. disables the new tab feature and 4.2.1 does not.
This may make an improvement for you, but you will then NOT be able to toggle the preferences in fast dial to open Fast dial in new tab or not. (this was the shortcoming of Version 4.2)

Please let us know if this has any effect

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by chiaroscuro on Thu, 05/10/2012 - 05:39

If you run Tab Mix Plus you could try toggling the settings in relation to

Please see here

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by Efreak15 on Fri, 05/11/2012 - 11:09

Is there any way to fix this? It only started recently, when I upgraded to Firefox 12 from ~7 (I'm slow).

So we can narrow the problem down to something changed in Firefox from version 7-12 that caused Fast Dial to not work with it. @chiacuroscuro Firefox 12 doesn't have the new tab page yet. That comes in Firefox 13, so this has nothing to do with the new tab page change. I really have no idea how to fix this problem without knowing the inner workings of javascript. (I don't know much about javascript) This problem also seems to be Mozilla's fault...

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by Jordan117 on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 01:22

Hi all, sorry for neglecting the thread, but I had some router problems to troubleshoot and forgot for awhile. :(

I think I've found the source of the problem -- Firefox does not allow the user to execute Javascript on any chrome:// pages, including the Fast Dial page at chrome://fastdial/content/fastdial.html and pages like about:newtab. I tested this on chrome://browser/content/aboutDialog.xul, for instance, and couldn't get any bookmarklets to load.

Unfortunately it's difficult to find more information or help on the problem, since any search on the topic pulls up tons of stuff about the Google Chrome browser rather than Firefox's chrome:// pages.

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by chiaroscuro on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 01:58

@chiacuroscuro Firefox 12 doesn't have the new tab page yet.

My impression is that it is there but not activated by firefox

That was what the whole debate was about on the TMP thread
TMP was swtiching to the NTP in Firefox 12, or that was my impression.
I was referring to this

Please see:

Important note for Firefox 12+ users
Starting with Firefox 12, Tabmix default for "Load on new tabs" option changed to New Tab Page. When you update Firefox to v.12, it resets Tabmix option to New Tab Page and you have to make your selection again. You have a few options if you had the Blank Page option selected previously:

re-set Tabmix to load Blank Page.
use the New Tab Page for new tabs.
use the New Tab Page but disable it by clicking on the button on the upper right corner, this will turn the New Tab Page into blank page for new tabs.
(or setting browser.newtabpage.enabled to false)
set Tabmix to load the New Tab Page and set the address to about:blank

Re: Fast Dial page blocking Javascript ?

Submitted by chiaroscuro on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 02:05

I think I've found the source of the problem -- Firefox does not allow the user to execute Javascript on any chrome:// pages, including the Fast Dial page at chrome://fastdial/content/fastdial.html and pages like about:newtab. I tested this on chrome://browser/content/aboutDialog.xul, for instance, and couldn't get any bookmarklets to load.

Interesting..

What sort of workaround could work for you I wonder..

Is your problem then related to the appearance of the NTP or not ?
Or to put the question another way, why did this not happen before 12 ?

Your

when I open a new tab, the blank page allows me to use Javascript as normal.

suggest that if you set in Preferences for Fast Dial NOT to show in New Tab, and have the about:blank selected then things will work for you.. ??

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