If you haven't seen my bookmarklets before, then I think
you'll be impressed and delighted with what they can do. Check
out the special dooyoo.co.uk bookmarklets
too.
What is a bookmarklet?
A bookmarklet is a JavaScript 'program' in URL form. What
that means is that a bookmarklet acts like a link,
and you can bookmark it or add it to your favourites, but
it is dynamic and interactive too, so it will really link
to all sorts of different things according to what you are
viewing, what you highlight, or what you enter when prompted.
JavaScript must be enabled in your browser for you to use
one.
They are stored in your 'favourites' or 'bookmarks' menu
and when activated (clicked) they will run the scripts in
them, usually based on data from the page you are viewing
at that time. It's almost like magic. Bookmarklets can add
whole new, nifty features to your browser.
How does it work?
Firstly, to install the bookmarklets just right-click on
the one(s) you want and then click on 'Add to favourites'.
If you see a security alert, don't worry: this is just because
you are saving a JavaScript program. These bookmarklets are
perfectly safe to use. The bookmarklets are 'installed' in
your browser as soon as you have added them to your favourites.
To use them, you simply click on your 'Favourites' menu,
and select whichever bookmarklet you want to use. Read the
description and instructions that accompany each of the bookmarklets
below for further information.
Count
words in selected textInternet
Explorer Only Version. Highlight some text on a
page and then activate this bookmarklet to count the words
in the selection. There are 8 words in this emphasised
text.
List
all links on page in new window
As you'd expect, this opens a new, little window in which
are listed all the links on the page you are viewing when
you activate this bookmarklet. Clicking on any of the links
there will open that link in another new window
Open
selected url address (no http:// bit)IE
Only
This is a handy little bookmarklet that allows you to select
an address in text, where it hasn't actually been made as
a link (e.g. www.dooyoo.co.uk), and open it in a new window.
Just highlight the address, NOT including the http:// bit
if present, and select this bookmarklet from your favourites.
[Important Note: Where a url is written in
full, including the http:// as in http://www.dooyoo.co.uk
you would only highlight the bit I've coloured yellow in this
example. It does not matter if you accidentally highlight
an extra space at the end.]
Dooyoo
Web Search
This bookmarklet may be the most useful of all. This will
search the internet for any word(s) you highlighted, or any
words you enter in the 'prompt' box if you didn't highlight
any text. It makes searching online much faster and easier.
Search
Google
Activate this bookmarklet after highlighting words you want
to search for, or else enter your search words in the dialog
that appears, and a new window will open directly onto the
google.com search results. This can be an excellent tool
for spotting plagiarism, by highlighting a sentence and then
using this bookmarklet to search for matches.
Search
FAST / AllTheWeb
Activate this bookmarklet after highlighting words you want
to search for, or else enter your search words in the dialog
that appears, and a new window will open directly onto the
FAST / alltheweb.com search results.
Search
AltaVista
Activate this bookmarklet after highlighting words you want
to search for, or else enter your search words in the dialog
that appears, and a new window will open directly onto the
Altavista.co.uk search results.
Find
Related Pages indexed in Google
This uses that great "what's related" search feature in Google
to look up pages related to the one you are viewing when you
use the bookmarklet.
To have these powerful and nifty features available wherever
you go, just add the link to your favourites, and you'll have
them with you wherever you surf online.
If you enjoy these bookmarklets I'd love yourfeedback.
To find even more bookmarklets that you may enjoy, and also
to find bookmarklets that work specifically in Netscape or
Opera where these do not, take a look at Bookmarklets.com.
