Filed under: Internet, Productivity, Mozilla, Search, Browsers
URL Alias adds superpowers to the Firefox address bar
Good things really do come in small packages, as is the case with the URL Alias Firefox addon.
I originally installed it looking to make the address bar more launcher-like. For example, I wanted http://mail.google.com/mail/#inbox to open when I type mail or http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS05 when I enter wings.
I prefer using words or abbreviations I can remember easily instead of hotkey combinations, and this experimental addon is the perfect tool for the job.
Since URL Alias also supports a variable (yep, just one), you can do a whole lot more with your aliases than just save keystrokes.
To manage aliases, type the following in your address bar: chrome://urlalias/content/urlalias.xul [enter]
Suppose you want to set up a Google search alias for results from downloadsquad.com.
dls http://www.google.com/search?q=%s%20site:downloadsquad.com
The %s is replaced by whatever text you enter after the keyword: dls firefox addons will return results for all matching DS posts. Change the alias text and url, and set up as many site-specific searches as you like.
Let's use it with Compfight to find Flickr images. Piece of cake.
cf http://www.compfight.com/#search_type=tags&query=%s&commit=Search&license=&original=1&safe_search=3
Most torrent sites offer a search plugin or toolbar, but why bother? URL Alias works for that, too:
nt http://nowtorrents.com/torrents/%s.html
Along the same lines, you can easily set up an Amazon product search alias:
amazon http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=%s&x=0&y=0
All that's required is a little investigating. Perform a search on your site, then locate the text you input in the URL. Copy and paste the URL into your alias list and replace that text with %s.
Its simplicity and power make URL Alias a fantastic addon, and it's already become one of my favorites. I'm amazed that it has so few downloads to date, but I hope that you'll give it a try after reading this post and share your thoughts.