Minh Truong

Mozilla Firebird has loads of features that often go unnoticed or unused. Some of these features are Mozilla Firebird exclusive. Features like popup blocking and tabbed browsing will greatly improve your web experience.

Don't have Mozilla Firebird browser and you want to take advantage of these incredible features?

Firebird Layout

Features

  1. Tabbed Browsing
  2. Popup Blocking
  3. Keywords and Bookmarks
  4. Themes
  5. Customizable toolbar
  6. Search
  7. Image and Flash Blocking
  8. Find As You Type
  9. Autocomplete
  10. Extensions

  1. Tabbed Browsing

    Tabbed browsingInstead of opening multiple windows to view various pages, you can open up each page within one window as a tab. Tabs works similarly to the Taskbar. Clicking on the tab brings that page to the front.

    Open a blank new tab
    • Select File > New Tab from the menu near the top of the browser.
    • Simultaneously press Crtl and T keys.
    • Click New Tab from toolbar near the top of the browser if it is showing.
    • Double click on an empty area in the tab bar.
    Open a link in new tabs
    • Middle click on a link.
    • Right click on a link and select Open Link in New Tab.
    • Hold down the Ctrl key and click on a link.
    Extending Tab BrowsingCapabilities
    Firebird's implementation of tab browsing is designed to be simple and easy to use. This may not enough for some users who desire more tab browsing related features. There are extensions which will allow you to add more capabilities.
    Download
    • Tab Browser Extension
      (undo close tab, reorder tabs, lock tabs, move tab bar, close unselected tabs, force link to open as tabs/windows, reuse tabs, change tab size, close button on tabs)
    • Tab Browser Preference
      (force link to open as tabs/windows, reuse tabs)
    • Close Other Tabs
      (close unselected tabs)

  2. Popup Blocking

    Popup blockingPopups that loads when a page load are blocked automatically by Mozilla Firebird. Popups that you open by clicking will load normally. A blue circular icon on the bottom left side one browser will appear if Mozilla Firebird has successfully blocked a popup.

    Enable or disable popup blocking
    1. Select Tools > Options from the top menu.
    2. Click Web Features.
    3. Check or uncheck Block Popup Windows.
    Disable popup blocking for certain sites (Method #1)
    1. Select Tools > Options from the top menu.
    2. Click Web Features.
    3. Within the popup blocking box, click on the buttons available to add or remove sites.
    Disable popup blocking for certain sites (Method #2)
    1. When a site is blocked, you can click the blocked icon to bring up a list of blocked popups.
    2. Then select the site where the popup originated and click Unblock Site.

  3. Keywords and Bookmarks

    KeywordsEach bookmark can have keywords associated with it. This allows you to type the keyword into the URL bar and go to the bookmarked page as if you had typed in the whole address.

    Creating bookmarks with keyword (Method #1)
    1. Visit a page that you want make a bookmark for.
      • Press Ctrl and D keys simultaneously or select Bookmarks > Add to Bookmarks from the top menu. Choose name and directory location for the bookmark and click Okay.
      • Alternatively, drag the icon on the right URL in the address bar to Bookmark in the top menu and location of your choosing.
    3. Select Bookmarks from the top menu and find the bookmark that you want to add a keyword to.
    4. Right click and select Properties.
    5. Enter a keyword and press Okay.
    6. Type in your keyword in the address bar to go the bookmarked page associated with it.
    Creating bookmarks with keywords (Method #2)
    1. Select Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks from the top menu.
    2. Select within the bookmark list where you want the new bookmark to be placed.
    3. Click on the New Bookmark button on the top left corner.
    4. Choose name and address for the bookmark and click Okay.
    5. Find the bookmark that you want to add a keyword to.
    6. Right click and select Properties or highlight the bookmark and click the Properties button on the top menu bar.
    7. Enter a keyword and press Okay.
    8. Type in your keyword in the address bar to go the bookmarked page associated with it.

    Additionally, keywords can have variable substitution. For example, if you want search directly from the addressbar, but don't want to have to go to http://yahoo.com/ and type in the search terms. With Mozilla you can create a keyword that, when followed by search terms, will automatically initiate a Yahoo search using the terms provided.

    Creating bookmarks with variable substitution (Example)
    1. Go to http://yahoo.com. Search using Yahoo for the term mozilla
    2. Make a bookmark of the search page.
    3. Open the Properties of the bookmark you just created. Find the word mozilla in the Location field and replace it with %s. The address http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=mozilla will become http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=%s. Note: that the %s is a variable which stands for the string to be subsituted.
    4. Next add the keyword yahoo to the bookmark by viewing its Properties.
    5. Type in yahoo mozilla into the address bar. Mozilla will open a Yahoo search for the term mozilla.
    More on keywords

  4. Themes

    Themes SampleMozilla Firebird has the ability to change the its appearance, icons, buttons and colors.

    Download themes
    Install themes via the web
    1. Visit one of the sites above and download a theme.
    2. Once installed, select a Tools > Options from the top menu.
    3. Click on Themes and select a theme.
    4. Cick Okay and close the browser.
    5. Restart the broswer.

  5. Customizable Toolbars

    Costumizable ToolbarMozilla Firebird's toolbar can be costumize easily. Many of the icons, toolbars and components can be added, removed, or moved.

    Costumize Toolbar
    1. Right click on the Navigation toolbar.
    2. Select Costumize.
    3. Drag icons and components to different location on any on the toolbars. Or drag icons and components onto the toolbars from the items box or off the toolbar to the items box.

  6. Search

    Search BarOn the top right corner of Mozilla Firebird, there is a search bar. It can be made to search the page itself or search the web using Google and Dmoz. To search, simply click on the search icon and choose the type of search you desire. Type in your search terms and press Enter. The search bar supports other search engines by installing search plug-ins

    Download Searches Plug-ins
    Resize Searchbar

  7. Find As You Type

    Find As You TypeFind As You Type is a feature that allows you to navigate web pages. It is helpful if you don't have access to a mouse or can't use one. Find As You Type is automatically on. To use Find As You Type, just type the text link on the page. A link matching watch you type will be highlighted in green. If several links begins with same letter, pressing the first letter of the links multiple times will cycle through them.

    Find As You Type can also be used to search text within a page. Press the / key before typing in the word you want to find.

    More on Find As You Type

  8. Image Blocking and Flash Blocking

    Mozilla Firebird can block unwanted images and other media.

    Block images
    • Right click on the image you want to block and select Block Images from this Server.
    Unblock images
    • Right click on the image that you have blocked previously and select Block Images from this Server again.
    Hide images
    Block Flash

  9. Autocomplete

    AutocompleteAutocomplete is a feature which recommends matches for addresses which you have already visited. For example, if you have visited http://mozilla.org. The next time you want to visit http://mozilla.org and enter the letter m, autocomplete will suggest sites that you have visited which begins with m.

    The more letters you type, the better the match. moz will more likely suggest http://mozilla.org than m. If your match appears lower on the list of suggestions, scroll down using the arrow keys to the match and hit Enter or select the match with the mouse. Mozilla Firebird's autocomplete is more intelligent than most browser. It does not primitively sort matches alphabetically. Mozilla Firebird sort by the fequency at which you visit a site. The more often you visit a site, the more Mozilla Firebird will suggest it first.

    Additionally, autocomplete helps you fill out forms and searches. Autocomplete will remember what you typed last time.

  10. Extensions

    Mozilla Firebird is designed to simple and intuitive, but it doesn't mean functionality was sacreficed. Instead of including every bell and whistle into one bloated package, Mozilla Firebird is modualized. Each person can costumize Mozilla Firebird to include only the features they want by installing extensions.

    Installing Extensions
    1. Visit an extensions site.
    2. Click on the link to install an extension.
    3. Answer the prompts concerning the installation.
    4. Restart Mozilla Firebird.
    Extensions Download Sites
    Disable or Configure Extensions
    1. From the menu bar select Tools > Options.
    2. Press the Extensions button.
    3. Click on the extension you want to modify.
    4. You can either deactivate the extension by clicking on the Disable button or configure it by clicking on the Settings button.

  11. This is a draft and it undergoing many revisions. I am also focusing this page to discuss about Firebird's features instead of Mozilla. Mozilla's documentation will depreciate soon, once Firebird goes mainstream.

    Issues

    • Since I add this page to my project, I had to turn Mozdev.org branding off. Mozdev.org CSS is different from mine. That means I have to redesign whole the site from scratch. What I missed about Mozdev's branding is that it has server side included.
    • More tips: My goal is to add 1 or 2 a day.
    • The floating "jump to top" link on the bottom right corner only works in Mozilla and Opera. Internet Explorer sucks. It doesn't do in CSS "position: fixed; bottom: 5px; right 20px;". It just anchors to the page. Any workarounds?
    • Spell checking
    • Add images and revise site design
  12. User Notes: [?]

    If you do not get a response to a question posted in this forum, please try sending a message to the project's mailing list or to the project owner directly.

    [1] Submitted by: Minh Truong on Sunday May 18th 2003

    Temporary user notes. Give some feed back. Tell me what to do.

    [2] Submitted by: jimmymac on Sunday May 25th 2003

    Great site Minh and thanks for posting it on MozillaZine! I have the texturiser site linked on my page but I'm going to add this one as well. A very attractive page with a LOT of great info! Keep up the fabulous work! :) GO FIREBIRD!

    jimmymac/Eyes-Only

    [3] Submitted by: alanjstr on Monday May 26th 2003

    How about including the tip for resizing the search toolbar

    [4] Submitted by: Gids on Thursday May 29th 2003

    This is mostly fine, but on the wishlist homepage the version reffered too is Firebird 6.0! This should read 0.6.
    A few other things, don't add troo many features just the best maybe 20 or else the page becomes pretty useless and less concise.
    It would be better if you said you could add all your favourite sites, not just search engines to the search bar as you can add sites of general interest like IMDB and stuff.
    Also the writing tone could be a little more friendly, have a look at how Ben Googer's 'why firebird' page is written.
    Great work none the less

    [5] Submitted by: Minh Truong on Thursday May 29th 2003

    :) Really? My tone was that harsh? I thought it might be didactic with pinch of sarcasm, but not condescending. I'm not a technical writer. Thanks for noting the error. This site is still in draft form, so bear with me. Search: I thought about that too when I originally wrote it, but I knew this was a draft, so I made a note to clarify it later. I want to get the gist down on paper before I do some tweaking. You term "favorite sites" might confuse people because some might think it is a bookmark, but it's not. I need to find a better nomenclature. Ben Gooder's page had a friendly tone to convince people. This site has a less emotive tone to inform and not persuade, except in the beginning. Thanks for the comment. This is why I put this temp user notes here. Your inputs help make this page better.

    [6] Submitted by: CyberSlug on Friday May 30th 2003

    The main suggestion I have is for Section 5. It doesn't tell me anything new/surprising compared to the other sections.

    Maybe use an animated gif to show differnet toolbar configs. Perhaps mention how it's possible to have everything on a single bar (if you put the buttons on the menu bar and hide the navigation/bookmark bars).

    Keep up the good work!

    [7] Submitted by: firebrand on Wednesday July 30th 2003

    any idea when customizable sidebar capability will be added (like the devedge sidebars)?

    [8] Submitted by: jim woodford on Wednesday July 30th 2003

    i love this site and firebirf!!! it has tons of info, and i have recomended to to alot of people already.

    [9] Submitted by: Minh on Wednesday July 30th 2003

    Thanks. I have no idea when the sidebars will be finished. They were removed from Firebird to be reworked. You could post a question in the forum section at http://mozillazine.org

    [10] Submitted by: carmen on Friday August 8th 2003

    the tabbed browsing is good but the scrolling isnt as smooth as ie on both computers i tried it on. and no option to turn off menu bar in view menu..and the google toolbar isnt as full featured as the real one. so i guess i'll stick to ie since myie adds too many useless features just to be able to turn off the menu bar..

    [11] Submitted by: ix on Friday August 8th 2003

    any chance youll ever be able to drag-rearrange the bookmarks right from the menu instead of having to use a seperate manager (like in 1993)

    [12] Submitted by: Minh on Sunday August 10th 2003

    TO: ix

    That functionality exists in Mozilla Firebird. Just drag any links under the bookmark menu. To drag folders, you need to hold down the CTRL key. Make sure you are using the latest version of Firebird.

    [13] Submitted by: Minh on Sunday August 10th 2003

    To Firebrand:

    Sidebars have been added back with limited functionality under the name Web Panels. See discussion: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=18164

    Note: This feature is still experimental, so expect lots of bugs. You must also download a nightly version of Firebird to get it (http://texturizer.net/firebird/download.html).

    [14] Submitted by: Alex on Sunday August 31st 2003

    Nice project!

    [15] Submitted by: Ian on Friday September 5th 2003

    Your opening paragraph is quit disingenuous:

    "Some of these features are Mozilla Firebird exclusive. Features like popup blocking and tabbed browsing will greatly improve your web experience."

    Neither of those features is exclusive to Firebird, actually, only extensions are 'unique' in your list - the rest are features found in other alternative browsers (often found under different names like "Find as you type" is "Inline Find" in Opera). It is great that you explain these (nevertheless) great features, but to claim they are 'unique' to Firebird is wholly incorrect.

    [16] Submitted by: Minh on Friday September 5th 2003

    Notice how I separate those two ideas with period, not a semicolon, colon nor dash. They two complete and distinct thoughts. The sentence is meant to be taken in context with the first sentence. However, I should clarify it. Thanks. Read it again.

    "Mozilla Firebird has loads of features that often go unnoticed or unused. Some of these features are Mozilla Firebird exclusive. Features like popup blocking and tabbed browsing will greatly improve your web experience."

    [17] Submitted by: Ian on Saturday September 6th 2003

    It still reads to me that the second sentence relates to the first (periods do not necessarily delimit concepts!) - I would clarify further:

    "Some of these features are Mozilla Firebird exclusive. Other features like popup blocking and tabbed browsing will greatly improve your web experience."

    [18] Submitted by: klaus on Wednesday September 10th 2003

    an interesting project - thanks
    Klaus
    /

    [19] Submitted by: reinhard on Sunday September 28th 2003

    Can you add a feature to remove css formatting?
    reinhard@beruf-it.de

    Thank you both.

    To be added:

    • Privacy
    • Profiles
    • History/Bookmark/Download Sidebar
    • Smoothscrolling
    • Image Resizing
Counter

Counter

Counter

http://www.anti-leech.com/spam/spambot_stopper.php