Firefox Search Plugins: Several new added

[RogerTango]

http://rogertango.com/searchplugins/

Newly added:
Allelectronics.com
Jacar.com
Jameco.com
Mouser.com
Sparkfun.com

Already posted:
QRZ.com callsign search
hamcall.net callsign search
QTH.com classifieds search
ARRL.com callsign search
calllook.info callsign search
Octopart.com
digikey.com


Accepting suggestions for additional sites.

Andrew

 

[carbonzit]

Thanks! Nice resource there.

Say, would you be able to provide me with the templates to whatever you use to make these plugins? I'd like to make a few for myself, if it's not too difficult. (I've looked at some Mozilla plugins: they use XML, don't they?) If you could maybe provide some sample code, or explain how these work, I'd be grateful.

 

[RogerTango]

The search plugins are more or less coded in an "HTML" style, no XML is used for SEARCH plugins.

Some javascript is needed on the webpage serving them to install them into Firefox.

Read your PM for a direct reply. I hope to be more help with specific questions sir.

In short, the search plugin performs a CGI style GET statement to the URL, passing the arguments as
needed for proper formation of the specific search for that website. Each website will differ, so they
need to be "coded" for that specific website.

An example of arguments and values:

[LATEX]http://www.allelectronics.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=transistor&x=0&y=0[/LATEX]

[LATEX]http://www.allelectronics.com/index.php[/LATEX] - the URL including the search document, in this case... index.php
page=search - the first hard coded argument and value
search_query=transistor - The argument and user inputted value, the search for "transistor" was performed.
x=0 - the second hard coded argument and value, these dont change for every seach
y=0 - the last hard coded argument and value.

THe "&" symbol is automatically generated by FF.
[LATEX]
http://www.allelectronics.com/index.php?page=search&search_query=transistor&x=0&y=0[/LATEX]
In the above URL, replace "transistor" with "led" and copy & past in the browser.

You will need to know what argument in the URL is passing the user's value.

If the search URL does not show the arguments and values, it gets a lot more difficult.
Some pages pass information strictly by Java or Javascript, so you dont see anything!
(try searching [LATEX]http://radioshack.com[/LATEX] for an example of what I mean).

When a website changes how the search URL is formed, an update to the search
plugin has to be made.

I wrote a callsign search for the FCC's website, but when they changed the
entire search setup, I had to remove the plugin because I could not figure
how how they did the new searches.

HTH,
Andrew

 

[3v0]

Not exactly on topic but do you know about the electronics parts search engines ?

**broken link removed**
Octopart - Electronic Parts, Electronic Components, Datasheets

 

[RogerTango]

Not exactly on topic but do you know about the electronics parts search engines ?

**broken link removed**
Octopart - Electronic Parts, Electronic Components, Datasheets

Octopart was coded quite a while ago...

Im coding for findchips now... will be ready in a few minutes...

http://rogertango.com/searchplugins/

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[RogerTango]

findchips.com search plugin for Firefox is ready for download...

Andrew