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* [[CFA/Search-Research/AddressBar|Address Bar]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/AddressBar|Address Bar]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/SearchBar|Search Bar]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/SearchBar|Search Bar]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/SearchResults|Search Results]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/SearchResults|Search Results]]  
* [[CFA/Search-Research/SearchThisPage|Search this Page]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/SearchThisPage|Search this Page]]  
* [[CFA/Search-Research/Other|Other]]
* [[CFA/Search-Research/Other|Future of Search]]


== Purpose ==
Examine a bunch of browsers, existing Firefox Add-ons, and web services to generate a report that describes:
* Which capabilities each has
* A summary of where each is different/unique
* Some conclusions about which aspects seem most innovative and interesting that we might want to consider for Firefox


== Browsers to investigate ==
* Firefox 2
* Camino
* Flock
* iCab
* IE 7
* Maxthon
* Netscape
* OmniWeb
* Opera
* Safari
* SeaMonkey
* Shiira


=== Address Bar ===  
== Add-ons to investigate ==
Current Capabilities:
=== Firefox ===
* Drag and drop search
* CustomizeGoogle [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/743 link]
* Ability to browse by name from address bar (keyword.URL)
* Answers [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/735 link]
* GooglePreview [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/189 link]
* LinkedIn Companion [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1512 link]
* SearchWith [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2194 link]
* DictionarySearch [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/68 link]
* Groowe Search Toolbar [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/534 link]
* Loki [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2306 link]
* OpenSearchFox [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3698 link]
* Visual-Search Extension [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5309 link]


Capabilities in other browsers:
=== Safari ===
* Customized keyword web searches - opera [http://wiki.mozilla.org/CFA/Search-Research#Address_Bar_2 link]
* URL alias - maxthon
* Search bookmarks and history from Address Bar - IE


Additional features:
* Sogudi - shortcut keyword searches
* Unified search - results include bookmarks, URL history, search history and the web
* Saft [http://haoli.dnsalias.com/Saft/ link]
* Autocomplete keywords
* Insquisitor [http://www.43folders.com/2004/09/06/sogudi-for-searching-via-safaris-location-bar/ link] - rich search results, autocomplete, search suggestions


Conclusions:
== Meeting Takeaways ==
* When adding a search engine to Opera, we are able to create a keyword for using it.  It notifies if a keyword is already being used.  Very convenient!  Also, when typing a keyword in Opera, there are visual cues to let the user know beforehand which page would be displayed.
* Search Engines
* Some browsers such as Maxthon and Safari w/ Sogudi allow users to add keywords for specific sites that are not search engines.
** Multiple search engines - slow, not useful for most users
* IE suggests bookmarks and history when users type in the address bar while all other sites only suggest history.
** Implement default search engine selection and one-time search engine use
* There are no unified searches because the address bar and search bar are separate in every browser.
*** one-time search engine use could be a specific configurable keystroke (as in Inquisitor)
 
** Need a better way to notify users of the ability to add a search engine; Google Toolbar has a more in-your-face way of asking you
=== Search Bar ===
* Address Bar
Current Capabilities:
** Investigate way to integrate Search Bar and Address Bar into a unified search mechanism (one bar instead of two)
* highlight entire search field when clicking in the box
** Unlock ability to use search engines through keywords in the address bar
* drag and drop search
* Search Bar
* highlight, right-click, and search
** Suggestions are being cut off
* button information on mouse-over
*** gavinbot - truncate beginning of similar results (doesn't work w/ yahoo suggests, which may not follow what you've typed so far)
 
*** shift box to the right
Upcoming Capabilities:
** Word "Suggestion" is being cut off (fixed)
* Resizable search bar (Neil Deakin) - FF3 P2
* Search Results
 
** We like Inquisitor - use 3 search results because that's all people look at.  But, use green URLs, blue Titles, just like Google search results.  Does it breach our Google contract though since users can bypass Google search results pages (and ads)?
Features on other browsers:
* Search this Page
* SnapBack - safari
** Search this site should be an extension of Find in this Page
* button to clear search field - safari
** Change UI of find as you type because it is for accessibility whereas regular users use find in page
* search this site - camino
* Future of Search
* Search bookmarks and history from Search Bar - flock
** Integrate QuickSilver-type functionality into the browser; that is, have hotkeys to do searches on the browser on a pop-up layer above the webpage, w/o needing a search bar
* wrap up feature for search engines, to search all at once - maxthon
** Introduce and test a unified address/search bar for the QS pop-up, and then tweak it later for the main browser window implementation
 
** Rich search results (a la askx.com with blogs, videos, images, news, weather, maps, etc. in search results depending on query)
Additional features:
** Helping people search (providing suggestions, helping users write queries)
* keyword web searches
*** Visual-Search Extension?
* support for multiple search boxes - Groowe Search Toolbar - FF add-on
* site-specific search using search box - google
* targeted search options: audio/video podcast, photo, code, technorati searches
 
=== Search Results ===
Current Capabilities:
* show recent searches/search history
* offer suggestions to autocomplete searches - FF2
* google calculator suggestions in search box - FF
* display search results in this tab
 
* Rich search results (Gavin Sharp) - FF3 P3
* display in new tab
* display in new window
* display in sidebar
* preview search results - safari
* show matching bookmarks when searching - flock
 
=== Search this Page ===
* search on webpage
* highlight search text on webpage
* match case of search text on webpage
* search for text when i start typing (quick find)
* dim background on search w/in webpage - safari
* match whole word only on search w/in page - opera
* option to search in current window, local files, internet, web cache - iCab
* option to search 2 search engines at once - iCab
* search and replace - omniweb
* search for regular expressions - omniweb
* find in all tabs - shiira
 
=== Other ===
* writing direction in search and location bar - safari
* user profile to save search and other settings
 
== Screenshots ==
 
=== Search Engines ===
==== Set default search engine ====
<b> Internet Explorer: </b>
 
[[Image:Search-Default-IE.jpg]]
 
<b> Safari: </b>
 
[[Image:SE-default-Safari.JPG]]
 
<b> Flock: </b>
 
[[Image:SE-default-Flock.jpg]]
 
<b> Maxthon: </b>
 
[[Image:SearchEngine-shortcut-Maxthon.JPG]]
 
==== Multi-engine search ====
<b> Maxthon: </b>
 
[[Image:SE-mult-Max.JPG]]
 
[[Image:SE-multoption-Max.JPG]]
 
<b> Opera: </b>
 
[[Image:SE-multi-Opera.jpg]]
 
<b> SeaMonkey: </b>
 
[[Image:SE-multi-SeaMonkey.jpg]]
 
=== Address Bar ===
 
<b> iCab: </b>
 
[[Image:AB-shortcut-iCab.jpg]]
 
<b> OmniWeb: </b>
 
[[Image:AB-shortcut-Omniweb.jpg]]
 
<b> Opera: </b>
 
[[Image:AB-shortcut-Opera.jpg]]
 
<b> Safari: </b>
 
[[Image:AB-shortcut-Safari.jpg]]
 
<b> Internet Explorer: </b>
 
[[Image:ABsearchbookmarkIE.JPG]]
 
<b> SeaMonkey: </b>
 
[[Image:ABoptionsSeaMonkey.jpg]]
 
=== Search Bar ===
 
<b> Safari SnapBack button takes you back to search results: </b>
 
[[Image:SBsnapbackSafari.JPG]]
 
<b> Safari button clears the search field: </b>
 
[[Image:SBclearsearchSafari.JPG]]
 
<b> Google Toolbar Search Bar settings: </b>
 
[[Image:SearchBar-settings-Google.JPG]]
 
<b> Camino Search this site: </b>
 
[[Image:SBsearchthissiteCamino.jpg]]
 
=== Search Results ===
 
<b> Flock: </b>
 
[[Image:SReverythingFlock.jpg]]
 
<b> iCab: </b>
 
[[Image:SRhistoryiCab.jpg]]
 
=== Search this Page ===

Latest revision as of 20:05, 19 July 2007

« Comparative Feature Analyses
« Search Notes

General Browser Capabilities

Purpose

Examine a bunch of browsers, existing Firefox Add-ons, and web services to generate a report that describes:

  • Which capabilities each has
  • A summary of where each is different/unique
  • Some conclusions about which aspects seem most innovative and interesting that we might want to consider for Firefox

Browsers to investigate

  • Firefox 2
  • Camino
  • Flock
  • iCab
  • IE 7
  • Maxthon
  • Netscape
  • OmniWeb
  • Opera
  • Safari
  • SeaMonkey
  • Shiira

Add-ons to investigate

Firefox

Safari

  • Sogudi - shortcut keyword searches
  • Saft link
  • Insquisitor link - rich search results, autocomplete, search suggestions

Meeting Takeaways

  • Search Engines
    • Multiple search engines - slow, not useful for most users
    • Implement default search engine selection and one-time search engine use
      • one-time search engine use could be a specific configurable keystroke (as in Inquisitor)
    • Need a better way to notify users of the ability to add a search engine; Google Toolbar has a more in-your-face way of asking you
  • Address Bar
    • Investigate way to integrate Search Bar and Address Bar into a unified search mechanism (one bar instead of two)
    • Unlock ability to use search engines through keywords in the address bar
  • Search Bar
    • Suggestions are being cut off
      • gavinbot - truncate beginning of similar results (doesn't work w/ yahoo suggests, which may not follow what you've typed so far)
      • shift box to the right
    • Word "Suggestion" is being cut off (fixed)
  • Search Results
    • We like Inquisitor - use 3 search results because that's all people look at. But, use green URLs, blue Titles, just like Google search results. Does it breach our Google contract though since users can bypass Google search results pages (and ads)?
  • Search this Page
    • Search this site should be an extension of Find in this Page
    • Change UI of find as you type because it is for accessibility whereas regular users use find in page
  • Future of Search
    • Integrate QuickSilver-type functionality into the browser; that is, have hotkeys to do searches on the browser on a pop-up layer above the webpage, w/o needing a search bar
    • Introduce and test a unified address/search bar for the QS pop-up, and then tweak it later for the main browser window implementation
    • Rich search results (a la askx.com with blogs, videos, images, news, weather, maps, etc. in search results depending on query)
    • Helping people search (providing suggestions, helping users write queries)
      • Visual-Search Extension?
Retrieved from "https://wiki.mozilla.org/index.php?title=CFA/Search-Research&oldid=62805"