Firefox Hacks: Tips & Tools for Next-Generation Web Browsing

Description:

Firefox Hacks is ideal for power users who want to take full advantage of Firefox from Mozilla, the next-generation web browser that is rapidly subverting Internet Explorer's once-dominant audience. It's also the first book that specifically dedicates itself to this technology.

Firefox is winning such widespread approval for a number of reasons, including the fact that it lets users browse faster and more efficiently. Perhaps its most appealing strength, though, is its increased security something that is covered in great detail in Firefox Hacks.

Clearly the web browser of the future, Firefox includes most of the features that browser users are familiar with, along with several new features, such as a bookmarks toolbar and tabbed pages that allow users to quickly switch among several web sites.

Firefox Hacks offers all the valuable tips and tools you need to maximize the effectiveness of this hot web application. It's all covered, including how to customize its deployment, appearance, features, and functionality. You'll even learn how to install, use, and alter extensions and plug-ins. Aimed at clever people who may or may not be capable of basic programming tasks, this convenient resource describes 100 techniques for 100 strategies that effectively exploit Firefox.

Or, put another way, readers of every stripe will find all the user-friendly tips, tools, and tricks they need to make a productive switch to Firefox. With Firefox Hacks, a superior and safer browsing experience is truly only pages away.

Table of Contents:

Credits  

Preface  

Chapter 1. Firefox Basics 
INTroduction
Get Oriented   1

      1. Ten Ways to Display a Web Page  

      2. Ten Ways to Navigate to a Web Page  

      3. Find Stuff  

      4. Identify and Use Toolbar Icons  

      5. Use Keyboard Shortcuts  

      6. Make Firefox Look Different  

      7. Stop Once-Only Dialogs Safely  

      8. Flush and Clear Absolutely Everything  

      9. Make Firefox Go Fast  

      10. Start Up from the Command Line  

Chapter 2. Security 

      11. Drop Miscellaneous Security Blocks  

      12. Raise Security to Protect Dummies  

      13. Stop All Secret Network Activity  

      14. Work with Single Sign-On Servers  

      15. Work with Web Proxies  

      16. Fine-Tune Ports and Sockets  

      17. Manage Digital Certificates  

      18. Digitally Sign Content  

      19. Grant Trust with Master Certificates  

      20. Restrict Script Behavior with Policies  

      21. Make Yourself Anonymous  

Chapter 3. Installation 

      22. Edit Configuration Files  

      23. Play With the Preference System  

      24. Install Complementary Tools  

      25. Migrate Firefox Profiles  

      26. Dial Up Automatically on Startup  

      27. Fix Web Servers to Support Firefox Content  

      28. Prepare Firefox for Wide Deployment  

      29. Remotely Manage User Configurations  

      30. Install Fonts and Character Support  

      31. Take Firefox with You  

      32. Work with Filtering Systems  

Chapter 4. Web Surfing Enhancements 

      33. Use Fancy Bookmarks  

      34. Modify Tabbed Browsing  

      35. Govern Image and Ad Display  

      36. Get More Search Tools  

      37. Get More Feeds and News  

      38. Add Stuff to Your Toolbars  

      39. Upgrade Firefox Feature Managers  

      40. Integrate Firefox with Other Tools  

      41. Create Your Own Search Plug-in  

      42. Spider the Web with Firefox  

      43. Waste Time with Toys and Games  

Chapter 5. Power Tools for Web Developers 

      44. Tweak and Troubleshoot CSS Designs  

      45. Use Gecko CSS Style Magic  

      46. Write Compatible CSS  

      47. Update Browser Detection Scripts  

      48. Submit Background Form Data  

      49. Script Plug-ins  

      50. Quality-Assure Your Web Pages  

      51. Display HTTP Headers  

      52. Stomp on Cookies  

      53. Probe HTML with the DOM Inspector  

      54. Turn Off Absolutely All Caching  

      55. Web Document Debugging Tricks  

      56. Debug JavaScript with Venkman  

      57. Handle Hangs and Other Bad Juju  

Chapter 6. Power XML for Web Pages 

      58. Pick Display Modes for HTML and XML  

      59. Get Tools for XML Validation  

      60. Mix Content with XML Namespaces  

      61. Make MathML Content  

      62. Make SVG Content  

      63. Use Client-Side XPath  

      64. Use Client-Side XSL  

      65. Work with Mozilla SOAP Services  

      66. Work with Mozilla XML-RPC Services  

      67. Work with Mozilla WSDL Services  

      68. Make Applications and Extensions with XUL  

      69. Make New Tags and Widgets with XBL  

      70. Work with RDF Facts  

      71. Work with RSS Feeds  

      72. Connect SQL to XUL  

      73. Generate XUL Using PHP Libraries  

      74. Get a Taste of E4X Scripting  

Chapter 7. Hack the Chrome Ugly 

      75. Do Groundwork for Ugly Chrome Hacks  

      76. Spy on Chrome with the DOM Inspector  

      77. Customize Firefox's Interface  

      78. Rebadge Firefox  

      79. Make Firefox Match the Desktop  

      80. Make a Toolbar That Can't Be Hidden  

      81. Content Filter Without Your Smart Friend Noticing  

      82. Add a New XPCOM Component  

      83. Add a New Command-Line Option  

Chapter 8. Hack the Chrome Cleanly 

      84. Do Groundwork for Extension Development  

      85. Study Packages with the Chrome Manager  

      86. Create a Chrome Package  

      87. Make a Bottom-Up Overlay  

      88. Make, Bundle, and Publish an XPI  

      89. Build an Installable Theme  

      90. Identify Reusable Toolkits  

Chapter 9. Work More Closely with Firefox 

      91. Handle Cross-Platform Differences  

      92. Get a Custom, Prebuilt Version  

      93. Make Firefox Software  

      94. Run Multiple Mozilla Browsers  

      95. Make Extensions Work Outside Firefox  

      96. Turn on Firefox Diagnostics  

      97. Find the Right Forum for Your Issues  

      98. Survive Bugzilla  

      99. Find Out What Has Been Fixed  

      100. Help with the Future of Firefox  

Index