Webkit/Safari/Firefox/API: Can I programmatically read/extract multiple tabs' URLs?

Question

Topic: Programmatically manipulate web browser in OS X 10.4.x+ Tiger/Leopard. Subjects: Webkit, Safari, Firefox, APIs, Applescript, Automator, Javascript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, OS X, Tiger Goal: Collect/Read/Extract URLs from Safari into text (Ruby on Rails code) file. Note: A solution that uses FF would be very appreciated, too. I use Safari (v. 3.x, OS X 10.4.x) more and much prefer a solution that works in Safari.

At times, I use the web browser to find/display multiple site pages that I 1) want to visit again later and 2) the URLs of which I want to group together in a text file for a) future reference and/or b) programmatically manipulate.

For example: In today's NYT I find seven NYT articles I want to post to my del.icio.us acct. and share via email in their "printer friendly" format long after they are headlined in that day's online edition. I open each one in a browser window's tap, then Presto! their URLs automagically are wooshed into a file where a (custom) Ruby on Rails app sends the print versions' URLs to email addresses and my Del.icio.us acct.

I figure there's a way to do the URL extracting step from the OS using Applescript or Automator. I figure there MAY be a way to do it with Javascript.

My Question: How to read the web browser's tabs' location field and collate these strings into a text file (either within my OS or over the wire to a web app.)?

Much appreciated.

Answer 1

If you desire to do this is Firefox you're going to have to learn and use XUL. The tabs are not visible to javascript (security/privacy concerns) and there's no API for this sort of information outside of firefox.

Getting Started with XUL development is a good resource for how to start programming in XUL.

IBM has a decent tutorial for your first XUL code.

Here is a tab handler in XUL to give you an idea of how to deal with tabs.

A short tutorial that demonstrates mixing XUL, javascript, and other technologies to update a website.

Lastly, here's a good lifehacker tutorial on firefox extensions/add-ons which shows you much of the above for a simple example, and then how to package it as an .xpi so others can easily add it to and manage it from their firefox.

I don't have any insight into Safari, but it's based on webkit and there should be some resources on customizing it similar to how you'd use XUL on firefox.

Good luck!

Answer 2

For Safari, this would be pretty trivial to do with Applescript. I'd suggest starting with something like Bookmark all tabs to get the basic tab-grabbing logic that you'll need, and maybe merge it into John Gruber's old Save and restore Safari URLs script to save the URLs as a list to a text file.

There may be better Applescript solutions out there, too; those were just the first I found via Google, and both are pretty badly dated.

For further help and resources pertaining to Applescript, I suggest the MacScripter forums.

Good luck!

Answer 3

The most simple solution in Firefox is "Bookmark all open tabs" (in the bookmark menu). Give this "bookmark folder" a specific name. You can then go into your profile (http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Profiles) and open the file "bookmarks.html" which contains all the info you want and then some.

If you want to use a UI, check out the Taboo and the "Sitzungs-Manager" (probably Session-Manager). Both are for Firefox 3.0+

Taboo allows you to save a tab for "later reading" (kind of like the bookmark menu but just a single click; will save a screenshot of the page, too).

The session manager plugin allows you to save the currently open tabs and windows and restore them later.

Answer 4

You can modify this bit-0-code to get you started. I used this to build my own personal bookmarking plugin for one tab. You can pop-up a list of urls in a xul window and then select the ones you want to post / arrogate to one place.

function getGetDocData(){
var wm = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1"]
               .getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator);
var mainWindow = wm.getMostRecentWindow("navigator:browser");
var tab  = mainWindow.getBrowser().selectedTab;
titleDG = tab.label;
for(var i = 0; i < window.opener.length; i++){
 var doc = window.opener[i].document;
 if(doc.title == tab.label){
  hrefToDG = doc.location.href;
 }
}

}