export single folder of Firefox bookmarks to HTML ?
jim.s.witherspoon
move just that subtree to another computer, or send it to another person so
he can import it and place that subtree where he might like it in his
Firefox bookmarks.
Is there a relatively easy way to do this? I've been searching quite a lot
on this today and haven't found it yet. It seems like such a basic thing.
It should be as easy as right-clicking on a bookmark folder and clicking an
"Export this Folder to HTML"
Tried these extensions - Xmarks, SyncPlaces, OPML Support, Keep My
Bookmarks! .. can't see how to get it done.
The same request has been made from time to time in the Mozillazine forums.
The usual reply is to export all bookmarks to an HTML file, and then edit
the HTML file to include only the bookmarks you want. Too much work for
what should be much simpler.
I was able to (1) export all Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file (Bookmarks,
Organize Bookmarks, Import and Export, Export HTML; (2) import all
bookmarks from this file into IE (File, Import and Export, Import from a
File, Favorites, Next); (3) export a single folder of bookmarks from IE
back to a much smaller HTML file. But this is such a lengthy process, it
defeats the purpose.
Any solutions?
Craig
> Say I've got a nice little subtree of bookmarks in Firefox, and I want to
> move just that subtree to another computer, or send it to another person so
> he can import it and place that subtree where he might like it in his
> Firefox bookmarks.
In Firefox, go to BookMarks -> Organize Bookmarks. At that point, a new
window should give you a dual-pane view of your bookmarks.
Select (left click) the directory of bookmarks you want.
Right click, choose "copy."
Paste into your favorite text editor.
Some bookmarks (e.g. "bookmarklets") may have javascript(!) in them.
Those tend to get messy.
hth,
--
-Craig
Oldphart
The last step is getting those bookmarks ported to the other computer?
jim.s.witherspoon
> Forgot to add, just highlight the folder you want to export. Worked
> for me on Firefox 2.0.0.20
Thanks Seabat ... I'm using Firefox 3.5.2, and even when I highliht a
single folder in the left-hand sidebar, and click Import and Export /
Export HTML, it exports the all Firefox bookmarks, not just the selected
folder. I sure wish your technique worked in FF 3.5.2.
jim
jim.s.witherspoon
Hi Craig - and thanks. You're method gives me a list of URLs, which can be
very useful - but they're not formatted as HTML links. And even when I
rename the file with an HTML extension, Firefox doesn't seem to import this
list. I'd like to have an HTML file that can be imported, with the folder
structure preserved.
jim
jim.s.witherspoon
Oh, and by the way, Firefox import of bookmark HTML files is rather
deficient - in that Firefox doesn't give you any choice where the imported
bookmarks will go. That should be improved upon too.
jim
Craig
OK. I see. Apart from setting up an html "template" ahead of time, I
don't see a way around this. I'll keep my eyes open but, at this point,
FFx extensions look like the best bet and I see you've already been there.
let us know how it turns out...
--
-Craig
jim.s.witherspoon
#1. Try dragging and dropping a subtree of bookmarks from Firefox into a
blank webpage in Kompozer. You get a page of links. However, for some
reason Firefox won't import the bookmarks from a page made like this.
You can drag and drop right into an editable page in Firefox with the help
of a bookmarklet - but again Firefox won't import the bookmarks from the
saved page.
#2. You can run two instances of Firefox at the same time - one with an
empty library of bookmarks. You can drag a subtree from one library to the
empty library, and export from that library. It works, but again, it's too
much work.
For more info on these methods, see this page:
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=1436615&p=7313155#p7313155
jim.s.witherspoon
into a blank editable page (in Firefox, or Kompozer), and get a
hierarchical list of links. But in that state, Firefox can't import the
bookmarks contained in the HTML file.
How to make it possible for Firefox to import the folders and bookmarks?
I looked at the structure of an HTML file made by Firefox when exporting
bookmarks (export file), and compared it to the HTML file made by dragging
and dropping Firefox bookmarks (drag and drop file).
In the export file, each bookmark is preceded by an unpaired <DT> tag. In
the drag and drop file, each bookmark is enclosed by <DD></DD> tags. So I
changed this in the drag and drop file to conform to the export file. This
change, by itself, did not make it possible for Firefox to import the
folders and bookmarks.
In the export file, each folder name is enclosed in <H3></H3> tags, and is
preceded by an unpaired <DT> tag. In the drag and drop file, there are no
<H3> tags enclosing the folder names; and each folder name is enclosed in
<DT></DT> tags. I changed this in the drag and drop file to conform to the
export file.
Once I inserted the <H3></H3> tags, Firefox was able to import the bookmark
folders and bookmarks contained in the drag and drop file.
In both the export file, and the drag and drop file, the list of items
(nested folders and bookmarks) contained in a folder is placed after the
<DT><H3></H3></DT> tags, and is enclosed in <DL></DL> tags. So I didn't
need to change the <DL></DL> tags.
Actually, I don't think you need anything in the file except for the
<DT><H3></H3></DT> tags for each folder, the <DL></DL> tags for contents of
the folders, and the <DT><A></A> tags for each bookmark.
jim.s.witherspoon
(1) Right-click on the subtree in the Firefox bookmark sidebar, click Copy.
(2) Paste in a blank page in Kompozer.
(3) Click on the Source tab to display the source code.
(4) Replace all occurrences of "<dt>" with "<dt><H3>"
(5) Replace all occurrences of "</dt>" with "</H3>"
(6) Replace all occurrences of "</dd> with nothing., i.e. remove them.
(7) Replace all occurrences of "<dd>" with "<dt>"
(8) Save the document, send it to the destination computer.
(9) In Firefox, click Bookmarks, Organize Bookmarks to get into the
Library.
(10) Click Import and Backup, Import HTML
(11) Select the HTML file you just saved, click OK.
(12) The bookmark subtree is imported into the Firefox library and placed
at the bottom of the Bookmark Menu.
Very easy with the right utility to make the required text replacements all
at once.