Automatically exported bookmarks.html file isn't showing the folder structure.

Hello all,

A few weeks ago I enabled the exporting of a bookmarks file as HTML, and
today for some reason I decided to open it. What I saw was that although it
contains all the links that I have, apart for for the "Bookmarks Toolbar"
group everything was left-aligned. In other words, no indentation
signifying the different subfolders I have. :-(

The above problem can be solved by changing the "DL" HTML tag into an "UL"
one. The question is, how to I change this in FF ? Is the file perhaps
generated by something inside one of the OMNI.JA files (which can be edited)
?

And by the way: Why does this "bookmarks.html" file not have html, head and
body tags ? I though that that was mandatory ?

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

On Fri, 22 May 2020 11:16:03 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:
Hello all,

A few weeks ago I enabled the exporting of a bookmarks file as HTML, and
today for some reason I decided to open it. What I saw was that although it
contains all the links that I have, apart for for the "Bookmarks Toolbar"
group everything was left-aligned. In other words, no indentation
signifying the different subfolders I have. :-(

And by the way: Why does this "bookmarks.html" file not have html, head and
body tags ? I though that that was mandatory ?

I think it's because it's a Netscape Bookmark specific HTML. Notice that the
HTML file has `NETSCAPE-Bookmark-file-1` document type specified by the
`!DOCTYPE` tag. A DOCTYPE declaration which is not specified according to
the standard specifications in the first place.

The above problem can be solved by changing the "DL" HTML tag into an "UL"
one. The question is, how to I change this in FF ? Is the file perhaps
generated by something inside one of the OMNI.JA files (which can be edited)
?

It's in the main OMNI.JA file (the one which is in the same directory as the
FIREFOX.EXE file). The code is in the `_writeContainer()` method of
`BookmarkExporter` prototype. Which is in below file.

modules\BookmarkHTMLUtils.jsm

On Fri, 22 May 2020 11:16:03 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:

Hello all,

A few weeks ago I enabled the exporting of a bookmarks file as HTML, and
today for some reason I decided to open it. What I saw was that although it
contains all the links that I have, apart for for the "Bookmarks Toolbar"
group everything was left-aligned. In other words, no indentation
signifying the different subfolders I have. :-(

The above problem can be solved by changing the "DL" HTML tag into an "UL"
one. The question is, how to I change this in FF ? Is the file perhaps
generated by something inside one of the OMNI.JA files (which can be edited)
?


It was designed (by Netscape) to be an export/import format, not a format for
viewing as HTML.

Netscape would know, when you tried to import it, if it had been edited since
being exported. I have not checked if this feature has been carried forward
into Firefox.


And by the way: Why does this "bookmarks.html" file not have html, head and
body tags ? I though that that was mandatory ?


That would apply to DOCTYPE html.
This file has a different DOCTYPE.


--
Kind regards
Ralph
🦊

JJ,

I think it's because it's a Netscape Bookmark specific HTML.

... and thus should not assume other browsers wil be able to read-and-display
it. Which ofcourse does away with a nice part of exporting the bookmarks as
html in the first place.

Than again, most browsers are rather forgiving and will display pretty-much
everything. :-)

It's in the main OMNI.JA file (the one which is in the same directory as
the
FIREFOX.EXE file). The code is in the `_writeContainer()` method of
`BookmarkExporter` prototype. Which is in below file.

modules\BookmarkHTMLUtils.jsm

Thanks. It looks like its rather easy to fix (and make a real HTML file
outof it too). Now I only need to decide if its a good idea to do it ...
:-|

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

Ralph,

It was designed (by Netscape) to be an export/import format, not a
format for viewing as HTML.

But they still kept the .html file extension. Thats not in any way creating
expectations ofcourse (especially within the confines of the webbrowser).
:-(

Netscape would know, when you tried to import it, if it had been
edited since being exported. I have not checked if this feature has
been carried forward into Firefox.

Doesn't seem to be - I do not see anything resembling a checksum in the (FF
v52.5) export file.

That would apply to DOCTYPE html.
This file has a different DOCTYPE.

ackk ... ofcourse.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser

On Sat, 23 May 2020 09:45:00 +0200, R.Wieser wrote:

Netscape would know, when you tried to import it, if it had been
edited since being exported. I have not checked if this feature has
been carried forward into Firefox.

Doesn't seem to be - I do not see anything resembling a checksum in the (FF
v52.5) export file.


There was nothing resembling a checksum in the Netscape file either.
NS detected editing by a different means, not a checksum.

You could not see what NS used in a normal text editor. You had to
open the original exported file in a hex editor and know exactly what
to look for.


--
Kind regards
Ralph
🦊