First Stab at a Greasemonkey Script
Following in the footsteps of Dave Pearson ( RB Profile Here ), I have produced my own Greasemonkey hack attempt.
This script implements a visual Textile helper called markItUp on the RedBubble site, and places the helper above all textareas.
Installation
If you are interested in trying the script, you need to be running Firefox for starters, and you need to install the Greasemonkey addon . Once you have done this, you can fetch the Greasemonkey script from here .
If you do try it, please be sure to notify me of any bugs you find.
History
0.2 Now uses unpacked jQuery code for compatibility with FF2
0.1 First Release
Dave Pearson
Oh nice! I’ve been toying with the idea of something like that for a while now but never got around to it.
Excellent!
BTW, any chance of you adding a record of it to this forum?
Shaun Johnston replied
Done :) ... and … first bug! It formats very badly when replying to comments ;)
Tania Rose
Just new to Firefox, i’ve never used add-ons before. How handy is it to use Greasemonkey?
Shaun Johnston replied
Hi Tania,
Greasemonkey can be very handy depending what you’re trying to do. I have a friend who has automated a lot of stuff from internet banking to collating news feeds using it.
Until now I’ve only used it occasionally, mostly using pre-written scripts to do interesting things on Flickr (one tool I have allows me to click a link when replying to a comment on flickr, to insert the avatar of that person in my comment).
Dave Pearson
First tech support request:
I’ve installed it, but I’m not getting the intended effect on any textarea (like, for example, I’m not seeing it while editing this).
Firefox 2.0.0.16
I do see this in the error console:
Error: c.type has no properties
Source File: file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/.../components/greasemonkey.js
Line: 389
Shaun Johnston replied
Taking a look now Dave. I’m using Firefox 3.0.1 with the latest Greasemonkey (v0.8.20080609.0). Do you know which version of Greasemonkey you’re using?
Shelley Heath
It is easy once you have downloaded it and installed and installed what scripts you want you don’t have to do anything with it. It is only for the techie types that write these hacks that need to have the knowledge… for the user basically no knowledge required.
Shelley Heath
Shaun I have installed it I will let you know how things go
Shaun Johnston replied
Thanks Shelley :)
Dave Pearson
Sorry Shaun, should have thought to say:
0.8.20080609.0
Shaun Johnston replied
Interesting. I wonder why that is? Unfortunately the ‘type’ keyword is only referred to in the compressed jquery library that markItUp uses, and the compressed markItUp code itself. I’ll take a look anyway and see if I can determine the cause. Might install Firefox 2 in order to do so.
Soxy Fleming
shaun this is way above my head! just know that your roses are my favourites!
Shaun Johnston replied
Thanks Soxy :p
I got a new lens adapter today so I’m itching to try some of my new lenses! Might have some more rose photos in the coming days, not sure.
Cathie Tranent
Are you using FF 3 then Shaun. I am if you’re not – and so I can test for you – but not right now – this is a hit and run posting …
Shaun Johnston replied
Hi Cathy,
I am using Firefox 3 … at least I was until the Firefox 2 install I just ran overwrote my FF3 install! Ahh …
Anyway, yeah it seemed to be running fine on FF3 so I’d like to know if it runs for you :)
Dave Pearson
Okay. If I get a bit of spare time I’ll have a dig around the code too and see if I can see what the issue is.
Shaun Johnston replied
Thanks Dave,
Getting the same problem in FF2 here as well. Only found one reference to the c.type error when googling for it, and it’s not much help.
Shaun Johnston replied
Seems to be something to do with a sanboxed eval that Greasemonkey attempts. My jquery and markItUp instances are created using eval statements so I guess greasemonkey tries to do that safely and something is b0rking as a result.
Shaun Johnston replied
Just to follow up on this – got it working now. I ended up dispensing with the packed jQuery and using the unpacked version. No eval there. It triples the total script size but it’s a once-off download I guess so it shouldn’t be a big problem.
Cathie Tranent
OMG Works beautifully for me.
(Won’t be doing anything from IE at work now)Thanks very much. It’s a super script!!
Cathie Tranent
Italic
Two
Three
B
C
This is not substandard.
> Thanks Dave,
said Shaun
Cathie Tranent
Okay – the bullets were my fault – did’nt use it for each
>The quote
appears to put a space between the > and the text.
Shaun Johnston replied
With the ordered list (should be numeric) it actually appears to be an RB problem! If you look at the source it is showing OL (ordered list) tags.
Cathie Tranent
And the numeric list is coming up as you see above.
The quote one isn’t working either – I removed the space manually and yet still nada.
Shaun Johnston replied
Thanks Cathie :)
I now have it working under FF2 it seems, so I will work on these problems now as well.
Shaun Johnston replied
With the quote, I believe it only works on the first line of forum posts (maybe it works in normal posts as well, not sure). I might try putting in some sort of styled blockquote later.
Soxy Fleming
fantastic. me and the 11 year old have been trying to get this thing of yours working and I don’t think I am quite as stupid as all that but even the young wizz doesn’t quite know what she is doing (maybe it’s just too late for both of us)
Shaun Johnston replied
It is pretty late! Bed for me soon.
It needs to run on Firefox, with the Greasemonkey addon installed. Once they’re installed you should be able to grab the latest version of the script from the link in the journal entry (open in a new tab or window). Greasemonkey should detect it and ask if you want to install it, and once it installs it, the toolbar should then appear over any text boxes on RedBubble.
Soxy Fleming
yes I think I did all that but nothing is appearing. bed time now I’ll follow it up later!
Cathie Tranent
Night Soxy!!
Dave Pearson
Yup! That works.
Dave Pearson
One thing for Soxy to try: assuming FF2.x is being used, and assuming that the previous non-working (for FF2.x) version had been installed, there’s a good chance the working version will appear not to work too. It didn’t for me.
The problem is browser caching. I had to do the following to get myself up and running (some of this will be “belt and braces”):
If that was the problem it should then work (did for me).
Shaun Johnston replied
Oh yes, I initially had that problem as well, even under FF3.
David Iori
Nice work Shaun well done
Shaun Johnston replied
Thanks David :)
I am going to try to add a preview button to it today so stay tuned!
Tracy Wallace
works brilliantly so far. Left a reply in the main forum post. Thanks Shaun
Shelley Heath
I have noticed that when replying to comments the row of formatting buttons becomes a column down the left hand side, this is also true for the formatting in Private sites (but there another issue best left alone until out of beta).
Not that it inconveniences me… maybe it is because there is another comment box on the page (?), like with the private sites there are two input boxes. Just a thought
Shaun Johnston replied
Thanks Shelley, I noticed that myself. Will work on a resolution :)
Crowmanic
G’day Shaun … just came across this … I’m on Ff v3.0.1 … any updates on the script? re compatibility—usability … or have you stopped the refinement/upgrades since v2 ?
Crowmanic
PS: Ok, I should have read all the comments/feedback … I’ll give it a go … sorry about that
Crowmanic
PSS: (several minutes later) Feedback ... Thanks Shaun, just installed/ran/used … seems to be just fine … though the “format buttons” run vertical when Replying to Comment ... any updates pending? Apart from that, great little add-in, to help speed-up the typing/response loop on RB … TC4N