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How to permantly display "Description" textbox in "Library"

  • 6 replies
  • 4 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by cor-el

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"Description" text box in the "Library" window is always visible for folders, but is hidden for bookmark entries. How do I (and is it possible) to tweak "about:config" and have "Description" text box always visible? Without having to click on "More" ... so that I can navigate down a list of bookmarks and see my custom descriptions.

Thank you

Firefox 17.0.1 Win7 Home Premium Toshiba Satellite C665

"Description" text box in the "Library" window is always visible for folders, but is hidden for bookmark entries. How do I (and is it possible) to tweak "about:config" and have "Description" text box always visible? Without having to click on "More" ... so that I can navigate down a list of bookmarks and see my custom descriptions. Thank you Firefox 17.0.1 Win7 Home Premium Toshiba Satellite C665

All Replies (6)

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Not sure how to do exactly this, but you can add a Description column by clicking Views > Show Columns > Description.

The description will be crammed into one tiny column, but you can make the column bigger by removing other columns you do not use and making others a little smaller.

Modified by John Karahalis

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Add code to the userChrome.css file below the default @namespace line.

The customization files userChrome.css (interface) and userContent.css (websites) are located in the chrome folder in the user profile folder.


@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */

#editBMPanel_descriptionRow {
 visibility: visible !important;
 display: -moz-grid-line !important;
}
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Thank "openjck" for your response I know about columns. My laptop screen size is too narrow.

Modified by Russell

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Thank you co-rel for your response. This is my very first post to Mozilla and I have just converted to FF from IE.

I am sorry, I have not got a clue what to do with your response but I guess it is a FF version of a Windows REG file ?? I have looked at "about:config" but I don't know where to start. Nor do I know what a CSS file is.

My only experience is WinXP and Win7 -- Win-Office apps using VBA + some script (VBS) + INI files, I have never been brave enough to write Win-REG files, so I tweak the Win Registry manually. With Win7 there are a lot of tweaks to clear the clutter.

Your code snippet, I assume, would keep the "Description" text box in the "always-open" state ? What do I do and can it be done manually in the FFox-registry ? Thanks

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Here is a step-by-step guide.

  1. Install User Style Manager
  2. After it is installed, click Firefox (or Tools) > Add-ons
  3. Find the row labeled User Style Manager 1.0
  4. Click Preferences in that row
  5. A new window should appear. Click Create New.
  6. Paste the everything between the lines below

@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */

#editBMPanel_descriptionRow {
 visibility: visible !important;
 display: -moz-grid-line !important;
}

7. Click Save

8. Click Exit

9. Click Close

That should be it! You should now see the description by default whenever you are looking at a bookmark.

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Firefox doesn't use the Window registry. This is also not done via the about:config page, via via a special file with the name userChrome.css in chrome folder the Firefox Profile Folder.

You can use this button to go to the Firefox profile folder:

You first need to create a folder in the Firefox Profile Folder with the name chrome (case sensitive).
Then you can create a text file with the name userChrome.css and paste the above posted code in the file.
Make sure to select "All Files" and not "Text Files" in File type when you save the file in the Notepad editor to prevent Windows from adding a hidden .txt file extension.

You can use the ChromEdit Plus or Stylish extension to have easier access to the customization files.