Wikipedia:Snap Links tutorial: Difference between revisions

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{{shortcut|WP:SNAP}}

'''[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/link-ninja/ Link Ninja]''' is a mass tab loader add-on for the [[Mozilla Firefox]] browser. It auto loads links into tabs when the user creates a selection rectangle with the mouse over those links. Create the rectangle, then release, and the tabs open up. It lets you take full advantage of Firefox's powerful tabs and tabbing features ({{keypress|Ctrl|Tab}}, {{keypress|Ctrl|w}}, etc.). It is especially useful for browsing and editing Wikipedia pages.

{{nutshell|''Snap Links'' simply loads "lassoed" pages into tabs in Chrome or Firefox, allowing you to bring the power of your browser to many pages at a time. Subtle, but very effective.}}

'''[https://cpriest.github.io/SnapLinksPlus/#/ Snap Links]''' is a mass tab loader add-on for the [[Mozilla Firefox]] and [[Google Chrome]] browsers. It auto loads links into tabs when the user holds down the right mouse button and drags a selection rectangle over those links (an action called "lassoing"). You create a rectangle, then release the right mouse button, then the rectangle disappears, and the tabs open up.

A [[tabbed browsing|"tab"]] is a window opened within a web-browser. Each tab independently displays a web page (such as a Wikipedia article). Tabs Whileare theespecially [[keyboarduseful shortcut]]for {{keybrowsing press|[[Altand key|Alt]]|[[Tabediting key|Tab]]}} is used to switch between windows, the keyboard shortcuts used to switch between tabs are {{key press|[[Control key|Ctrl]]|Tab}} andmultiple {{keyWikipedia press|Ctrl|W}}pages.

({{key press|Ctrl|W}} closes the current tab as you make the switch).

== Then what? ==

Well, after you have the desired web-pages displayed in tabs, you can usetake Firefox'sfull tabbingadvantage commandsof toyour switchbrowswer's betweentabbing them very rapidlyfeatures, close them instantaneously (which also switcheslet you toinspect theor nextbatch tabedit in the blinklots of anpages eye), etc'''''fast'''''.

In Firefox and Chrome, the [[keyboard shortcut]] {{key press|Ctrl|Tab}} is used to switch between tabs. Use {{key press|Ctrl|W}} to close the current tab as you make the switch to the next tab.

This lets you look at (batch browse) or work on lots of pages '''''fast'''''. Very fast.

=== Tab controls in Firefox and Chrome ===

The question is, do you want this gas pedal? Can you handle this rate of speed? :)

These controls are built-in to Firefox and Chrome:

== How does ''Link Ninja'' compare with AWB? ==

Firefox's tabbing features (especially when combined with the use of ''[https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/link-ninja/ Link Ninja]'' and [[Macro (computer science)|macro]]s) is one of the most powerful tools you can use to work on Wikipedia. It beats AWB in many operations, though AWB beats it in many others.

[[WP:AWB]] is an auto-page-loader, and a semi-automatic editor with powerful search/replace features. It works on lists of pages which you specify, opening one-at-a-time, executing your pre-specified search/replaces, and then loading each page in AWB's own edit mode so you can edit it. When you are done and save the page, AWB saves it, automatically closes it, and then opens the next page on the list in the same way. But, if you need to see what you are doing, that is, actually look at each page you are working on, AWB's view feature is rather cludgy and time-consuming. Pages are not initially loaded in view mode, so you have to click on "view" and wait each time for the server to respond, which can be very time-consuming, especially when you are working on a lot of pages and have to repeat this operation.

"Tabbing" is task-switching technology. You are basically working in windows, directly on Wikipedia pages using Wikipedia's interface. So if you need to inspect pages (that is, actually look at them), you simply open their links in ''Link Ninja'' and each page is in display mode by default. You switch between pages (in subwindows called "tabs") with <code>Ctrl-tab</code> or with <code>Ctlr-w</code> (which closes the current window as you make the switch). Once in tabs, you can switch back and forth between pages very rapidly.

In AWB, once you've processed a page, you can't go back to it. But in Firefox you can, even if you've already closed the tab! ''Link Ninja'' simply loads pages into those Firefox tabs for you, allowing you to bring the power of Firefox to dozens of pages at a time. Subtle, but very effective.

== Firefox tab controls ==

* '''''Rapid page viewing:'''''

** Middle-click to load pages into tabs one-by-one (or you can use ''LinkSnap NinjaLinks'', see below) to load 40them orall more pages into tabs (Linky opens up toat 99once)

*** To skim through lots of random articles, middle-click on "Random article" 40+multiple times

** Read or work on one

** When done, press Ctrl-F4 or{{key press|Ctrl-w|W}} to close the current tab and instantly go to the next one

** Great for skimming sets of articles, where you are checking for a missing element, or looking for a particular kind of page or element. Just keep pressing {{key press|Ctrl-F4|W}} to instantly get rid of the current tab and go onto the next one, cycling through them fast until you find one you are looking for. Blam, blam, blam, blam, blam!

* Middle-click on link - create new tab with linked page as its contents

* {{key press|Ctrl-|T}} - Create new (employ) tab

* {{key press|Ctrl-|Tab}} - Switch to next tab

* {{key press|Shift-|Ctrl-|Tab}} - Switch to previous tab

* {{key press|Ctrl-|Shift-|T}} - un-close a tab (this will even remember contents entered in text boxes like Wikipedia's text editor)

* Ctrl-(drag tab) - Clone a tab

* Ctrl-Shift-T - un-close a tab (this will even remember contents entered in text boxes like Wikipedia's text editor)

** Or go to the History menu and choose Recently Closed Tabs

== Optimize your speed using listscustomized oflink linkslists ==

To maximize the power of multi-page processing with ''LinkSnap NinjaLinks'', use it on customcustomized lists of links to pages you wish to work on. WikiProject subpages and user subpages are convenient for holding such lists. One advantage of this approach is that you can easily ensure that unrelated links are not included.

But the real power here is that you can use search/replace on itsuch a list to modify the links and thereby create your next list to work on. For example, [[Politics of x]] (where x is a country name) could easily be changed to [[Culture of x]].

Search/replace is also useful for changing wiki-links to URL-links, so that you can open each page in edit mode, etc.

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Here's an example of a URL-link that opens a Wikipedia page in edit mode (in fact, it opens ''this'' page in edit mode):

: <code>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Link_NinjaSnap_Links_tutorial&action=edit</code>

== How does ''LinkSnap NinjaLinks'' compare with ''AWB''? ==

Firefox's and Chrome's tabbing features (especially when combined with the use of ''[https://addonscpriest.mozillagithub.org/en-US/firefoxio/addonSnapLinksPlus/link-ninja#/ LinkSnap NinjaLinks]'' and [[Macro (computer science)|macro]]s) is one of the most powerful tools you can use to work on Wikipedia. It beats AWB in many operations, though AWB beats it in many others.

[[WP:AWB]] is an auto-page-loader, and a semi-automatic editor with powerful search/replace features. It works on lists of pages which you specify, opening one-at-a-time, executing your pre-specified search/replaces, and then loading each page in AWB's own edit mode so you can edit it. When you are done and save the page, AWB saves it, automatically closes it, and then opens the next page on the list in the same way. But, if you need to see what you are doing, that is, actually look at each page you are working on, AWB's view feature is rather cludgy and time-consuming. Pages are not initially loaded in view mode, so you have to click on "view" and wait each time for the server to respond, which can be very time-consuming, especially when you are working on a lot of pages and have to repeat this operation.

"Tabbing" is task-switching technology. You are basically working in windows, directly on Wikipedia pages using Wikipedia's interface. So if you need to inspect pages (that is, actually look at them), you simply open their links inwith ''LinkSnap NinjaLinks'' and each page is in display mode by default. YouIn firefox, you switch between pages (in subwindows called "tabs") with <code>{{key press|Ctrl-tab</code>|Tab}} or with <code>Ctlr-w</code>{{key press|Ctrl|W}} (which closes the current window as you make the switch). Once in tabs, you can switch back and forth between pages very rapidly.

In AWB, once you've processed a page, you can't go back to it. But in Firefox you can, even if you've already closed the tab! ''Link Ninja'' simply loads pages into those Firefox tabs for you, allowing you to bring the power of Firefox to dozens of pages at(Restore a time. Subtle,tab butwith very{{key effectivepress|Ctrl|Shift|T}}).

==Notes==

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== External links ==

* {{Official website|https://cpriest.github.io/SnapLinksPlus/#/}} (includes instructions)

* [http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Keyboard+shortcuts Mozilla keyboard shortcuts (includes keyboard shortcuts for tabbing)]

[[Category:Wikipedia tutorials|LinkSnap NinjaLinks]]

[[Category:Wikipedia tools]]