imgding - a simple image grabber for Firefox Quantum

[effCup]

Hmm, I may simply have been blinded by my browser cache. At least that's the theory for now.

When first visiting, -bam throws up a "Continue to your image" page, which one's browser cache obscures once one clicks the button/on further visits while cached, so that's what I was missing. Unfortunately I'm still struggling to figure out the solution... partly because Halvar's code is "functionalised" into a quite structured form.

[effCup]

OK, try this. I've only tested it once so please test it on as many -bam links that are not only of the legacy /image/ form but also the new /view/ form.

As before, you'll need to load it as a temporary add-on.

The problem was that Halvar had encoded the various host name patterns in another file besides the imagehosts.js one.

No doubt he needed it there but it's not write once, use many.

[berangus]

Originally Posted by effCup

An experiment.


On the left select "This Firefox".

1. After doing that, in the browser window that redraws, press the "Load Temporary Add-on..." button.
2. Then you need to navigate to where you saved the file you downloaded from my above link and select/open it.
3. You should then be able to test the revised version of imgding on vef posts with -bam host links... or any others for that matter.

Bravo! I finally got the courage to try this out and it operated just like old times on old I-bam links. I've not gotten to this new xpi (just read the above message) but a question:

Originally Posted by effCup

The above is strictly temporary, i.e. close your browser and you've lost the use of that temporary add-on.

Is that the only way to turn "off" the debugging mode? I tend to keep lots of open tabs running.
.

[effCup]

Originally Posted by berangus

Is that the only way to turn "off" the debugging mode? I tend to keep lots of open tabs running.

I'm not quite sure what you're asking?

1. One does not need to keep open the tab in which one loaded the temp add-on.
2. Closing/quitting the browser loses any temp add-ons, but they can be re-loaded just as before.
3. I haven't done any sort of testing/timing but loading an add-on via about:debugging I'm pretty sure will perform slower than it might if loaded "normally" (i.e. signed/got from the FF website). My comment was mainly just a warning not to expect quite as good performance in this situation, but also not to think the tool is now itself worse because we (think we) know why it might be a bit slower in this setting.
4. I don't want the hassle of loading it to FF to get signed until we've sorted any apparent issues.
5. If you left open the tab in which you loaded the temp. add-on, you can see in it (below-right) a button to remove/uninstall the temp add-on. Again purely hypothetical but I'd say if one did that and then closed the tab one would no longer be in "debugging mode". /shrug/
6. Untested but if you didn't leave that tab open, you should still be able to re-open it as before and remove the temp add-on you previously added. Because it otherwise stays loaded until one quits the browser.

/shrug/

[berangus]

Originally Posted by effCup

I'm not quite sure what you're asking?

Sorry I wasn't clear, was very late into the night.

After I open a browser tab and input 'about:debugging' into the address bar and then follow the steps to activate your imgding mod, is closing Firefox entirely the only way to exit the debugging phase?

Or does debugging only apply when running imgding? I guess I'm confused because of this phrasing:

Originally Posted by effCup

Also note that in debugging mode browser performance is more sluggish than otherwise, but it's just for trial/testing.

I think your answer #5 above covers my line of questioning though.

BTW, I haven't experienced any noticeable performance change using this so far.

[effCup]

Originally Posted by berangus

BTW, I haven't experienced any noticeable performance change using this so far.

Maybe good, or maybe simply inattentive.

I'm no expert on FF debugging mode, so that's the main reason for any possible hesitancy/reluctance on my part to be more specific. Google it & then we'll all be wiser. /shrug/ But I do understand what "debugging mode" usually means in other programmatic contexts. That is, code will not simply be being run but also variables/attributes etc. are being (or merely potentially?) logged. That always slows performance down, somewhat... though maybe not to the extent of being noticeable to human eyes.

Anyway, now that no-one is moaning that the add-on is running so sloooow these days... The thing I want you people to test is whether it works on relevant links. So far I've happened to encounter 2 of the new -bam /view/ links & both worked OK with id.

also.

[effCup]

imgding-m, the maintenance release, is now available.

Please report here any errors/problems encountered.

I have found when using the temp extension that at times for certain hosts--incl. -bam but maybe not only/exclusively?--one sometimes finds that the first activation of imgding upon the post doesn't successfully download any images. In such cases manually cancelling and re-trying the extension typically does successfully download the images. I'm not sure why such an apparent "stutter" sometimes happens. It's not frequent but nor is it exactly rare.

Late edit: something I'd overlooked from a long time back:

Originally Posted by halvar

Tip: Open one image link in the browser before clicking on "Ding!". This ensures that cookies necessary to access the images are set.

I strongly suspect that it's related, i.e. same.

[EvilElf13]

I'd be happy to help test this, however I use the Brave browser...which is based on Chrome. How difficult would it be to modify the updated Firefox version to work with a Chrome based browser?

[effCup]

Originally Posted by EvilElf13

I'd be happy to help test this, however I use the Brave browser...which is based on Chrome. How difficult would it be to modify the updated Firefox version to work with a Chrome based browser?

I have no idea. Halvar wrote all the code. All I did was modify some of the text pattern matching to accommodate the recent change at -bam.

Hmm, searching this thread it seems like Halvar has already made it Chrome compatible? Have you tried testing it as a temporary extension on Chrome, just to see if it still works?

This is the preceding/last version (37) by Halvar on the Chrome add-ons site. So you can: a) try testing that on Brave, b) try testing the above-linked version 39 as a temporary add-on on either Chrome or Brave.

Hmm, does Chrome allow users to load temp extensions?

further edit: it's not simple, least for win-users.

& yet more edit: I had difficulties trying to install Chrome but I got Brave browser no problem, added v.37 (old) of imgding from the Chrome website, and it worked fine with non-bam images on vef, so I'd say it should be fine if I can figure out how to upload v.39.

Hmm, but that would entail paying a US$5 registration fee. They must think moolah grows on brassicas.

----

So using Brave browser I was able to easily load the temp. extension for imgding v.39. That's on linux ubuntu, not windows.

go to chrome://extensions (or brave://extensions )
switch to developer mode (top right).
select "load unpacked" button, and choose folder containing unpacked (unzipped) extension. If you have the imgding-39-fx.xpi file from my earlier link above you can just unzip it (beforehand) with any unzip tool.

You'll probably also want to go to the extensions menu (top right, jigsaw piece symbol) & pin imgding to your browser menu bar. Also remember to set up you downloads folder to always use a default location, or otherwise you'll be picking 100 folders for a download with 100 images. It's in the settings... somewhere.

Hmm, and curiously, at least in Brave, such temp extensions are re-loaded when you quit the browser and later re-open it. I.e. different from FF where they really are temp.

[EvilElf13]

Well, effCup...you just saved me a ton of time and a major headache. I just got around to trying your v39 modification of IMGDING on Chrome and Brave. I installed unpacked as you suggested...and can report it works great on those browsers in case others want to try it.

I was about to pull my hair out downloading issues of Mayfair, since they are mostly hosted on imagebam...until I remembered that I hadn't tried your modification. Now, thanks to your mod, I'm back to speedy downloads.