I use Safari as my web browser because it’s pretty. There, I said it. OK, I also use it because it’s easy to sync up bookmarks between multiple computers and my phone (yes, I use del.icio.us, but I don’t like adding sensitive stuff there, such as where I bank). But as pretty as Safari is, it can be a little light in the features department. That’s what makes Keywurl so neat.
Keywurl is an open source (read: free for you) plugin for Safari, meaning it adds extra functionality to the browser. Once you install it and restart Safari, you can search particular sites directly from Safari’s address bar (or, where you type a web address). Let’s look at why this is handy. This table outlines a few examples:
| Without Keywurl | With Keywurl |
|---|---|
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OK, maybe it doesn’t look as impressive in table form as I thought it would, but it’s really handy, trust me. You can also extend it. For example, here’s an expansion you can use to search KU’s directory:
http://www.aims.ku.edu/directory/search?searchfor_name=@@@
Give the expansion string a simple keyword such as ku, then you can easily look up contact information on campus, using the main KU directory by typing something like
ku aaron sumner
Pretty slick, huh? Here’s one for Emporia State University:
http://www.emporia.edu/search/facstaff/staff.php?search=@@@&Input=Submit
(Note: From what I can tell, ESU’s faculty/staff directory only supports one keyword–so enter in just a first or last name.)
Installation can be a little tricky–locate the README file in the download and follow the instructions carefully. It should only take a minute or so.
Download Keywurl and give it a try. If you have any handy searches to share, add them to the comments.