iMacros for Firefox

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This page documents features that are unique to iMacros for Firefox. For the standard features of the iMacros series, please see the Form Filling, Browser Automation, Data Extraction and Web Testing chapters.

Contents

Social Scripting

The iMacros bookmark dialog gives you the option to embed your macros and scripts directly into a link and share it with others. See the following forum posts for more details.

iMacros offers several options to share your macros and scripts
iMacros offers several options to share your macros and scripts


Bookmarking

You can use iMacros as super-bookmarks: To open the bookmark dialog right-click on the macro that you want to bookmark and select the "local" option. This option adds a link to the macro on your computer to your bookmarks.

(1) Right-click the macro you want to bookmark
(1) Right-click the macro you want to bookmark
(2) Select the Local option for "normal" bookmarks
(2) Select the Local option for "normal" bookmarks
(3) A link (reference) to your macro is added to the Firefox bookmark menu. iMacros opens automatically if you select an iMacros super-bookmark.
(3) A link (reference) to your macro is added to the Firefox bookmark menu. iMacros opens automatically if you select an iMacros super-bookmark.


For experts: The bookmarked URL has the format http://run.imacros.net/?m=my_saved_macro.iim iMacros intercepts this URL and runs the local macro file instead. If the macro is inside subfolder(s), please use this format (%5C stands for /): http://run.imacros.net/?m=subfolder1%5subfolder2%5Cmy_saved_macro.iim

Command Line Support

You can start imacros (or Javascript scripts) inside of Firefox via the command line: 

 "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"  http://run.imacros.net/?m=Demo-FillForm.iim

Note: When you first start Firefox via the command line the iMacros extension is not immediately active . It takes a few seconds for Firefox to activate it. So the run.imacros.net command does not get intercepted and the "iMacros not installed" web page is shown.

Solution: Make sure that Firefox is already running. If you start Firefox a second time, Firefox will direct this new command automatically to the already running instance. Now iMacros can "see" the run.imacros.net bookmark URL and start the macro.

You can use a batch file like this:

Code: 

 start /B "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"  http://www.google.com
 pause (or ping...)
 start /B "C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe"   http://run.imacros.net/?m=Demo-FillForm.iim

More information: Our users created several useful forum posts about the command line feature: Automating task each day, Problem with starting imacros, Starting a script from DOS cmd line?

Alternative solution: If you need more control over Firefox you can use the iMacros Scripting Interface that comes with the iMacros Scripting Edition. This method gives you complete control over Firefox and Internet Explorer. For example, you can return error codes or extracted data from the browser to your program or script.

Javascript Scripting Interface

Automate complex tasks. iMacros for Firefox contains a built-in Javascript Scripting Interface, which runs directly inside the browser. The following information focuses on this built-in Javascript Scripting Interface.

Supported commands:

Examples: iMacros for Firefox automatically installs the SI-Run-Test.js, SI-Get-Exchange-Rate.js, Self-Test.js and SI-Send-Macro-Code.js (View Script Source Code) example javascripts.

Important: iMacros macros must have the ".iim" file extension and Javascript scripts must have the ".js" file extension.

Note: Firefox can be remote controlled by the regular iMacros Scripting Interface via iimInit ("-fx"). The Javascript Scripting Interface does not include iimInit and iimExit, because they are not required. The Javascript runs inside the browser.

Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy is simple: iMacros stores everything on your PC. In other words, no iMacros information is stored on our website. iMacros is not an online service. We never have access to your macros or scripts. This includes the social scripting feature. Even in this case our servers are not involved.

Technical background information for those who are interested in how it works:

If you want share you macros (social scripting) and select the option "Run everywhere: Embed macro in URL" in the bookmark menu then the macro is encoded in the URL (link). This feature is useful if you want to email the URL (= macro) to your friends and coworkers or want to embed the macro in your website or blog. This means visitors of your website or Intranet page can run the macro. Again, no macro information is stored on our website. The URL contains the complete macro (For experts: The macro is BASE64 encoded).

You can add the iMacros bookmark url with the embedded macro to a social bookmarking service like http://del.icio.us/. Then the information is stored on their website and other users can run your macros. We think this is a very cool feature. But it is your decision to share your scripts, and our website is not involved in this.

Technically what happens if you call a URL that starts with http://run.imacros.net/?code=ABC... is that iMacros intercepts the URL and executes the macro. That's all and it happens locally on your machine. If no iMacros add-on is installed, then a simple web page is opened that provides the user with a download link to iMacros.

Passwords are stored 256-bit AES encrypted inside the macro files. AES is a very strong encryption that can not be broken. So even if somebody would get a hold of your macros, they will useless to him/her without your master password.

Last but not least, you do not have to take our word for it. iMacros for Firefox is open source, so everybody can view and inspect it.

Version History

Read what's new:


  • 2008-5-9 V6.0.5.1 Beta - Download iMacros for Firefox Beta
    • Added: Warning if macro file has the wrong encoding
    • Fixed: Bookmark starts macro in ALL open instances
    • Fixed: ADD !EXTRACT bug


  • 2008-5-8 V6.0.5.0 Beta
    • Added: Completely redesigned the Javascript dialog automation
    • Added: Javascript Prompt dialog support
    • Fixed: Variable related bug
    • Fixed: Issue with Zotero Firefox extension


  • 2008-4-30 V6.0.4.1
    • Added: Close sidebar automatically feature added. If the iMacros sidebar was closed when you start a macro (e. g. via bookmarks), iMacros closes it again after the run.
    • Added: White/Black List for running shared macros
    • Added: Edit Macro function to macro right-click menu
    • Added: Option to install/not install demo macros during upgrade
    • Added: Support for Firefox V3.0 Beta 5
    • Added: ADD !EXTRACT <value> command
    • Improved: Completely redesigned the Options dialog.
    • Improved: Command syntax check
    • Improved: Improved !NOW command as suggested [1]
    • Fixed: All memory leaks reported by leak monitor
    • Fixed: POS Parameter not numeric error
    • Fixed: Conflict between iMacros and Stop Autoplay AddOn
    • Fixed: Subfolders in Bookmarks issue
    • Fixed: ONLOGIN issue
    • Fixed: Some TAB related issues





  • 2008-1-30 V6.0.2.1



  • 2007-11-12 V6.0.1.1
    • Added: Support for the upcoming Firefox 3 Beta 1


  • 2007-11-03 V6.0.1.0
    • Added: Share Macro wizard
    • Added: PAUSE command
    • Added: ADD command
    • Changed: Help button links to iMacros for Firefox page
    • Changed: http://forum.iopus.com/viewtopic.php?t=3513 (checkbox true/false now yes/no)
    • Changed: Macros were stored in temporary directories on Linux and Mac
    • Fixed: "ro" bug fix
    • Fixed: Add to del.icio.us function for long macros
    • Fixed: iimSet("-var_line", "2") ignores upper/lower case
    • Fixed: SET !DATASOURCE_LINE {{!LOOP}} works now
    • Fixed: PROMPT Input was always upper case
    • Fixed: Password not sent correctly by ONLOGIN
    • Fixed: Bug with Relative Extraction


  • 2007-10-14 V6.0.0.6
    • Fixed: Some smaller bug fixes




Older versions: You can download older versions here. Be careful with old versions. These versions are provided for reference and testing purposes. You should always use the latest version.

Known Issues

Known issues with the latest version of iMacros for Firefox:

  • Conflict between iMacros and the Page Title Eraser Extension reported [3]. Workaround: Disable one of the extensions.


Please report any other problems in our user forum. We can only fix issues that you report! Thanks for your help.

All issues will be fixed as soon as possible.

Note: How to use the Firefox Error Console?

If you are already on our iOpus mailing list, you will be notified when the next release is available. If you are not on our mailing list, you can sign up so that you receive the notification.

Retrieved from "http://wiki.imacros.net/iMacros_for_Firefox"
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