FirefoxFilter: Browsing within the sidebar?

March 28, 2006 8:08 AM

Is it possible to view and browse a site within the Firefox sidebar without having links open into the regular tabs?

I'm using Firefox 1.5.0.1 (XP Home, if it matters), and I'd like to browse within the sidebar. I know how to set a bookmark to open within the sidebar, but doing it the standard way makes it so that any links clicked on in the sidebar open up in the main window. Obviously that's the ideal setting for using the sidebar as a bookmark manager, but what if I want to actually browse within the sidebar while viewing other pages in my tabs?

Maybe using the sidebar isn't the best way for it -- is it possible to somehow have two panes open within a single Firefox window? I don't care about having tabs in my "extra" pane -- I'm basically just looking for a way to keep a certain site and open and in view -- while being able to navigate within that site -- all of the time while viewing other pages in my other tabs.

It sounds more confusing than it should -- basically it's an online form I want to always stay visible and contained within the sidebar/"extra pane", and I'm inputting data from other sites which I want to see in my regular tabs. I'm currently just using two windows, which is fine, just not ideal. If the answer is too complicated (or non-existent), I'll stick with what I've been doing, but I thought I'd ask on the off-chance someone has seen something like what I'm describing.

I'm almost certain this would require some type of extension -- has anyone seen such a thing before?

posted by mattwatson to computers & internet (5 comments total)

I'm not exactly sure what would be best for what you're asking, but the All-in-One Sidebar extension allows me to do almost anything, including running other extension that wouldn't normally be there, from the sidebar.
posted by glibhamdreck at 8:15 AM on March 28, 2006

I did play with the All-In-One Sidebar extension, but it didn't seem to do what I was attempting to do. But maybe using that in conjunction with something else? Maybe I'll give it another look if nothing else comes up.
posted by mattwatson at 8:24 AM on March 28, 2006

I've got. In All-In-One, click your Sidebar Panels button, scroll to WebPanel, toggle from Source Code to Page.
posted by glibhamdreck at 10:52 AM on March 28, 2006

Toggling between Source Code and Page puts the page in my sidebar, but if I click on a link on that page, it opens up a new tab and puts the resulting page there, instead of just going to the new page in the sidebar... is that not the case for you? (I hope that makes sense.)
posted by mattwatson at 12:32 PM on March 28, 2006

Sorry, I've been tweaking -- no love with the tabs.
posted by glibhamdreck at 2:01 PM on March 28, 2006