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How can I use Unicode characters (UTF8 or other) in bookmarks?

  • 6 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 3 views
  • Last reply by nnmm

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Unfortunately, FF does not allow for bolding (or coloring) bookmarks (I mean folders or url entries in the Bookmarks sidebar), so I'm looking for other means to distinguish important entries (folders, url titles).

A bullet is available by Alt-0149 but that's not prominent enough, so I'd like put a bigger bullet (and a space) before important entries, for example the Unicode character "U+25CF" (= hex) which should be "U 9679" (numeric), or a block square ("U+25A0").

These would probably be available in UTF-8. (Of course, the internal codepage of FF should not affect the codepage it uses for different websites.)

But then, when I try Alt-9679, Alt-09679 or Alt-009679 (in the "Properties" dialogue of the bookmark entry in question, I get some other characters instead which are of no help.

How could I use such a prominent character in the FF bookmarks?

(Of course, the possibility to bold bookmark entries would be ideal, but would be futile dreaming.)

Unfortunately, FF does not allow for bolding (or coloring) bookmarks (I mean folders or url entries in the Bookmarks sidebar), so I'm looking for other means to distinguish important entries (folders, url titles). A bullet is available by Alt-0149 but that's not prominent enough, so I'd like put a bigger bullet (and a space) before important entries, for example the Unicode character "U+25CF" (= hex) which should be "U 9679" (numeric), or a block square ("U+25A0"). These would probably be available in UTF-8. (Of course, the internal codepage of FF should not affect the codepage it uses for different websites.) But then, when I try Alt-9679, Alt-09679 or Alt-009679 (in the "Properties" dialogue of the bookmark entry in question, I get some other characters instead which are of no help. How could I use such a prominent character in the FF bookmarks? (Of course, the possibility to bold bookmark entries would be ideal, but would be futile dreaming.)

All Replies (6)

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I just discovered that I can enter Alt-30 and then a space, Alt-30 being a black triangle which is not as tiny as a bullet.

I don't know yet if I get possible problems by using such a command character, characters from 1 to 31 included being deemed to not being usable (and non-printable, but that's not a problem here, obviously).

But perhaps there are better alternatives (short of adding another field to the bookmarks table for "bolded: yes/no") anyway?

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So much for "help" here then.

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If you bump a thread like you did with the first reply then you move the thread of the reply queue and that can prevent the question from being noticed. Better would be to edit the first post (question) and add the extra information.

It should always be possible to use a Copy/Paste to get the desired character Unicode block characters:

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Thank you, cor-el. I hadn't been aware I could edit after posting (had been looking out for symbols, not text on the side).

I had found such UTF tables before posting above, but I don't know how to enter those characters into FF bookmark titles (rightclick, then "Properties") "numerically", i.e. without copy and paste (which unfortunately is not realistic for many such additions if I don't do them all in a row).

I also would have probably have to change the "font" for this, and then back to normal text entry. All this is not obvious.

Modified by nnmm

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Modified by cor-el

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Thank you again, cor-el.

Unfortunately, the 4 ways described on https://altcodeunicode.com/how-to-use-alt-codes/ do NOT work (i.e. including way D) with the changed/amended registry entry; this applies to several applications (i.e. not only FF bookmark name) I tried (and I restarted the pc and disabled my macro program before trying for many minutes; W10 english).

This being said, amending the FF bookmarks functionality would be quite easy, I suppose:

- add a column to the database for the font (either boolean for regular vs. bold, or better, numeric, with default = 0 = black regular, and then (later on perhaps) several other formattings, with 1 = black bold and so on)

- format the name entries in the bookmarks sidebar according to that number (anything 0 = default of course)

Since it is NOT true that "everybody uses web bookmarks anyway", and, as said, since the web sites' icons are all more or less "colorful", at least a "weight" characteristic for the name is needed, and ideally also some other formats, for "have seen, is ok" (italics), "do something about it" (blue), "ditto urgently" (bold-blue), and so on.

(I had to change my password since my current one, between yesterday and today, was NOT recognized anymore: there seems to be another glitch in that.)

(Modified just by replacing a "t" by a "d", 10 seconds later; there should be a timer.)

Modified by nnmm