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background

Here is a minor update to the Movie Review Finder bookmarklet we previously made available.

This version adds a floating bug to the page which is automatically updated as text is selected. The bug sits in the packground on the loaded page, until the “Find” is initiated. Then the review panel is superimposed on the current page providing instant access to reviews from Google, IMDB, MRQE, Netflix, and Amazon.com.

For bookmarklet users the bug doesn’t provide much added value. The real value comes from the wrapping of the bookmarklet in a Greasemonkey script. This allows the floating bug to be automatically invoked whenever a site of interest is visited.

installation

The bookmarklet itself has not changed. It loads an external script, which contains the updates. If you have already installed it you should see the changes next time you use the Finder. It might require a browser cache reset.

If you haven’t installed already, here is the bookmarklet:
Movie Review Finder.
Simply drag it to your toolbar or right-click to add to your favorites.

Greasemonkey users should install this script:
Movie Review Finder for Greasemonkey
Just choose ‘Install User Script’ from the menu bar or the right-click context menu.

Several popular movie-related sites are included by default. You can add or remove sites at any time by selecting Tools->Manage User Scripts.

usage

You can test the Finder on this page before installing anything. Select the movie title text below:
O Brother Where Art Thou?
Then click the bookmarklet link (not the Greasemonkey link) from the installation section. That will load the Finder bug, with the selected text:

Try selecting some other text on the page. The text in the bug is automatically updated. You can also type directly into the bug. When you have the right text selected use the “Find Reviews!” button. You will get the Finder overlay on the current page:

Use the various buttons to switch between the sites. Click Close to get rid of the review box. The bug will reappear when the Finder is dismissed.

Once installed you can use the bookmarklet on any non-framed page just by selecting the saved bookmark. The Greasemonkey version will start whenever an included site is visited.

update

Another update! These changes are relatively minor, and build on top of some of the changes from the last release. Now that the Manager is integrated into the Netflix page (instead of on top of it) these changes attempt to make the integration more transparent and seamless.

• Added the Update Queue button – now you can trigger an update from the Manager, instead of doing a Close and updating with the standard button. You still have to confirm the update though, and can see the regular Netflix page at that time.
• Added a bug mode switcher – if you Close or Update Queue->Cancel, the Manager disappears and the regular queue page is returned. A floating, semi-transparent “bug” will appear on the page to switch back to the Manager.

These features aren’t that exciting by themselves, but used in conjunction with Greasemonkey or Turnabout can make the Manager integration more natural:

• The Manager is invoked automatically when the Queue page is visited
• The Update can be done from the Manager
• When the page is reloaded after the Update the manager is re-invoked automatically
• If you Close to get out of the Manager, you can switch back without reloading the page

The on-screen instructions have also been tweaked to explain Close vs. Update Queue.

upgrading

The updates do not require re-installation. You may need to clear the cache to get the updated script and style sheet to load. The bookmarklet and Greasemonkey scripts did not change.

screen shots

Here you can see the reworked buttons and instructions.:

Here we are after reversing the queue, then clicking Update Queue. We can see that the numbers were updated correctly:

If we cancel the Update Queue or had clicked Close we get the regular Netflix queue, with the bug added:

update

The Netflix Queue Manager has been updated. This version adds:

• Delete capability – no explanation needed
• Hiding the Netflix main form – the regular Netflix queue form is hidden while the manager is open, making the Manager appear more naturally integrated

There is no need to re-install the bookmarklet version. If you do not see the new features when using the Manager you’ll need to clear your cache to pick up the updates.
In Firefox you can do this by selecting Tools->Options->Cache->Clear.
In IE select Tools->Internet Options->General->Delete Files.

If you have not previously installed the Manager, read this article on setup and use.

Greasemonkey

Now that these features have been added it makes more sense to streamline the Greasemonkey version. Now instead of creating a button to invoke the manager it can be started automatically. The update is still done manually. This is for peace of mind, not a technical limitation. A future update will provide the ability to update from the Manager buttons.

Netflix Queue Manager for Greasemonkey (v1.1)

Right-click and select “Install User Script” or click the link to view the file then select “Tools->Install User Script”. It should over-write the previous version, so no need to uninstall.

turnabout

Turnabout is a Greasemonkey-compatible plug-in for Internet Explorer 6. The Manager appears to work fine with Turnabout.

more

If you don’t like the Manager being always being invoked automatically, such as after an update, you can just use the older version. You’ll still have access to the new features.

Netflix Queue Manager for Greasemonkey (v1.0)

You could also alter the script configuration to exclude certain pages, while keeping the auto-invoke as the default.
For example, after re-ordering the queue the URL will be something like:
http://www.netflix.com/Queue?prioritized=true
And after deleting an item:
http://www.netflix.com/Queue?itemsdeleted=1

background

Greasemonkey is a Firefox extension that runs javascript code on the current browser page. It is used to change the behavior of a web page usually by adding functionality, or altering the appearance. It is quite analogous to the bookmarklet model. The difference is that a Greasemonky script can be invoked automatically whenever a certain page is visited, while a bookmarklet must be invoked by the user.

With Greasemonky any site-specific bookmarklet can be adapted to run automatically when that site is visited. Here we provide an adapted version of the Netflix Queue Manager.

It is not necessary to have Greasemonkey to run the Netflix Queue Manager. Using the Greasemonkey version won’t save you any time–either way it is one click away. The only advantage is being able to remove a bookmark from your toolbar or favorites list.

installation

If you have Greasemonky installed just use this link:

Netflix Queue Manager for Greasemonkey

Right-click and select “Install User Script” or click the link to view the file then select “Tools->Install User Script”.

implementation

This is relatively simple. Minimally the bookmarklet link just needs to be encapsulated into a file so that Greasemonky can install it. This works, but the Manager will be invoked automatically on the Queue page. This is undesirable because it will always appear after the page is updated.

To defer the Manager launch, the new script adds an highly visible link near the top of the page. The link appears whenever you visit your Netflix queue. Just click the link to start the Manager.

The original script in netflix-manager.js is unchanged. The original bookmarklet code is just wrapped in a function that is called when the new link is clicked.

(function(){

  window.launch_manager = function() {
	  var script=document.createElement('script');
	  script.src='http://badsegue.org/samples/toolman.js';
	  document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0].appendChild(script);
		
	  var script=document.createElement('script');
	  script.src='http://badsegue.org/samples/netflix-manager.js';
	  document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0].appendChild(script);
  }

  var h = document.getElementById("header");
  var d = document.createElement("div");  
  d.style.border = "2px dashed cyan";
  d.style.backgroundColor = "orange";
  d.innerHTML = "<a href='javascript:launch_manager()'>Launch Netflix Queue Manager</a>";
  h.appendChild(d);
}
)()