Using OpenStreetMap with keyword search bookmarks in Firefox

Firefox has a function where you can set up bookmarks that can be called by typing a keyword in the address bar. For example: If I made a bookmark to Wikipedia and assign that bookmark the keyword "w", then I just have to go the address bar, type "w", and hit enter. Firefox fills in the address.

Firefox also supports text replacement after the keyword is entered. So say, instead of Wikipedia's address, I bookmarked http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=%s (note the %s), I could type "w Jimmy Whales" into my address bar and it would go to the link "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Jimmy+Whales" Which would then immediately go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Whales

Lots of online services provide support for this kind of hackery, and Nominatim is no exception... but I can't figure out how to get nominatim's search working with OpenStreetMap's map. Nominatims map seems to be different from OSM's, even though I'm sure they are pulling from the same data, OSM's map seems to work faster and provides more landmarks. Is there any way I can use Firefox's keyword search to get nominatim's results on OSM's map?

search nominatim firefox

asked 23 Nov '11, 08:28

ghoti
116●1●2●4
accept rate: 0%

2 Answers:

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There is an easy way to get search keywords into Firefox if the website offers an OpenSearch description:

go to the website
click on the drop-down icon in your search bar (in a default firefox installation, this is located in the upper right corner)
choose the "Add [Name of the Search]" entry
click on the drop-down icon again and choose the "manage search engines" entry
assign a keyword to the new search engine

Most OpenStreetMap services offer this feature - including osm.org -, so there is hardly a reason to construct search bookmarks manually.

permanent link

answered 23 Nov '11, 09:33

Tordanik
12.0k●15●106●147
accept rate: 35%

edited 23 Nov '11, 09:38

I appreciate you feel this is a bad way to use a browser. However you will have to take my word for the fact that the secondary search bar was taking up needed space, and the ability to combine previously visited webpage results with my current search query is a valuable interface improvement. I did not realize it supported OpenSearch, and by dissecting the XML file, I should be able to create a search string. I will post that if it works out.

(23 Nov '11, 12:25) ghoti

This seems not to work (with firefox v19.0).

(25 Apr '13, 09:42) doak

Still works for me (using Firefox 20.0, but I wouldn't expect that to make a difference).

(25 Apr '13, 12:56) Tordanik

7	Apparently the magic word was "query" http://www.openstreetmap.org/?query=%s permanent link answered 23 Nov '11, 12:38 ghoti 116●1●2●4 accept rate: 0% Worked. Thanks. (25 Apr '13, 09:42) doak

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question asked: 23 Nov '11, 08:28

question was seen: 10,237 times

last updated: 25 Apr '13, 12:56

Using OpenStreetMap with keyword search bookmarks in Firefox

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