Aardvark can be run as a "bookmarklet" -- a small snippet of javascript code that is called when you select a bookmark -- to allow it to run in non-Firefox browsers, as well as allowing it to be quickly and easily modified and extended.

Running Aardvark as a bookmarklet

To run Aardvark as a bookmarklet in Firefox, IE, or Safari, just bookmark the following link:

Aardvark

To do this in Firefox, right click and select "Bookmark this link." In IE, right click and select "Add to Favorites". In Safari, drag the link to the bookmarks bar.

Minor caveats: running as a bookmarklet, Aardvark won't work in framed sites (but does anyone really use frames anymore?), and it doesn't seem to work in Gmail and a few other sites that work fine when running as a Firefox extension. In IE, "view source" is not nearly as pretty as it is on Firefox and Safari.

How to extend Aardvark

First, save the file exampleloader.js to your own machine (if you are running a web server) or your web host, and make sure it is in a directory where it can be seen as a web ("http://") file. You may name it anything you please. Then create a bookmark and cut and paste the following as the "address":javascript:document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(document.createElement('script')).setAttribute('src','http://localhost/exampleloader.js') (use the url of your file, of course).

Then, it's just a matter of editing the file to have it do your bidding. In the file are two examples of overriding commands, with extensive commenting. In addition, you will probably want to refer to the files aardvarkMain.js, aardvarkCommands.js, aardvarkUtils.js, aardvarkDBox.js which contain the Aardvark code (these are the identical files used for the Firefox extension).

All Aardvark functions and variables are members of a global object called aardvark. Note that this object is actually created in the loader file, but many members (such as all the Aardvark functions) are added to the aardvark object in the other Aardvark source files.

You may simply override any of these functions by assigning new functions to the member variables. You may also modify the commands array, aardvark.commands, by adding commands to it if you wish. Make sure that all such overriding is done in the "user callback" function....this function is called when all the rest of the Aardvark code is loaded.

Questions? email me: rob@karmatics.com

Copyright ©2005-2007 Karmatics, Inc., All Rights Reserved.

Why extend Aardvark?

• To have it help you develop and debug your own javascript web application, by having it call your own functions on elements you have selected
• To give Aardvark new and cool functionality that I haven't bothered with, such as being able to completely edit any element on a page
• To give it custom behavior that makes Aardvark more useful to you. Example: you can have it show the x and y coordinates of the element in the little yellow tag.

All I ask:

If you make your modifications to Aardvark public, I'd appreciate if you make it clear that people are using Aardvark, and don't hide the link to karmatics.com in the popup help. It's fine (in fact preferred) that you set it up so it pulls the main Aardvark files off my server, and put all your changes in the loader which you serve off your own server.