Search Engine Plugins for Firefox to get directly to specific Oracle Patches, Metalink Notes, Bugs

Revisited again 30-NOV-2010: Following the ARU change I've updated the Patch search engine (file orapatch.xml)

Update: The Note and Bug search engines (files oranote.xml and orabug.xml) have been updated post upgrade to My Oracle Support (MOS).

Navigating directly to a specific Oracle Patch, Metalink Note or Bug is a bit of a chore. Not to mention Metalink / My Oracle Support (MOS) could do with a mobile interface to speed things up & sidestep that Flash! Cut'n'pasting from my text file with the URL templates was getting tedious. So with inspiration from Eddie Awad's posts, I've put together three custom Firefox Search Engines, well, not really Search Engines, but "I'm Feeling Lucky" engines. You gotta know the Patch/Note/Bug number you wanna get to:

• OraPatch: Javascript Install or grab the XML file.
• OraNote: Javascript Install or grab the XML file.
• OraBug: Javascript Install or grab the XML file.

Once you've installed them, hit Control-K, choose the Patch, Note or Bug "search engine" (Control-Down Arrow), enter or paste the exact Patch, Note or Bug number, hit enter and voila, you're there ... if you're logged into the target site!

Give it a try: e.g. Patch 5612820, Note 444524.1, Bug 6074498.

If you get the XML files, put them in your C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\searchplugins folder (or similar), restart your browser and you'll be up and running!

If you need a generic Metalink search engine in the same vain look here.

PS. You will need your Metalink (MOS) username/password to get to the target pages.

PPS. Hoping Oracle doesn't change the URL structures 2 minutes after I post this ;-) Let me know if I don't notice when that happens!

References

• Firefox Add-ons Search Engines
• Base64 Online for converting search engine icon images (16x16pixel png) to base64 and back.

    Eddie's posts:

• AskTom Search Engine Plugin Revived
• See How Easily You Can Search Oracle
• Oracle Firefox search plugin
• Oracle Metalink Firefox search plugin

Related Posts

• Firefox with eBusiness Suite: Oracle JInitiator Plugin does not start - always get "must install plugin", Vista, Patch 5397653
• Enhancing the Oracle eBusiness Suite 11i/12 Homepage Menu via Firefox, Greasemonkey, XPath, Javascript & DOM: aka Foxiness Menus