Bookmark api for extensions to Xmarks support

Hey,
are they some news about adding bookmark api for extensions?
I really like Opera, but i not using it only because there are no Xmarks extension.
From Xmarks they said that still from more than 10 months they waiting when Opera will add bookmark api for extensions.
Other browsers like Firefox and Chrome have such things but Opera not - why?

+1,really. Though I would like to tell that a Xmarks employee said in October that Opera is working on a Bookmarks API for extensions.

Bump.

+1 Bookmarks API is a good idea.

+1
Not just for Xmarks. I wouldn't mind a tag based bookmark management tool extension and hope for a bookmarks API that lets such tools developed.

Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

Not just for Xmarks.

I don't care one iota about Xmarks.

Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

I wouldn't mind a tag based bookmark management tool extension and hope for a bookmarks API that lets such tools developed.

Exactly, although my potential goal doesn't go much beyond a simple dead-link checker.

Isn't it ironic none of those in this thread masquerading as Xmark enthusiasts have bothered to add their support for this proper feature wishlist topic, with a potential to gain support from a wider range of Opera users?

jop, seems like those ppl just want to flame around instead of doing something useful.
anyhow, a tentative +1 from my side, though I'm not sure if it couldn't be done already through the Opera Linc API (in contrast to XMarks Opera _does_ provide an API after all)

+1 for a Bookmarks API.

@mimi_s_mum: in my own case, I'm not press to look and answer everywhere about it. After all, I'm waiting for years, I'm not about a week. For the others ones, you might be right. Hope that I won't be alone.

Originally posted by serious:

anyhow, a tentative +1 from my side, though I'm not sure if it couldn't be done already through the Opera Linc API (in contrast to XMarks Opera _does_ provide an API after all)

If Opera weren't dropping support for Unite I might potentially be able to get on board with that, but since that's all decided and doen with I think it's instrumental to retain as much of the potential functionality offered by Unite as possible. (Besides that it just seems horribly inefficient to build something that can communicate with itself over HTTP, so even if possible I hardly think it'd be the preferred way of doing things — well, except for stuff like Xmarks perhaps.)

Originally posted by Joyfik:

Hope that I won't be alone.

Well, at least you are here, in a civilised discussion.

Originally posted by serious:

though I'm not sure if it couldn't be done already through the Opera Linc API (

A good question, actually. The request for a bookmarks API support was made in here on 17 December 2010. But after that, Lucideer actually asked about Link API in here, but has never got an answer.

lucideer.com/id/yadis.xrdf 1 year ago Given the two major relevant Opera announcements today - Opera Link API docs and extensions.. does this change things in any way for this bridge request?

Initially I got the order of the events wrong and thought the request for the Xmarks developer to loby for a bookmarks API came after lucideer's question (and introduction of the Opera Link API). But now, I've got the order right, I'm starting to wonder indeed why Xmarks devs have not said anything about Link API ...

Anyway, I still would like to see a bookmarks API that allows development of various bookmark management extensions/ mobile apps, including my wish for a tag based bookmark management tool.

[Addendum]
Rafael Luik also asked about Opera Link API here and here but got no answer.

Originally posted by Frenzie:

If Opera weren't dropping support for Unite I might potentially be able to get on board with that, but since that's all decided and doen with I think it's instrumental to retain as much of the potential functionality offered by Unite as possible. (Besides that it just seems horribly inefficient to build something that can communicate with itself over HTTP, so even if possible I hardly think it'd be the preferred way of doing things — well, except for stuff like Xmarks perhaps.)

The point I was trying to make is: if XMarks really wanted interoperability with Opera, they could just as well use the public Link API to push/pull content there from their own servers instead of relying on a client-side extension.

Originally posted by serious:

The point I was trying to make is: if XMarks really wanted interoperability with Opera, they could just as well use the public Link API to push/pull content there from their own servers instead of relying on a client-side extension.

Fair enough. I'd just like to see what kind of bookmarks-managing extensions people can cook up. Heck, I might implement a simple dead-link checker myself if I were slightly bored someday.

Hi everybody,

Yeaah ! I registered just to ask for this Bookmark API, hoping it will allow a xmarks extension to be developed for Opera desktop and mobile.
I would love it and it would be awesome !

It seems to me that a bookmark API should be as essential as food would be for human being. Opera has lots of features (mail, torrent, etc.), but before anything else : It's a "Web Browser". So it's about browsing the web and I may be wrong but it seems to me that the ability to manage my Bookmarks is pretty much a core feature. And of course Opera allows to manage your bookmark, but my point is the following:

A Bookmark API would allow devs to build extensions that could improve bookmarks management in many ways ! And since it is one of the most Basic Feature a browser can offer, the Developers might want to make it a priority for them, the users and thus the browser itself.

+1 Definitely

I see that some you spend lot of time on the community forum (Number of post). Thanks for vouching for the good features.

Keep up the good work ! Awesome Browser !

Hi Folks

+1 from me too.

Yes it's my first post, but please don't think less of me for being an Opera noob.

I think Opera & Xmarks are very well suited to each other for reasons already noted in other threads, so I just want to add my name to the list of people requesting tighter integration.

Thanks

I just wonder if an official Opera answer about it could be done ? To know if they are thinking about it or not at all.

There is an official comment from Haavard in this thread on Future Plans. The best you can hope for is a comment that they are aware of the issue. That should already be obvious anyway without any further comment.

I could provide links to feature requests that are 11 years old, going back to the very beginning of this forum, which are still not implemented. No one at Opera will comment about their priorities or future plans. Just accept that the developers are the ones who must decide on priorities, not users, however long we have been using Opera, let alone users of other browsers who occasionally use Opera.

Originally posted by Joyfik:

I just wonder if an official Opera answer about it could be done ?

Maybe after the Xmarks developers answer the question asked here? https://getsatisfaction.com/foxmarks/topics/opera_link_api_documentation_released_xmarks_to_support_opera_soon

Thank for the link Pesala, now I know that Opera Staff read and treat some request, but that I can't expect an answer.
I can understand that the priority is to those who use Opera everyday, however I believe that is a good think for Opera to expand its users through this Bookmark api but not only.
At the moment, I don't think a webmaster (professional one) will spend his time to check if his website is ok with Opera.

Originally posted by "mimi_s_mum":

Maybe after the Xmarks developers answer the question asked here? https://getsatisfaction.com/foxmarks/topics/opera_link_api_documentation_released_xmarks_to_support_opera_soon

Answer from Bob, Xmarks Employee.
https://getsatisfaction.com/foxmarks/topics/when_do_we_get_an_opera_version_of_xmarks#reply_4093705

Joyfik: not really, the question posed is why xmark doesn't want to use the server-side Opera Link API but insists on waiting for a client-side bookmarks api.

First, +1 to the Bookmark API, or whatever else the X-Marks devs need. Two software vendors should be able to get together over the phone or direct email. It is unprofessional to expect that one vendor should post in another's forum area in order to communicate. I don't know if that's the case in actuality, but it seems to be the expectation from some here.

Second, as an IT professional of almost 20 years, I find the suggestion that developers should prioritize what they think is important regardless of what the users want, and that users should eagerly accept that, extremely troubling and more than a little condescending. I doubt that the (apparent) moderator will, in fact, reexamine and moderate his tone, but felt the need to point it out nonetheless.

I use Opera Mini on both of my mobiles. On my laptop I use four different browsers, depending upon the need. I prefer Opera x64 because it's lightning fast, but find myself using other browsers specifically because of the X-Marks functionality. I have many machines that I use, and as part of my job I remote into dozens of servers per day, as I am responsible for over 140. Part of why I use X-Marks is because I can log into the website and access my bookmarks - ALL of my bookmarks - from those servers. It's slow but it works, and it's better than typing in URLs with complex strings. Those servers do not have, and do not need, Opera. Unfortunately, having to work around the missing feature in Opera means that I don't use it as often as I'd like, because the time consuming workarounds mitigate the time saved working in the faster browser. For example, it is usually most efficient to copy a URL from Opera into another browser to bookmark it than to try to do anything with the Opera bookmarks.

So yes - the availability of X-Marks in Opera would considerably improve my life. And yes, I've been waiting for over a year for the feature. Yes, it would dramatically increase my use of Opera. And yes, I did just create this account, specifically to make this comment, because this is an important feature to me. I'm not a troll, and I certainly don't waste my time scanning forums unless I'm trying to fix a problem that needs to be fixed. For me this is that kind of problem.

Originally posted by patrickinchicago:

I find the suggestion that developers should prioritize what they think is important regardless of what the users want, and that users should eagerly accept that, extremely troubling and more than a little condescending.

I find it extremely condescending that part-time Opera users think that they should decide what Opera's priorities should be. I don't care if Xmarks users are eager to accept the way things are or not, but there it is. Xmarks users do not decide Opera's priorities, and neither do Opera users.

No one said that the developers should decide their priorities regardless of what users want — they should weigh up the pros and cons of each request, and decide which can be implemented with the development resources available, without prejudicing their own plans.

They are working on many features like HWA that I don't need, and dropping several that I find useful like Unite and Voice support. That's a loss for me, but they have to think of all of their users, and decide on their own priorities. I understand that — do you? After 20 years as a developer I think you should by now.

Originally posted by patrickinchicago:

Part of why I use X-Marks is because I can log into the website and access my bookmarks - ALL of my bookmarks

So why not log in to Opera Link and access your bookmarks from there from any browser on any PC?

Originally posted by patrickinchicago:

First, +1 to the Bookmark API,

Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

Not just for Xmarks. I wouldn't mind a tag based bookmark management tool extension and hope for a bookmarks API that lets such tools developed.

Personally I don't see the point of further discussing whether developers should or should not communicate or how they should set priorities. As the exchange between serious, me, Joyfik has a kind of proved, developers do not necessarily answer questions users ask, but somehow an answer emerges. The Xmarks developer Bob, whose comment Joyfik referred, said '... we reached out to them and are waiting for some specific functionality in their new extension interface. We have been told it is coming.' That's the all information we need and we would get, isn't it?

My wild speculation is something new and big will be coming, possibly in a form of Unite Widget platforms replacement, that will also allow a wide range of exciting developments (extensions, mobile apps, etc), including what the Xmarks developers needed.


@Pesala
I've said previously and more than once, I have a huge respect for you and value your contributions in these forums highly. But in this particular case , you seem looking at one tree and forgetting about the entire scene, not thinking how the forest stand would look when you chop down the tree and drag it off. If you know how I mean ...

In most companies, developers don't set priorities - that's done by market research and project managers. I'd be surprised if Opera Software was any different.

Most people don't use multiple browsers. For those that do, there are already several external programs that can read and modify Opera bookmarks (while the browser is closed of course). For those that use Opera on multiple computers (and other devices) Opera has Opera Sync. So that would already cover the majority of Opera users. There could certainly be some demand for "social bookmarking" support, making it easier for you to send a bookmark to a social bookmarking site or easier to add a bookmark found on such a site ... but I doubt if people want to upload all their bookmarks (including banking sites or corporate sites) to such a site where everyone (or just your "friends") could see it, and likewise not everything suggested by others would be worthwhile to you, so I don't see any sort of completely automatic exchange of bookmarks being supported generally.

Originally posted by mimi_s_mum:

But in this particular case , you seem looking at one tree and forgetting about the entire scene, not thinking how the forest stand would look when you chop down the tree and drag it off. If you know how I mean ...

I have no idea what you mean. I am just letting people know how things work here based on ten years of reading wish-list threads and seeing how many eventually get implemented — which is only when the developers decide to do it. Don't you remember how long people nagged for HTML email and inline spell-check? Now copy text with formatting is finally on the way.

I see very little interest in Xmarks support. Whatever, people should look for other solutions while they're waiting instead of getting frustrated and accusing the developers of not listening to their users, etc.

Originally posted by sgunhouse:

In most companies, developers don't set priorities - that's done by market research and project managers. I'd be surprised if Opera Software was any different.

Originally posted by Pesala:

I am just letting people know how things work here based on ten years of reading wish-list threads and seeing how many eventually get implemented

Valid point and a good cause. However neither is on topic of this particular thread about a request for a bookmarks API for Xmarks.

Yes, the title includes Xmarks, but some non-Xmarks users, including myself, added their votes for a general bookmarks API for wider use and potentials. It would be a bloody shame if this tread turns into another off topic discussion flame throwing thread like the ones that got closed already.

This will be my last contribution to this thread. I will search for another wish-list topic for a general bookmarks API support. If there isn't one, I might even start one myself.

Another vote for Xmarks in Opera.

There is REST API in Opera Link. You can code a script to sync Opera Link Bookmark and Xmark.

btw, +1 for bookmark api

Originally posted by jirayu16563:

...You can code a script to sync Opera Link Bookmark and Xmark.
...

That's interesting. Have you more details about it?

see my post further up the thread: http://my.opera.com/community/forums/topic.dml?id=1121642&t=1348905155&page=1#comment12995642

Oh sorry about the miss serious.

Thanks for the link.

+1 for bookmark api
I really need Xmarks. There is no way that I can sync my bookmarks with Firefox & Google Chrome.

+1for xmarks support or synchronisation with other browsers. i use firefox for some of the add-ons (zotero in particular), & to a lesser extent chrome; also ie9 at work and on my current phone. opera's my favourite, but managing bookmarks becomes a real pain and i find i'm using it less for this reason, despite its ace tab mangement and general record of innovative excellence.

+1

+1. Waiting for years for Xmarks for Opera and many people want it.

Sigh. People point out gaping holes in Opera. Arrogant fanbois defend. Opera take no notice. Rinse and repeat.

I don't care who Opera listen to for feature requests but with consistent browser share like this then they better start listening to somebody else. Anybody else.

Back to Google Chrome...

1+

+1 for a bookmark API that enables great extensions (don't much care about Xmarks)

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Fair enough. I'd just like to see what kind of bookmarks-managing extensions people can cook up. Heck, I might implement a simple dead-link checker myself if I were slightly bored someday.

Agreed. See for example Bookmark Checker?

Damn! How much times we must asking for Bookmarks API before it happens and they'll work?!

Maybe there is some news about subject?

Okay, for example, what to use it for:
- Deadlink checker;
- Managing duplicates (Opera Link's interface is crappy for this. AM-Deadlink is better);
- Marking links on web-page as already bookmarked;
- Syncing, Backup, Similar suggestions, etc.;
- Using extension for planning with bookmarks;
- Direct bookmarks sharing and exchanging;
- Tagging bookmarks;
- And a lots more...

Am I right, colleagues? Isn't it really useful?
Our collective brain can generate a lot more practic examples I swear! But we need a tool. We need the solution!

sorry for pathetic

Originally posted by Alfa2male:

Using extension for planning with bookmarks;

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that?

Originally posted by Frenzie:

Originally posted by Alfa2male:

Using extension for planning with bookmarks;

I'm not quite sure what you mean by that?

I meant some non-existent abstract extension (useful possibly only for me) that can be used for plan whick bookmark to visit later (by priority, for example or with reminder). Is it more clear now?

+1

The single reason i don't open Opera more often is because I can't get my bookmarks in it in an unobstrusive way, i.e. syncing from my other clients. XMarks is just the de-facto standard for cross-browser bookmarks, but others may do it as well, and there would be other uses for the API as other forum denizens have already stated.

Originally posted by Alfa2male:

I meant some non-existent abstract extension (useful possibly only for me) that can be used for plan whick bookmark to visit later (by priority, for example or with reminder). Is it more clear now?

I think so.

+1,000,000

First, I am NOT a new Opera user; I started using Opera with version 2 and have had it on every machine I have owned since then and all of my employees have Opera on their machines. I have commented on this forum before but I have forgotten my password and email address for my account so I had to create a new username to make this posting. I created the first hack of Opera and invented a couple of the features you find in this browser today. I required my employer (a major top 100 .com company) to fix their site so it works with Opera. I created this account specifically because I want X-marks for Opera, that is how passionate I feel about this issue.

The most important reason why Opera should implement a Bookmark API is because it would increase the Opera user base. If a user is contemplating a move to a new browser utilities which help in that transition should be paramount in importance. X-Marks makes trying out Opera risk free: you can import your bookmarks without difficulty and if you decide you don't want to use Opera you have access to your bookmarks in your old browser already. What many potential Opera users are saying is that without this feature they do not want to risk using opera and being stuck manually migrating a bunch of bookmarks.

Expanding the Opera user base should be Opera's highest priority. A strong userbase will make Opera more profitable because the power of a strong userbase will attract more Opera mobile customers who want to leverage that userbase to promote their own product.

Another key reason Opera should support X-marks is the fundamental change we are seeing in the computer industry where people are leaving their computer at work and are surfing the Internet on their tablet. By definition these customers work on multiple computers / browsers and they want access to their bookmarks on all their machines. X-Marks is an ideal solution. Opera's strength in the mobile industry aligns with this reality quite nicely. But then Opera lacks the one key feature all of these new potential customers need - convenient bookmark migration capability. It makes no sense to restrict users to an outdated business strategy.

As commented earlier, the decision to add this feature should be made by the Opera marketing department. Opera has a history of making huge strategic marketing blunders. Charging consumers for the browser for so many years limited user growth and was largely responsible for Google's decision NOT to acquire Opera and work with the less mature Konqueror code instead. Why pay for something with no users? In Google's eyes no users = problem with the product or problem with the development team / company.

Opera should do EVERYTHING they possibly can to attract NON-Opera users. Supporting X-Marks is one huge feature which could increase Opera users.

Originally posted by charliep8:

+1,000,000
As commented earlier, the decision to add this feature should be made by the Opera marketing department. Opera has a history of making huge strategic marketing blunders. Charging consumers for the browser for so many years limited user growth and was largely responsible for Google's decision NOT to acquire Opera and work with the less mature Konqueror code instead. Why pay for something with no users? In Google's eyes no users = problem with the product or problem with the development team / company.

Opera should do EVERYTHING they possibly can to attract NON-Opera users. Supporting X-Marks is one huge feature which could increase Opera users.

This. I've commented earlier on this issue on another thread (once). I've been using Opera now and then for quite some time now, I'm mostly a Chrome user, but since I work as a web developer, I tend to switch back and fort from Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer testing out my web pages on my desktop computer, and using Chrome, Firefox and the integrated web browser on Android.

Since I use xmarks to synchronize my bookmarks, I have them all ready on my desktop browsers, and Chrome Sync / Firefox Sync push them to my Android devices. I've been letting Opera slip away more often, since I don't even bother to test my pages on it, and since my bookmarks are not synced to Opera, there's even more reasons to ignore it for my personal use.

I know there are countless browsers to choose from, and I already chose mine, but if Opera had features that are now standard on other browses (like a bookmars API), it would still be open on my taskbar with frequent use, instead of just taking up space on my hard drive.

I find Xmarks on Opera an important feature for me, it is so that I even have google alerts for it!

I have used Opera since its early days, starting with the first version, if I remember correctly. I kept using it as my main browser for many years, particularly liking the fact that Bookmarks could be kept open in a left sidebar. The note saving was nice too.

I'm now referring to Opera in the past tense because I pretty much quit using it because it's not possible to sync bookmarks across browsers. Instead I use Firefox and Chrome. I suspect Opera has lost market share because of this lack of support for Xmarks. (See http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp which demonstrates the Opera has steadily lost market share since January 2012.) And it's a shame, because Opera is still a good browser.

After so many years of requests, why can Opera developers not implement a way of using the inter-browser standard of Xmarks?

I still use Opera mini on my Android device because nothing works better to render non-responsive sites on my phone. But even there it would be a big help to be able to keep a local copy of my Xmarks on my phone.

+1

As someone else who has come from Chrome/Safari/Firefox on the Mac which are buggy and crash-prone, major reason for using XMarks is not having to worry where I saved that bookmark, it's always there...

This is a major disappointment, I expected there to be a full XMarks addon for Opera, I mean DolphinHD of all things on Android has it, so why not Opera? And if Opera Link works, I can't see why they can't integrate that with Xmarks so at least Opera Link > Xmarks works?

And looking around I see for 2-3 years ago all these posts from the people behind Opera saying it's on their 'roadmap' - I can lend you a GPS if you like? Because it sounds like you've lost your roadmap and are currently lost near Coober Pedy without any water...

Very very poor.

Opera is my primary browser. I love it and damn it's fast (sorry Chrome, the whole experience is what counts, not gimmicks).

It has great performance, keyboard navigation, mouse gestures, tabs, etc all under the hood ... a lot of the nice things got and get here first.

Unfortunately not all websites love it back (not even with the proper extensions) nor I have control of all workstations I use.

Therefore, on a daily basis, I use Opera whenever I'm allowed but I usually have a 32/64 bits Firefox flavor on the side with a hint of Chrome.

So... Opera Link is not enough for me, not even by a stretch. I need to have some way to synchronize my bookmarks across multiple browsers and multiple Platforms: FreeBSD, Select your Linux Flavor, Windows XP/7/8, etc.

You can say that I am not your average user and you might be right but is it so hard to just open the API for the bookmarks? This will not be the thing that will undermine the my.opera.com effort. my.opera.com dies or lives because of the community and because IT is a community. The bookmarks are just icing on the cake.

Really, please just let them go. This is really not a technical issue. I urge management to just help out so that we have proper extensions for Pocket and XMarks.

Some of these niceties are essential for a proper Mobile experience. For instance, I can't use Android share feature to Opera Link (hint hint) but I can to both Pocket and Xmarks.

As a technological road warrior, I just want my bookmarks synced when I get back to my Opera.

+1

Xmarks please!!! Cannot close yourself with replicating bookmarks only in Opera.

+1
I'll ad my count for Xmarks.