My Opera Notebook

Previously, I introduced an Editor for Opera's Search Engine. This time, I'm going to share what I learned while using this tool to create a complete search engine list. Yes, you don't need two sets of search.ini in order for Opera to work properly - Opera only need one set of search.ini in the Profile folder! Here is how to do it:

Legend
search.ini = Default/standard version of Opera search engine list
search.ini = Modified version, only available if you added/removed/modified any search engine.
search.ini = Complete search engine list, merged both Default & Modified versions together.
Profile folder = Folder store all your personal data & settings.
Installation folder = Folder store Opera's execution files, usually located in C:\Program Files\Opera

Before we start, make sure you're using version 0.3 or later. In this tutorial, I assumed you have already added some custom search engines. If you never added/removed/modified the search engine list, then you just need to move the default search.ini from the Opera installation folder into your Profile folder to get the complete search.ini.

1. Shutdown Opera & locate the default search.ini from the Opera installation folder, we will use it as the "base" to create a complete search.ini.

2. After you opened the default search.ini with SearchEdit, go to Edit > Import > Merge search.ini's

3. From the dialog, locate & choose the search.ini from your Profile folder to be merged with the default search.ini.

4. After the merged, edit it to your heart's content, saved it when you're done! You should have a complete search.ini & a search.ini1.bak (Backup copy of default search.ini) inside Opera installation folder.

5. Finally, replace the search.ini in your Profile folder with the newly created search.ini.

NOTE: If you did it correctly, there should be only one complete search.ini left in the profile folder, & there won't be any other search.ini in the installation folder except the search.ini1.bak.

That's it! Now you can restart Opera & check the Search Engine list to make sure it's exactly the way you want it to be. You can reorder/modified the search.ini with SearchEdit again if you not satisfy with the result.


What's the advantage of using only one complete search.ini?
1. Opera won't overwrite the complete search.ini with the default search.ini, because there is no default search.ini!

2. The order of the search engines will be in the exact order you see in SearchEdit, no need to mess with the default search.ini.

3. When you add/remove/modified any search engine in Opera, it will be merged with the complete search.ini automatically - you only need to take care of one set of list instead of two.

4. You only need to delete the default search.ini after upgrade or clean installation (need backup copy of complete search.ini) to restore your previous complete search engine list.

NOTE: Make sure you always kept a backup copy of the complete search.ini!

Last time, we discussed about using Hotkey to evoke a Search Engines List. This time, we are going to use Mouse Gesture instead. Plus a bonus: Search with last accessed Search Engines quickly!

1. Go to Preferences(Ctrl+F12) > Advanced > Shortcuts > Mouse Setup.
(& create a new mouse setup, if you didn't do that already)

2. Double-click on a Mouse setup you want to use, then select Application section.

3. Click on "New" button to create a new shortcut & input: GestureRight, GestureDown, & add actions: Show popup menu, "Internal Search With". Hit Enter once.

4. Click on "New" button again to create another new shortcut: GestureRight, GestureDown, FlipBack, & add the following action: Hotclick search, 200. Hit Enter once & OK twice.

Now, you can evoke the Search Engines List with GestureRight, GestureDown. The advantage of using MG is the list will popup beside the pointer & you can select Search Engine faster too. When you want to search a different text from the same page with last accessed Search Engine, just highlight the text & perform GestureRight, GestureDown, FlipBack!

NOTE: GestureRight, GestureDown, FlipBack MG is performed by Right-click(holding), move Right, & Down, then Left-click without let go of the Right button.