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Bookmarklets are better – Here’s Why

Bookmarklets are better than apps and why

Bookmarklets are awesome. Bookmarklets are better when compared to installing extensions or apps in browsers. Bookmarklets are defined as thus in Wikipedia –

“Simply, a bookmarklet is similar to a bookmark and is saved in the same manner. But bookmarklets include functionality, in the form of JavaScript commands. One common usage example is a Google Search bookmarklet. This allows you to select some text on a webpage, click the bookmarklet, and you’re then presented with a Google search results page listing what you had selected.”

Bookmarks are better image
You can easily organize your Bookmarklets as you wish, just like ordinary bookmarks.

So what are Bookmarklets

Simply put they are bookmarks that not only may navigate you to a particular webpage but also execute a little script when you click on it. So what are its advantages?

Bookmarklets are better than extensions or apps because :-

  • They are lighter – When you install extensions or apps to Google Chrome or extensions to Firefox or other browsers they take up memory to run on their own. They are applications which run all the time you use your browser. Bookmarklets on the other hand are used only when you click them. When you click, it does its job and clears itself from the memory. That is because Bookmarklets are simply pieces of Javascript code that run when you click on them. So they are not applications but still manage to do the job.
    So they use no primary or (almost)secondary memory, use practically no CPU time.
  • They are easy to manage – Unlike extensions or apps, bookmarklets are better because you can manage them as you wish. If you feel, stacking them according their utilities help you, you can do that. If you want to be clumsy you can do that. Go through this post to know how you can make full use of that
  • Platform and Software Independent – Google Chrome extensions just won’t work on Firefox. The vice versa is also true.However Bookmarklets are better because the same bookmarklet can be used on different browsers and on almost every platform. The only requirement is that the browser should be able to run javascript code.

So if you are suffering from lack of memory due to running bloated Google Chrome or Firefox, you may cut down on your plugins and extensions and instead use their bookmarklets.

You don’t miss any work and your primary memory and CPU can breathe easy. Here’s a list of some of the bookmarklets that will let you do the job without burdening your system.

A word of caution though: Even though bookmarklets are better than installing and using tens of extensions, you must make sure the bookmarklets themselves are safe. Javascript codes can do damage otherwise. Ensure that you download the bookmarklets from their respective websites or other reputed sites only. Better, go through the code once.

So enjoy using your bookmarklet driven browsing and please don’t forget to share this post. Thanks!

By Sarthak Ganguly

A programming aficionado, Sarthak spends most of his time programming or computing. He has been programming since his sixth grade. Now he has two websites in his name and is busy writing two books. Apart from programming, he likes reading books, hanging out with friends, watching movies and planning wartime strategies.

One reply on “Bookmarklets are better – Here’s Why”

That is a great tip especially to those new to the blogosphere.
Short but very accurate info… Many thanks for sharing this one.
A must read article!

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