Tip: tuning up Google Chrome / Firefox to search @ our help and support web sites faster

Both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox support search shortcuts (or custom search providers): if you prefix an URL you enter by one of keywords, the browser transforms the text behind that keyword to URL by a customizable rule, and opens it.

I'm going to show how to tune up Chrome to add a set of useful search shortcuts for help.x-tensive.com and support.x-tensive.com. Steps for Mozilla Firefox must be very similar.

Open "Options" page in Chrome, and click "Manage" button at "Default search" section there:

You must see nearly the following page. I already configured 3 custom search providers in my browser:

To add these 3 providers, click on "Add" button and fill the form as follows:

Repeating this once more:

And finally (full URL here is "http://support.x-tensive.com/search/?q=%s&t=question"):

As result, you'll be able to search through our help and support web sites faster.

Type "xh " in address bar:

Then, type a keyword to find in help index:

And hit "Enter". The result:

Adding similar search shortcuts for StackOverflow and MSDN is a good idea as well :)

Alex Yakunin's blog:

• Simple audit logging with DO4: code + some analysis of DO4 brains :)
• Default logging mode in DO4 is changed
• Thoughts: what must be done ASAP to improve v.4.2?
• Link: "Volatile keyword in C# – memory model explained"
• DataObjects.Net v4.2 is released!
• Help Server v3.0.1 is released!
• News & links to new topics in furum
• Alternative DataObjects.Net download location
• Versions and locking tests (code samples for Manual): the links
• DataObjects.Net v4.2 RC2 is available
• My Google Buzz feed
• X-tensive.com is updated (warning: beta version!)
• DataObjects.Net v4.2 RC is available
• Test pass results
• Support for connection strings and new way of setting default schema
• I'm back ;)
• The purpose of ProxyKeyGenerator
• Quest of the day
• New chapter in Manual: "Hacker's guide to DataObjects.Net"
• One more Manual update
• Why there is no [DebuggerSkipThrownException(typeof(...))]?
• Preliminary version of DataObjects.Net Manual in PDF
• DisconnectedState, OperationSet, events and operation logging
• Happy New Year!
• LINQ is nice: the same problem solved by different LINQ queries
• Testing new version of Help Server

Dmitri Maximov's blog:

• Denis Krjuchkov vs. Oracle
• DataObjects.Net 4.2 RC’s health status
• Google URL shortener for everyone
• Microsoft Sql Server CE 3.5 provider for DataObjects.Net 4
• File sync problem and possible solutions
• A code quality assessment concept
• Ayende on Dependency Injection
• Updates on the development process
• A frank confession
• Query preprocessors, Inversion of control & Localization support LINQ translator extension
• Logging, part 3. Configuring logging through log4net
• Logging, part 2. Architecture & configuration
• Logging, part 1. Introduction

Alex Kofman's blog:

• Persistent Hierarchies and Key Generators
• New WPF sample
• WPF applications and DataObjects.Net

Denis Krjuchkov's blog (new!):

• LINQ
• Unified storage level exceptions
• PostSharp is going closed source
• Practice of functional programming
• Oracle challenge
• Yep, I'm here

Alex Ilyin's blog (new!):

• WPF Resources
• CSLA – First impression
• Code quality test
• Inventing Log module
• Web forms and ASP.NET MVC
• Between Tirany and Democracy

P.S. Guys, sorry, but I just decided to share your Skype pics here - people should know your real nature :)

// Actually I did this just to add some colors. And I know they don't read comments.

Icons in online help

What do you think about such icons in TOC of our online help? Neither .HxS, nor .chm contain any information about TOC icons, but we've found a good way to add them - and this is fully customizable.

This new feature will be available in the nearest Help Server update.