Addons Site Interface and Search (addons.mozilla.org)

Asa Dotzler (blog) - Firefox and more: new addons site public preview "new addons site public preview",
The web dev team have just announced that the next generation addons site is now available for preview and feedback.  New features include improved l10n, a better review system, threaded discussions, a unified login for developers and users, and improved search.  Posted by Asa Dotzler - Jan 3, 2007   http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2007/01/new_addons_site.html

There were in fact no improvements to the extensions search and the discussion below on Asa's blog degenerated one person posting 3 times wanting to bookmark their favorite search results or something to that effect.

Instead of being an improved search the Advanced Search disappeared.  [See Bug 372841 – Bring back the advanced search options from v2 to Remora    The problems with the search that existed before Remora were as follows:

[support group would like some tangible evidence of  numbers of  additional questions asked in support groups, because users can't use the Advanced Search and I presume should also include  all requests for extensions because we can't point to a url for them to conduct their own Advanced Search.]

• The Advanced Search could only be reached after using the basic search box, since it did not have a URL, so could not be bookmarked and could not be pointed to directly to users.
• There was no link to a page of search options, so you don't even know what areas are being searched on.  I found that single words worked best and if you had multiple words you were better off if they were entered in alphabetical order.
• It had been possible; however, to reference the Advanced search by filling in what you wanted for basics: Platform (operating system), Extensions (/Themes), category (All is a choice), how many hits you wanted per page (the default is a useless 10), and what order (alpha, rating (popularity contest), category} then to use the "Add to Engines" extension to be able to effect an advanced search from the Search engines Add to Search Bar, by Malte Kraus (Dr. Evil) https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3682
• Even the simple search was made very annoying by redimensioning the search entry box as you begin to type.
• The former and very useful verbose search results listing with much detail about each extension has been replaced with a minimal search results listing with no detail and there is no choice as to what you get, there are now only pretty pictures that provide little information instead of detailed description.  These are really short descriptions like short 1 or 2 sentences simiarl to what you get from the Extensions stored description that you see in Listzilla or InfoLister.
• The title banner has quite thankfully been made smaller, but now shares the same blurred vision curvature of the default FF tabs, at least there is nothing important that has be be read on it. Change for the sake of change, definitely not an improvement.
• There are more screen shots for the extensions, but they are too small to read, and clicking on a screen shot to make it bigger doesn't do much to help.  You at least should be able to read the writing.  As it is you can't even tell difference between text and graphics.

The following items have been removed or moved from the bottom of the page, and harder to find

• Previously the download size and versions appeared in the install button, now they are outside of the install button and the download size is below the developer comments so man not even be near the install button.
• The author's site is no longer identified at the bottom, but as a link to the author's name at the top of the page.
• Category and keywords that used to be at the bottom are now missing keywords probably only appeared briefly.
• Similar Extensions has been moved from the bottom to the sidebar, where it does not belong and is the only thing related to the extension that is listed on the sidebar.

AMO Advanced Search Interface (#interface)

template="https://addons.mozilla.org/search.php?sourceid=Mozilla-search
&app=firefox&q={searchTerms}&cat=null&type=E&appfilter=firefox
&platform=5&date=null&sort=newest&perpage=50&app=firefox"

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search?q=context&status=4&show=50

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=site%3Aaddons.mozilla.org
+inurl%3Afirefox+install-now+-inurl%3Arecommended
+-inurl%3Aversions+-inurl%3Aphp+%S

Template Design (#template)

definition for usage:

implementation: main context and/or link context and/or tabs/context and/or Tools menu and/or View menu and/or sidebar and/or shortcut key and/or user form where you see results: sidebar | dialog | web screen

Setting options for the extension:

Indicate where options if any are set by the user.

List of keywords: having to do the Firefox, TB, etc.,

and up to 5 additional keywords in a list of keywords should be at the bottom of the extension.  Nothing concerning an individual extension should be on the sidebar, except perhaps to include all categories and highlight the category the current extension is in.

Dependencies:

Is the extension dependent on another extension.  Are there recommended extensions that enhance usage of this extension.

Button, icon:

What does the main toolbar button, or status bar icon look like that you might see when the extension is enabled (probably not a problem as most extensions have their own symbol that is shown at addons.

Additional Things that hurt Addons (#twostepsback)

• Sandbox, major problems have currently been alleviated somewhat for "existing" addons, but whether anyone will be able to add new material without being an experienced writer or commercial enterprise remains to be seen.  My suggestion would be to get rid of the sandbox interface as it exists for addons that have been previously accepted and mark the extension as having additional sandbox entries, author,  or modification entries and a link.
  
• The versioning requirements sound like a good idea, and are not new,  but for many extensions it has proved very impractical, because
  

• most very small extensions are unaffected by versions of Firefox
• written as a proof of concept with no intention of updating because they work.
  certainly extension writers are going to disappear one way or another, but like newsgroup postings be good or of interest for many years.
• Loss of previous comments and discussions, while many were out of date, and made by many who can't read what the extension does, the comments did provide much insight and some workarounds, links to upgrades.
• Changing the links from http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/xxxxx to https://addons.mozilla.org/(language-Country)/firefox/addon/xxxxx which for me that would be https://addons.mozilla.org//en-US/firefox/addon/xxxxx hurts and was it really necessary? Hopefully they can continue to be written as links to help "everyone".
  
• Keep in mind that addons.mozilla.org is not the only place to get addons and if it become unwieldy there are still other places to obtain extensions including:
• Extension Room (extensionroom.mozdev.org)
• The Extensions Mirror -> Firefox Extensions Forum (forum.addonsmirror.net/index.php?showforum=2)
• Web pages that list and/or summarize extensions such as my own Firefox Customization (notes)
• Searching the internet for Firefox extensions.

Related   (#related)

• Add a Customized Search Engine to FIND Extensions at * addons.mozilla.org/firefox (of course this no longer works) http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/firefox/firefox.htm#moreext
• Google Groups Search Orientation
• Nothing to do with Mozilla, but the Google Groups search has deteriorated into a very unwieldy time consuming interface to results, where everyone has to go back and forth many times just to read a thread, change options, and being slammed with irrelevant extra columns that you need to use a bookmarklet to get .