These examples all have simple URLs, but they don't have to. I once built up a complex Google query to find XKCD cartoons by keyword: xkcd %s site:xkcd.com -site:forums.xkcd.com -site:fora.xkcd.com -site:blag.xkcd.com. Of course, I saved it as a bookmarklet. Now any time I want to search for a cartoon, all I have to do is type xkcd keywords.
Simple bookmarklets are a great timesaver and a lot of fun -- give them a try! In the next installment, I'll describe more complex bookmarklets, the sort that use Javascript. They're even more powerful!
Akkana Peck is a freelance programmer whose credits include a tour as a Mozilla developer. She's also the author of Beginning GIMP: From Novice to Professional
This article was first published on LinuxPlanet.com.