summary:

Simple address bar execution script to display quick info about the current visited page/URL.

usage:

paste in address bar and hit enter, or save as bookmark on your toolbar make sure it starts with javascript: name it whatever you want. easy!

➕ the source

javascript:!(function $(){
    var bs = '\n',
        p = 'origin: ' + location.origin + bs,
        a = 'title: ' + document.title + bs,
        g = 'href: ' + location.href + bs,
        e = 'hash: ' + location.hash + bs,
        i = 'agent: ' + navigator.userAgent + bs,
        n = 'last mod: ' + document.lastModified + bs,
        f = 'current: ' + new Date().toLocaleString() + bs + bs,
        o = 'this bookmarklet: (quine)' + bs + '(' + $ + ')()';

    var str = p + a + g + e + i + n + f + o;
    console.log(str);
    window.alert(decodeURIComponent(str));
})();

note: updated window.alert(decodeURIComponent(escape(str))); as FireFox isn’t fond of the call to escape().

Here’s a compacted version to highlight and drag to your bookmark bar:

javascript:(function $(){var bs='\n',p='origin: '+location.origin+bs,a='title: '+document.title+bs,g='href: '+location.href+bs,e='hash: '+location.hash+bs,i='agent: '+navigator.userAgent+bs,n='last mod: '+document.lastModified+bs,f='current: '+new Date().toLocaleString()+bs+bs,o='this bookmarklet (quine):'+bs+'(' + $ + ')()';var str=p+a+g+e+i+n+f+o;console.log(str);window.alert(decodeURIComponent(str));})();

details

No dependencies besides a compatible browser and a website not employing restrictions on inline scripts and bookmarks like CSP, etc. Output is a simul-display of current page info to both the dev console and alert box.

Of all my bookmarklets (even the one that’s a terminal stuffed in a bookmark), this one remains a fav I’m kinda proud of. Why? The self-referential mnemonic of the chain of variables spelling out it’s function. I was randomly inspired to employ this lexical inception, or poetic echo if you will.

Poetic code? Like “protected”, free artistic expression? U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan vs 2600 Hacker Quarterly

Finally and in keeping with our theme, it doesn’t get more directly self referential then the tail of the program output being…a copy of itself! We’d that particular self reproduction a “quine” in computer science, after philosopher Willard Van Orman Quine. Except, technically I think it can’t take input to be called that, but art and rules aren’t always compatible.

Anyway I think it’s cool and has proved useful. Hopefully you see some utility in it.

author: Ray Kooyenga aka @deadflowers

site: raykooyenga.com

gh pages rkooyenga.github.io

link to gist