Alias Links updates

Recent updates on Alias Links:

1. Design is more friendly now. Alias can be edited, deleted easily. Make sure you save it after that. I'll plan to auto save it.
2. Syncing data across machines is enabled now. Syncing happens only when your chrome is singed in with your account. If you are not signed in, you still be able to access your local aliases.
3. If alias does not exists and you try to access it, it will simply redirect to google search.
4. If you want to see the full url of alias, just put the mouse over it, it will hover the text.
5. Fixed few hidden bugs.

If you want to change the ominbox keyword "a" to customize language specific keyboard letter then please follow the following steps.

1. Right click on the address bar of chrome. you will see few options like below:

    or go to chrome://settings/searchEngines from address bar and follow the 3rd step.

2. click on "Edit search engines.." the last options.
3. Another popup will appear which will enlist all the search engines you have in your chrome. Scroll to the end of the list and see the section saying "Search engines added by extensions"
4. Look for "Alias Links" in the list and change the letter from "a" to whatever you want to keep and hit "Done". Below screenshot may be helpful.

Here is the current design snapshot of Alias Links:

"There is never a wrong time to do the right things."

Alias Links

Alias Links

(Chrome Extension)

Alias Links is specially for those people who hate to use mouse. This extension will let you to keep short single word names for your URLs that you feel difficult to remember. It's always easy to relate things with real objects and hence that's why we never forget real objects name and things related to them. For these related things we may not be able to remember their names but we can explain them. 
For example, I never remember the login page url for ICICI bank web site. So I kept a small word "bank" as an alias for login page url of ICICI bank. Whenever I type bank on address bar. It will take me to ICICI login page. So now I don't need to navigate page 3-4 times for the same purpose. When you use bookmark extension, you may have to click atleast twice and then you will go to the desired url. 
So basically, you keep a small name for a particular url whatever the first thing pops up in your head after looking at the site pages. You alias the link url to that name and save it. Next time whenever you type that name in the address bar you will be redirected to that site.
           Example:
             Alias               Links
             dashboard       https://chrome.google.com/webstore/developer/dashboard

To avoid the google search redirect page, use "a" and space in the address bar and then write the alias name.

There is a search query option as well where we can set any name and "+"(so it will become "name+") for name and then add link "http://www.google.com/images?q=" for google images search and save it. Now to use this type "name word" 

           Example:
             Alias                 Links
               i+                    http://www.google.com/images?q=
      
To use this functionality, write "i gallardo" in address bar then it will redirect you to gallardo google image page.

Import/Export Alias Links:

You can sync all your chrome data with multiple computers where you are running chrome. Please follow this link http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=185277 . If you want only extension data to be synchronized then select only extensions form the options given in above link.


I wanted to do it but I think javascript is not secure to store files on local machine and even this is not encouraged to do.  If you want to shift your Alias Links only, from one computer to another without using chrome sync options, then you can do with following steps.

1. Find "Local Storage" directory in chrome installed directory. 
     On Ubuntu it will be located at "~/.config/chromium/Default/Local Storage".
     On Mac it will be located at " ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Local Storage"

2. In "Local Storage" directory there will be a file named:  
"chrome-extension_hnmffkbofelpmfnimaicmkdhimnaegla_0.localstorage". Copy this file (from the existing Alias Link Computer) and put it in the "Local Storage" of Chrome directory in new computer. Make sure the existing file gets overwritten while pasting into new computer. 

This way you will get all your existing Aliases in new computer as well. 

The other day I was going through the comments of Alias Links and I figured out that still there are many requests which I haven't completed. Its kind of hard to keep track of enhancements you are asking in Chrome Alias Links reviews. I thought it would be good if we can list all enhancements over there to keep track of everything. Please leave your comments with your valuable suggestions, It will help me to improve extension.

Here is one suggestions I have. Please let me know your thoughts about it.
What if your aliases are kept safe and you don't have to worry about the loss of aliases, system crash, formatting system, switching OS, no worries of importing/exporting? It can be done by using a small portal which will be synced with your Alias Links chrome extension. If you login through Alias Link extension, then you can access your global list of aliases on any system you use.
When you are logged in and you save the alias links on your system, it will automatically populate the aliases on site as well.

There is one big advantage I see. If your system is shared by many people and you don't want to share your aliases with others then you have full security by using the site. You login the alias links portal through your alias link chrome extension to get your list of aliases and use it. Once you are done, just logout Alias Links simply or it will be logged out automatically if you close the chrome. 

If you don't login then you will access your local stored aliases. 

Thank you for writing your suggestions.
                                                                                                        Install Alias Links here