Format Link Chrome Extension

Format a link and copy it to the clipboard..
## Why do I need it?

To format the link of the active tab instantly to use in Markdown, reST, HTML, Text, Textile or other formats.

## How to use

You can use keyboard shortcuts, context menus, or the toolbar button of format link extension

to copy a link in the specified format. Before doing that, you can optionally select some text

which may or may not contain a link.

### keyboard shortcut

The keyboard shortcut for "Copy a link in the default format" is shortcut for clicking the

toolbar button. The link is copied in the default format and the popup is shown under

the toolbar button.

Also there are shortcuts for copying in the link in the corresponding format regardless of

the default format.

You can change shortcuts at chrome://extensions/shortcuts

### context menu

Open the context menu and select the "Format Link as XXX" menu item.

"XXX" in the menu item label changes as you change the default format by clicking the "Set as default" button in the popup page for the toolbar button.

If you check the "Create submenus" in the options page and save the options,

submenus for each format are created under the "Format Link" context menu group.

### toolbar button

When you press the toolbar button of "Format Link", the link is copied in the default format,

the popup page becomes open, and the formatted text is shown in the text area.

If you want to copy the link in different format, you can press one of the radio buttons.

Also if you want to change the default format, you can press the "Set as default" button.

## flexible settings

You can modify formats in [Tools] -> [Extensions] -> Clik "Options" link in "Format Link" Extension.

In format settings, you can use the mini template language.

* {{variable}}

* variable = title / url / pageUrl / text

* The value of variable `title` is the html page title.

* The value of variable `text` is the selected text if some text is selected,

the link text if you open the context menu over a link (see known limitation below for link text),

or the page url if no text is selected and you open the context menu not over a link.

* The value of the variable `url` is the link if you open the context menu over a link,

the first link if selection contains a link, or the html page url otherwise.

* The value of the variable `pageUrl` is always the page URL.

* No spaces are allowed between variable name and braces.

* {{variable.s("foo","bar")}}

* Which means `variable.replace(new RegExp("foo", 'g'), "bar")`

* You can use escape character \ in strings.

* You must escape the first argument for string and regexp.

For example, `.s("\\[","\\[")` means replacing `\[` with `\\[`

* You can chain multiple .s("foo","bar")

* You can use the escape character \ in strings. For example, you need to escape `\` with `\` like `\\`,

and also you need to escape `{` with `\` like `\{`. See the LaTeX example below.

* Other characters are treated as literal strings.

Here are examples:

* Markdown

```

[{{text.s("\\[","\\[").s("\\]","\\]")}}]({{url.s("\\(","%28").s("\\)","%29")}})

```

* reST

```

{{text}} <{{url}}>`_

```

* HTML

```

<a href="{{url.s("\"","&quot;")}}">{{text.s("<","&lt;")}}</a>

```

* Text

```

{{text}}\n{{url}}

```

* Redmine Texitile

```

"{{title.s("\"","&quot;").s("\\[","&#91;")}}":{{url}}

```

* LaTeX

```

\\href\{{{url}}\}\{{{text}}\}

```

## License

MIT License.

Source codes are hosted at [Github](https://github.com/hnakamur/FormatLink-Chrome)

## known limitations

* Due to security reason, you cannot copy the URL on some pages like the chrome extension gallary.

* When you copy a link with a context menu after pointing mouse to a link, this extension manually searches the first link whose url is equals to the link you pointed in the whole document, due to limitation of [chrome.contextMenus API](https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/contextMenus). So if there are multiple links of the same URL, and if you pointed to non-first link, the text is not what you want. However this is the best we can do right now.

* Chrome allow each extension to have at most 4 keyboard shortcuts. One shortcut is used for copying a link with the default format, and the rest of three are used for copying a link with the corresponding format 1 to format 3. So format 4 to format 9 does not have keyboard shortcut.

How to install Format Link chrome extension in chrome Browser

You can Follow the below Step By Step procedure to install the Format Link Chrome Extension to your Chrome Web browser.

• Step 1: Go to the Chrome webstore https://chrome.google.com/webstore or download the extension Format Link Chrome Extension Download from https://pluginsaddonsextensions.com
• Step 2: Now search for the Format Link in Chrome Webstore Search and click on the search button.
• Step 3: click on the Format Link Chrome Extension Link
• Step 4: in the next page click on the Add to Chrome button to Download and Install the Format Link extension for your Chrome Web browser .