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Yesterday I released my IMDb Pro Safari Extension. Due to wee bugs, I updated it today to version 0.2 and then 0.3.

(Version and updating are not as automated as they should be. Maybe that will happen in the next version? And then maybe I’ll get it published in the Gallery?)

This Extension does one simple thing: it loads the IMDb Pro version of all IMDb pages. It’s just a beta version, but it’s simple and it’s free. Let me know if you like it, and what additional features you’d like to see.

Please note: this is no good to somebody who doesn’t have an IMDb Pro account!

A few months ago I offered a bookmarklet that makes life easier for users with IMDb Pro subscriptions. In early September, I offered an update. Today, I offer a 3rd update to overcome problems the bookmarklet had with TV shows and TV episodes.

This bookmarklet, as before, does two things: 1. It will take you to a specific IMDb Pro page if you click on it when you’re not on IMDb. The default is in the box below; if you prefer to visit a specific IMDb page instead, like yours, enter it below first. 2. If you’re looking at a regular IMDb page when you click on this bookmarklet, you’ll be whisked to the IMDb Pro version of that page.

So, enter your favorite “home” URL above, then drag this link to your bookmarks bar, and you’re good to go: [IMDb Pro].

I am primarily a Safari user, but this bookmarklet appears to work in Chrome, too. Firefox is being persnickety, however, and I’m working on getting a version that works in that browser.

A few months ago I offered a bookmarklet that makes life easier for Safari users with IMDb Pro subscriptions. Today, an update. It works now in mobile Safari on the iPhone.

This bookmarklet by default will take you to IMDb Pro’s home page if you click on it when you’re not on IMDb. If you prefer instead to visit a specific IMDb page, like yours, enter it in the box below first. Whether you enter a URL below or not, if you’re looking at a regular IMDb page when you click on this bookmarklet, you’ll be whisked to the Pro version of that page.

So, enter your favorite “home” URL above, then drag this link to your bookmarks bar, and you’re good to go: [IMDb Pro].

Recently, IMDb Pro did a small redesign. Quick review: Looks better in browser, prints horribly.

I offer herein a quick fix to the printing problem, at least in Safari / Mac OS X. (Other browsers should have similar solutions for the savvy web user.)

Create a file named something.css and store it on your hard drive wherever you want. I call mine “overcome.css” and put in a my Documents folder. Edit this file with a plain-text editor. Do not use Word. Put this text, this CSS code, into that file, then save it and close it:

@media print {
#nav-wrapper { display: none; }
}

(Alternate solution if plain-text editing is beyond your computer routine: download overcome.css.)

Now in Safari, go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced. Where it says Style Sheet, select the file you just created or downloaded. That’s it! See the difference below, where I offer a side-by-side comparison of the first printed page of my IMDb Pro page. Quick review: Better. Way better. IMDb should hire me.

UPDATE: It turns out that Safari users will benefit from one other CSS change, due to poor cross-browser issues with the new IMDb Pro look. Add this to overcome.css in order to avoid the weird thing that happens where the page shifts down 21 pixels just as it finishes rendering. I’ve altered the download file accordingly.

#nav-wrapper #navbar { margin: 0 !important; }

Again, IMDb should hire me.

(Please leave a comment if you find it useful, or if you find an error.)

I’ve created a bookmarklet to switch from IMDb to IMDb Pro more easily. If you subscribe to IMDb Pro, do this.

Drag this link [Pro] to your bookmark bar. This link will now switch you to the IMDb Pro version of any IMDb page, or it will take you to the IMDb Pro home page if you click on it when not on regular IMDb.

Now, you may be saying that this is useless because every regular IMDb page has a link to its IMDb Pro version. Yes, but with this bookmarklet, you can click on one reliable place, a place that doesn’t scroll, a place whose horizontal location is not dependent on the length of an actor’s or agency’s name, and a place not blocked by very invasive ads that IMDb sometimes puts up! It was the invasive Flash ads for Alice in Wonderland that drove me to develop this. If you use Safari, you can also use a keyboard shortcut to the first 10 bookmarks in your bookmark bar. Speedy!

I find this handy. Leave a comment if you find it handy, too!

P.S. If you’re interested in the nuts and bolts of this bookmarklet, here is its Javascript code:

h=location.href;
w=h.indexOf("http://www.imdb.com");
p=h.indexOf("http://pro.imdb.com");
if(w==0){window.location=h.replace("www","pro")}
else if(p==-1){window.location="http://pro.imdb.com/"};