In a web browser, the address bar (also the location bar or the URL bar ) is the graphical control element that shows the current URL. Users can type URLs into the bar to navigate to the selected website. In the file browser it serves the same navigation purpose but through the file-system hierarchy. Many address bars offer features like autocomplete and suggestions list when the address is being typed. This auto-completion feature bases its recommendations on the browser history. Some browsers have keyboard shortcuts to auto-complete addresses. These are generally configured by the user on a case-by-case basis. The address bar has been a feature of the web browser since NCSA Mosaic.
Video Address bar
Features
For websites that use a favicon (a small icon representing the website), a small icon will usually be inside the address bar, or somewhere nearby. Favicons are specific to websites, so generic icons will be displayed if not specified. The address bar is also used, in some browsers, to indicate the security status of a web page. Various colors and padlock icons may appear if the page is encrypted, and/or to indicate whether the intended communication is trustworthy and secure.
Some browser address bar can be used to detect web feeds that can be used to subscribe to a page. The feed detection is usually indicated by the "RSS" icon. Other icons may also be in the address bar if they are included with a browser extension.
Web browsers often include features called Smart Bookmarks. In this feature, the user specifies commands that allow functionality (such as searching, editing, or posting) of websites to be accelerated. Then, the keyword or term associated with the command is typed into the address bar followed by entering the term afterwards or selecting a command from the list.
Quick search can also be done in multiple browsers by entering shortcuts and search terms instead of URLs. For example, by associating a shortcut "w" with Wikipedia, "w cake" can be entered into the address bar to navigate directly to the Wikipedia article for cookies. This feature is available in Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome.
Browser-specific features
In Opera and Safari, the address bar can be duplicated as a progress bar that shows how much page content is loaded.
In Google Chrome, the address bar (or "Omnibox") doubles as a search plugin bar that pulls additional refunds for typed phrases from Google Suggest's pre-emptive search. Add-on is also available for Firefox that doubles this functionality, and newer versions have built-in capabilities. This "Omnibox" is also capable, in addition to the quick search function listed above, interprets any non-URL phrases typed into it as a search in the user's preferred search engine.
Maps Address bar
Implementation of address bar
The following sections compare address bar widgets for some popular web browsers.
Google Chrome
Firefox
Opera
Internet Explorer
Microsoft Edge
See also
- Combo box
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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