# Safari - Multiple Bookmarks Bar



## bobw (Mar 16, 2005)

*From Simone at apple-x.net;*

"Is there a way to have more than one Bookmarks Bar in Safari? I sync my home and work computers with iSync and a dotMac account but I'd like the ability to display alternate 'sets' in my bookmarks bar for each location. I'd still like the bookmarks to sync, just adding a choice of which one I display. [...] Of course, I can keep extra folders and sites in the main bookmarks folder or file menu but I specifically want more than one bookmarks bar. And yes, I have too many to fit into one bookmarks bar the way I want them."

While I would normally suggest a bookmark manager, it sounds like that's not what you really want. Your request is pretty specific, and a quick MacUpdate search reveals no good solutions that allow you to do what you want.

But that's not a problem.  Here's a quick program (download link) that I whipped up in Xcode that should do exactly what you want. It's called Bookmarks Bar Switcher, and it should work seamlessly with .mac, iSync, and Safari. Here's how it works:

First, go into Safari, switch to the Bookmarks View, and click on the plus button in the bottom-left corner of the window. This will create a new bookmarks folder in the source list of the Bookmarks View. Name it "Alternate Bookmarks Bar" (this is required for the program to work). Put all the bookmarks that you want to appear in your bookmarks bar at work in this folder. Now you're ready to use Bookmarks Bar Switcher.

Once you've downloaded it, launch it. It's a simple program -- it has only one button (and instructions, for those who didn't read this part of the article). When you click the "Switch Bookmarks Bars" button, Safari will swap the bookmarks contained in your current bookmarks bar with the bookmarks contained in the "Alternate Bookmarks Bar" folder you created. In this way, both bookmarks bars will be stored in the same bookmarks file, and you just need to click this one button to switch between the bookmarks bars.

The best part is, this should work almost completely transparently with .mac and iSync. Since the bookmarks are all stored in one bookmarks file, the bookmarks in both bookmarks bars will be synched through .mac, and you don't have to worry about switching bookmark files manually or anything like that. The reason I say "almost completely transparently" is because you might want to make sure that you switch back to your home bookmarks bar before synching through .mac -- if you're at work and you sync with your work bookmarks bar active, the next time you sync at home, your work bookmarks bar will show up in Safari. It's not a big deal, because you can simply use Bookmarks Bar Switcher to switch them back, but it might be a bit annoying.

The other great thing about this program is that the changes are processed automatically by Safari. That means you don't have to quit Safari before using the program -- when you switch back to Safari, your bookmarks bar will automatically update to show the correct bookmarks bar. (That's nothing I did, though: Safari does this on it's own, probably because you can sync your bookmarks while Safari is still open.)

http://www.apple-x.net/modules.php?...=article&sid=1367&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0


----------



## beegie (Jan 19, 2009)

Will that nifty little program allow a simple TWO LINES of Bookmarks/Bars?  I don't care about switching back and forth, but it would be great to be able to have two rows of Bookmark Folders in the Bookmarks Bar vs. just the one...

Since this thread is dated 2005, I wonder if the little program would work w/current Safari 3.2.1?


----------



## beegie (Jan 19, 2009)

Never mind on that nifty little program, the links are now dead.

But if there is another way to create a double-row of Bookmarks Bars, that'd be great!

Thanks.


----------

