Install Instant Access to BioCyc Database Searches

For some time browsers have had a "Search Bar", usually to the right of the address bar. The search bar allows the user to instantly invoke searches by a search provider such as Google without needing to navigate to the Google web site. Many modern browsers follow an "OpenSearch" standard that allows adding custom search providers to the search bar.

Use this page to add our main database sites, EcoCyc, MetaCyc and HumanCyc, to your search bar as custom search providers. Then you will have instant access to substring searches on these databases from your search bar without having to navigate to a web site. For example, if you select the EcoCyc Search Provider, you can type "trpA" into your Search Bar and get the results shown in this link.

Note: This feature requires FireFox 2.0 or later.

Install EcoCyc Browser Toolbar Search This allows substring queries of EcoCyc / Ecoli.
Install MetaCyc Browser Toolbar Search This allows substring queries of MetaCyc.
Install HumanCyc Browser Toolbar Search This allows substring queries of HumanCyc.

Instructions

Click on one of the links above to install a BioCyc site as a search provider in your browser search bar.
Requires Firefox 2.0 or later.

Firefox 2.0+:

  1. Click on the Install Browser Toolbar Search link.
  2. A popup will appear asking you if you really want to install, and with a checkbox that says
    [ ] Start using it right away.
    We recommend that you CHECK this checkbox.
  3. Click on the Add button.

The Search appears in the Google toolbar next to the http address space at the top of the browser. This normally has a big blue G icon on it, with a tiny black down-triangle on one side of it. If you checked the checkbox, this icon will change to our search icon, and you can start using the search facility right away. Otherwise click on the tiny black triangle to pull down a menu of the search providers. Locate our Cyc Search and select it as your search provider. To search, type your search term in the search bar, then hit return. Firefox works well.

The Search appears in the master browser search area immediately to the right of the http address space at the top margin of browser. This space has a small black down-triangle beside it to the far right. The background of this button will turn ORANGE to let you know something's going on with it. If you checked the checkbox, you can start using the search facility right away. Otherwise click on the tiny black triangle (which now has an orange background) to pull down a menu of the search providers. Locate our Cyc Search and select it for your search provider. To search, type your search term in the search bar, then hit return.