Netscape Bookmark File Format

The Microsoft Internet Explorer Favorites file format is exactly the same as the Netscape Bookmark file format. Netscape usually stores its bookmarks in an HTML file called Bookmark.htm.

File Format

The file starts with the following text:

 

<!DOCTYPE NETSCAPE-Bookmark-file-1>
    <!--This is an automatically generated file.
    It will be read and overwritten.
    Do Not Edit! -->
    <Title>Bookmarks</Title>
    <H1>Bookmarks</H1>

The rest of the file is as follows:

 

    <DL>
    {item}
    {item}
    {item}
    .
    .
    .
    </DL>

An item may be either a subfolder or a shortcut. If {item} refers to a subfolder, it is:

 

    <DT><H3 FOLDED ADD_DATE="{date}">{title}</H3>
    <DL><p>
        {item}
        {item}
        {item}
        .
        .
        .
    </DL><p>

If {item} refers to a shortcut, it is:

 

    <DT><A href="{url}" ADD_DATE="{date}" LAST_VISIT="{date}"
    LAST_MODIFIED="{date}">{title}</A>

NoteThroughout this file format definition, {date} is a decimal integer that represents the number of seconds elapsed since midnight January 1, 1970.

Exports and Imports

To export data to a Web address, send an HTTP post request. To send a post request, call HttpOpenRequest with the following parameter values:

• verb: “POST”
• http version: “HTTP/1.0”
• referer: none
• accept-types: none(implies “text/*”)

Imports from a Web address are accomplished by calling the URLDownloadToCacheFile function.