The answer given in that link is fairly lame when you take into account that there should be far less to process directly, than having it all in a HTML file. Also taking into account they admit there is a problem and are not bothering to fix it.
Hmmm... I have 135 folders, though under the new system I'm creating I'm anticipating a slight increase in folders to perhaps about 139, and a few folder renames. I'll need them to support the new functionality I'm going to introduce.
URL file are merely modified INI files, and favorites folder structure is merely directories on the hard drive.
In regards to FF reading URL files there should be no issues unless IE is loaded and running during the scan FF is performing. I know from experience both when still used Fire Fox and with my Lister program that IE locks some URL files and folders while loaded (I believe this is at least in part to the system masking that occurs regarding the Favorites Bar/Link folder, which is treated different by Windows), and IE rewrites URL files as needed with updated information (ex. site icons, ratings, last access, and for some sites advertising sub links) unless preventative steps are taken.
The solution to IE locking files above I found simple... Copy the structure, do the scans on it, then blow it away. There are of course other methods... but this works 100% of the time.
The solution to IE writing extra information into the URLs was twofold. My Lister program when run has a option to erase and reinitialize a URL file having only the bare information in it for it to work, and to prevent further tampering, by IE or other programs, make it read only.
As for my reorganization of the favorites... it is prompted by a fairly large number of things.
- The fact I've had a couple things never implemented under the current system.
- The fact I was nice enough to leave reviews on a few various downloaders after reevaluating them and the only response received back from the one was annoying.
- The fact FF.NET is messing with its feeds...
- The fact I'm encountering more authors that like hidden updates to prior chapters, and I'm uncertain what I've missed over the years.
- The fact the current system is not set up for dumping into downloaders (should the desire be there) due to overreliance on author only link stories.
- The fact current copies of some of my downloaded stories are not from the sites currently links pointing to.
- The limitation that it's not as easy to tell a preview link from a direct link as it could be, and that some people want both.
I've so far centered my efforts on the 18 true archive sites I visit (as opposed to forums). I've actually re-downloaded so far some 4009 stories, and anticipate another couple hundred more and am recreating the links to each to fall under a new organizational setup I'm making. I've mapped it all out, and am using a combination of 3 downloaders, old style batch files, and a couple custom programs I have outlined but not yet finished to redo it all... (they are needed to fix the fact the downloaders all have different deficiencies and at least one of them outright admitting the functionality it says it has is partially broke except specific formats and not doing everything that is needed). They will parse out the downloaded files into chapters, metadata, and auto create links.
Combined... this will easily be the single biggest change in my setup since at least 2006 when FF.NET introduced Feeds, and likely from before 2005 when I created my Lister and URLHacker programs in the first place as part of a sort of dare.