Crumb Reader · TheCrumbs.org

Return to the homepage. Before the first move to another crumb, leaving never triggers a save warning, even if favorites or settings have changed. After navigation, unsaved changes trigger a confirmation. Returning to the initial crumb does not reset this rule.

Choose a text file previously saved by the Reader. It restores the current crumb, visited list, favorites, viewing history, text size, auto-saving setting, and search state, including visits within that search. If auto saving is enabled in the file, the restored session is also saved in this browser. Otherwise, the existing browser copy stays unchanged. Version 3 files preserve searches. Version 2 files keep their auto-saving setting; older version 1 files load with auto saving disabled.

Open browser-saving options or save a portable text file. This control remains available after the collection loads, even when the session is already saved.

Turn automatic browser saving on or off and save that choice immediately. When enabled, navigation, favorites, searches, and text-size changes are saved shortly after activity stops. Text-file export remains manual. A storage error pauses auto saving until a successful manual browser save or another change to the auto-saving mode.

Save the current session in this browser now. This button is disabled when the browser already holds the current session. That copy is restored when the Reader opens and stays in this browser profile.

Delete the Reader session saved in this browser and disable auto saving so the copy is not recreated. The current reading session stays open, and downloaded session files are kept. The button is disabled when there is no saved session to erase.

Enter a filename and save a portable copy that can be loaded on another computer or phone. The browser controls the download location and whether a Save As dialog is available.

Choose Text, Crumb number, or Regular expression. Text searches look for the entered word or continuous phrase in crumb titles and bodies, without distinguishing uppercase and lowercase letters, and include aliases listed in the collection’s synonym file. Regular expressions use JavaScript syntax: enter a bare pattern, which is case-sensitive, or /pattern/flags, such as /cake/i for a case-insensitive search. The first matching crumb at or after the current crumb opens, including the current crumb when it matches. Searching never wraps automatically to the beginning. A number opens that crumb and exits an active search. Cancel or an unsuccessful search keeps the current reading position.

Matching text is highlighted. The blue bar shows the displayed crumb’s position among all matching crumbs in numerical order. Previous and Next move to the preceding or following matching crumb, whether visited or not. At either end of the results, a message explains that there is no earlier or later match. History, Favorites, and numbered references can open other crumbs without ending the search. Click or tap the crumb text to exit the search and continue reading from that crumb; following a link, selecting text, and scrolling keep the search active. Escape also exits the search when no dialog is open.

Open the list of favorite crumbs, ordered numerically. Select a number and title to read that crumb, or Close to return.

Use the curved arrows to retrace the actual viewing sequence, including reference links and favorites. The session keeps up to 100 history entries. These controls remain available whenever history permits, including during a search.

Open one randomly chosen crumb that has not been visited. During a search, Random chooses only among matching crumbs not yet visited during that search, even if they were visited earlier outside it. This separate record affects Random only; Previous and Next always follow matching crumbs in numerical order. Opening a generally unvisited crumb marks it as visited normally. When all eligible crumbs have been visited, a dialog offers a new round. During a search, restarting resets only that search’s visit record; outside a search, it resets the general visited list. Favorites and history are kept.

Use the straight chevrons to read the preceding or following crumb in numerical order. During a search, they move between matching crumbs regardless of previous visits. Previous is disabled at the first crumb in the collection; Next is disabled at the last.

Use the star to add the displayed crumb to Favorites. Select it again to remove the crumb. A filled blue star indicates a favorite. Adding or removing a favorite marks the session as unsaved until a manual or automatic save succeeds.

Decrease or increase the size of the crumb title and body. New sessions on phones start at the smallest size. The setting is included when the session is saved; loading a saved session restores its size.

Select a linked crumb number to read the referenced crumb. Back returns to the original crumb.

Open the address in another tab or window, according to browser preferences. The Reader stays open.

Navigate the crumb entries created during this visit. Loading a saved session restores history for the Reader’s own controls, without recreating the browser’s entire history. When leaving the Reader, eligible unsaved changes also request the browser’s standard warning; browsers may suppress that warning.

Dismiss the corresponding dialog without carrying out its proposed action. In the return-home dialog, the blue “Stay here and save” button opens Save session. Escape stays in the Reader without opening another dialog. Confirmation buttons perform the action stated in the dialog.

Retry loading the collection if it could not be fetched.

Open these explanations on computers or phones. Hover over a control or focus it with the keyboard for its individual hint. On phones, short yellow labels identify every control when the Reader opens; the first tap or key press dismisses them and still carries out the chosen action. Escape dismisses a visible individual hint.

Crumbs by Alfredo Llaquet-Alsina

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