WebExtensions

mozilla.ch

@MozillaCH

Martin Giger

@freaktechnik

Browser Extensions

  • Chrome, Opera, (Edge)
  • Firefox
    • Overlay (restart required)
    • Bootstrapped
    • SDK
    • WebExtensions
  • Others?

Agenda

  • File structure
  • JavaScript APIs
  • Future

FileS Anatomy

manifest.json

  • Extension metadata
  • Permissions
  • Static content
    • CSP
    • Content scripts
    • UI features
    • web-acessible resources

manifest.json

{
    "manifest_version": 2,
    "name": "Hello World",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "description": "Not sure yet, but will be useful.",
    "icons": {
        "48": "icons/icon-48.png"
    },
    "content_scripts": [
        {
            "matches": ["*://*.example.com/*"],
            "js": ["content.js"]
        }
    ],
    "applications": {
        "gecko": {
            "id": "borderify@example.com",
            "strict_min_version": "48.0"
        }
    },
    "options_ui": {
        "page": "settings.html"
    },
    "permissions": [
        "cookies",
        "activeTab"
    ]
}

Packaging

  • Zipped up
  • manifest.json file in the ZIP root
  • Renamed to .XPI once signed for Firefox
  • Renamed to .CRX once signed for Chrome

CC-BY-NC-SA: ShockWatchWiki

about:debugging

  • Load unsigned extensions
    • Raw extension folder
    • Packaged
  • Debug running extension's background page
  • Can reload local extensions when they change

web-ext

  • Command-line tool
  • Signing
  • Installing temporarily
  • Linting

APIs

Webpage

  • All the DOM APIs

    • Except for alert()

  • Special globals for extension specific things
  • Background page just for the extension
  • Content-scripts get a subset of APIs

chrome Namespace

browseR NAmespace

  • Promisified APIs
  • Firefox-specific API expansions

Events

browser.api.onEvent.addListener((...eventDetails) => {
    // handle event
}, {
    // filter options
    url: [ "https://example.com" ]
});

Messaging

// Send a message and listen for a reply
browser.runtime.sendMessage("WebExtensions are ok.", (response) => {
    console.log(response);
});

// Somewhere else:
const listener = (message, sender, reply) => {
    if(message == "WebExtensions are ok.") {
        reply("WebExtensions rock!");
    }
};

browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(listener);

console.log(browser.runtime.onMessage.hasListener(listener));

// Console
true
"WebExtensions rock!"

Callbacks

const callback = (result) => {
    if (browser.extension.lastError) {
        console.error(browser.extension.lastError);
    } else {
        console.log(result);
    }
};

browser.cookies.set({
    url: "https://developer.mozilla.org/"
}, logCookie);

// or thanks to promises

browser.cookies.set({
    url: "https://developer.mozilla.org/"
}).then((result) => {
    console.log(result);
}, (error) => {
    console.error(error);
});

Future

CC-BY-NC-SA: JMortonPhoto.com & OtoGodfrey.com

Potential APIs

  • logins
  • webRTC controls
  • proxy
  • devtool APIs
  • API experiments

Embedded WebExtensions

Extension

WebExtension

Old Extension

Cross Browser Standard

Firefox

Opera

Edge

Documentation

Discussion

Image sources

WebExtensions

By Martin Giger

Made with Slides.com

WebExtensions

Firefox is drastically changing its extension system and replacing it with the Chrome-like WebExtensions. Chrome-like is an empty description for you? Perfect, Martin will explain what WebExtensions are, why you should care about them and what to do if you have an extension for Firefox that you will have to port over. For those already familiar with the Chrome extension API, the talk will point out the differences and nuances to check when porting.

  • 3,781

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