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WebExtensions

29 bytes added, 21:15, 3 August 2017
Update for terminology
'''If you are looking for documentation on how to develop a WebExtension add-on an extension with WebExtensions APIs with Firefox, [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions please checkout check out MDN].'''
This page is an introduction to Mozilla's implementation of WebExtensions, a new browser extension API. The goals of this API are:
* Porting add-ons to and from other browsers should be easier.
* Reviewing add-ons for addons.mozilla.org (AMO) should be easier.* WebExtensions must be compatible Compatibility with multiprocess Firefox ([[Electrolysis]]).
* Changes to Firefox's internal code should be less likely to break add-ons.
* WebExtensions APIs should be easier to use than the existing Firefox XPCOM/XUL APIs.* WebExtensions APIs should maintain acceptable security and privacy standards.
Much of the specifics of the new API are similar to the Blink extension API. Google has [https://developer.chrome.com/extensions extensive documentation on the API]. [https://dev.opera.com/extensions/ So does Opera]. But the [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions Firefox docs on MDN] are the best.
* Join us on [[IRC|IRC]] at #webextensions or #addons
== Testing out the WebExtensions API APIs ==
See [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Your_first_WebExtension Your first WebExtensionextension] on MDN.
= Technical Details =
== Out-of-process Extensions ==
WebExtensions Extensions developed with WebExtension APIs are compatible with Electrolysis. They run in the main Firefox process (except for content scripts, which run in the same process as web content). We are considering a plan to run extensions in a separate process (or possibly the content process) eventually, see {{Bugzilla|1190679}} for more details.
Technical details about the implementation are published at [[WebExtensions/Implementing_APIs_out-of-process]].
== Packaging ==
Extensions are packaged as standard Zip files, but with <code>.xpi</code> extensions. In the future, we're planning to move towards whatever what the W3C WG recommends.
See https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/manifest for a complete list of manifest directives.
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