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Developing Firefox Extensions with GNU/Linux

Posted by Zonk on from the extend-the-browser-extend-the-fun dept.

QT writes "Ars Technica has a lengthy but useful introduction to developing Firefox extensions with GNU/Linux. This guide comes hot on the heels of the RC for Beta 1 of Firefox. The article is a little more thorough than necessary, but I can't complain about anything that spurs Firefox development." From the article: "What can you do with a Firefox Extension? Firefox extensions can modify the Firefox user interface. This includes adding buttons to tool bars and menus; changing fonts, colors, and icons; capturing events in the client interface like page loads and clicks; and modifying web pages after the browser loads them and before the user sees them. All of this functionality comes with the aspect-oriented facility of overlays. Extensions also have as much access to the file system as the user running Firefox. Extensions can add protocol handlers, hooking actions to URLs like icq://, aim://, or stantz://. Extensions have UniversalXPConnect privileges, allowing them to harness any XPCOM component. Firefox comes with a rich library of XPCOM components that permit your extension to drive very low-level functionality like sockets from Javascript. You can also augment the XPCOM library with Firefox extensions by adding Javascript, linkable libraries, or XPIDL."

2 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. Thinking of writing an extension ... by PineHall · · Score: 0, Troll

    The author says, "When should you use a Firefox Extension? Only when you must." He suggests that if you can do it on the web page using DHTML, AJAX, or even XUL, that is the way you should do it. Extension writing is to be used when there are no other options.

  2. re: Firefox 1.5 by Lord+Bitman · · Score: 0, Troll

    slightly on-topic, ish..
    I saw that "Firefox 1.5" story a couple days ago, so I tried it out.

    Oh boy, if there's one thing Open-source products love to do, it's copy microsoft with all the skill of Mad TV or Saturday Night Live.

    Look, this isnt a flame, it's off-topic, granted, but this shit has got to stop. Please, just _STOP_ copying microsoft.

    "I wonder what, specifically, he does not like."

    Every time you decide to completely change the way something looks or works, think to yourself "Wait, am I choosing this specific way because microsoft does it this way?
    Then, shoot yourself in the face.

    --
    -- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All