WebExtensions (browser extensions)

[benoitparis]

Mozilla is working on making WebExtensions available in Firefox (dropping XPCOM, XUL and jetpack); API will be the same as Chrome extensions.

Opera already have them.

Mozilla has announced they will come gradually through Firefox 44 to 48, with a stable release in july.

Microsoft is also working on them in Edge.

The WebEXtension API is broken in about 60 components; Chrome having 100% support, Opera probably 100% too. The status page for Firefox can be found at http://arewewebextensionsyet.com/

No trace of a public spec by the w3c, unfortunately :/ I don't even know if w3c is involved; but it is really great they are finally making efforts into providing a common API. Maybe they are waiting to have all browsers on the same level before letting w3c evolve the spec.

[julkue]

:+1:

[neoncitylights]

+1

[Llbe]

+1

[julkue]

Don't +1, just click Subscribe

[Grief]

@julmot

While GitHub lacks a direct way of voting issues up or down, a system has been set up where anyone can vote for an issue with a "+1" comment. These votes are then tallied and the resulting list in order of votes is generated here.

http://caniuse.com/#info_news

[kumavis]

+1

[kumavis]

This mozilla compat table has some useful data, including Firefox for Android https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Browser_support_for_JavaScript_APIs

[benoitparis]

Browser extensions in Android, that's definitely a new thing. Nice!

[Schweinepriester]

+1

[skuro]

+1

[maboa]

+1

[chrisblakley]

+1

[ExE-Boss]

Chrome and Opera don’t have 100% support, as Firefox implements some APIs that Chrome solely lacks, and Microsoft is once again doing their own incompatible thing, but this time with Edge’s extensions, instead of IE6.

Anyway, these pages should help:

• Browser compatibility for manifest.json - WebExtensions | MDN
• Browser support for JavaScript APIs - WebExtensions | MDN

---

@benoitparis

Browser extensions in Android, that's definitely a new thing.

Actually, Firefox for Android supported extensions for almost as long as Firefox for Android existed because Mozilla isn’t Google, who artifically limit Chrome for Android to prevent people from using third party AdBlockers, which would lessen Google’s ad revenue.

[rugk]

Generally Mozilla also collects the same data as this project for web APIs and WebExtension stuff. They also provide this (new stuff) in machine readable format: https://github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data

[johnnyasantoss]

@benoitparis

No trace of a public spec by the w3c, unfortunately :/

Here (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions) it says that it has one now :)

https://browserext.github.io/browserext/

[ledenis]

Seems like there is some progress, see this announcement from June 2021:

https://www.w3.org/community/webextensions/2021/06/04/forming-the-wecg/

We’re excited to announce the launch of the WebExtensions Community Group (WECG).

With multiple browsers adopting a broadly compatible model for extensions in the last few years, the WECG is excited to explore how browser vendors and other interested parties can work together to advance a common browser extension platform.

Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla are initiating this community group, and we welcome other browser makers, extension developers, and interested parties to join this effort!

[RickyMarou]

Bumping this. It would be great to see all the webextension APIs on can I use, especially because there are quite a few differences between browsers and can i use would be the perfect home for quickly searching and visualising them.