I am trying to write a Chrome devtools extension for a JS SDK we have developed. This SDK has an API addEventListener (the events are not DOM events) that I would like to use to be able to display all the events that are being published in the devtools panel I made.
Basically I would like to be able to have the following code in my devtools page script :
chrome.devtools.inspectedWindow.eval(
"mySDKonTheContentPage", function(result, isException){
mySDK =result;
mySDK.addEventListener("myEvent", function(){
doSomethingInDevtoolsUI();
});
});
Since content scripts don't have access (do they?) to the page's JS objects, I don't really know where to start.
In the script on your page, you can use window.postMessage to send your data to the content script. From there you can set up communication between the content script and the DevTools panel via a background page.
See: Messaging from Injected Scripts to the DevTools Page and Messaging from Content Scripts to the DevTools Page for examples of this in the documentation.
Related
I am writing a chrome extension, using a content script to inject some javascript code. As follows:
let actualCode = 'My Injected JS Code';
let script = document.createElement('script');
script.textContent = actualCode;
(document.head||document.documentElement).appendChild(script);
For the injected script, I would like to use some value stored in chrome.storage.sync. However, I found that the API is unaccessible to the injected script (storage.sync is undefined). The API is only accessible within the content script, but not for the injected script. Any ideas how I could access chrome.storage API for the injected script too?
PS: I've registered the storage API in manifest.json
PS: When I open the developer's console on chrome and type "chrome.storage", it returns undefined too. I think this might be a permission problem?
The inject way you used for the script, made it work in the web page environment, which doesn't have access to most of Chrome Extensions API.
However, there is an option to use Messages API which allows sending requests from a webpage to the extension by ID.
In this case, you also need to implement a listener in your background page, to answer such requests.
P.S. chrome.storage API also shouldn't be available from page console. You may want to debug it from your background page console or select a content script environment (if the extension has such):
you can use window.postMessage({type : "MESSAGE_NAME"}) in injected script to send "message" event. then use windows.addEventListner("message", callback) in content_script to listen on "message" event.
You can specify the type of message to which you want to listen in the callback function. for instance
in content_script.js
function func_callback(){
if (event.data.type && event.data.type === "MESSAGE_NAME") {
# Your code
}`enter code here`
}
windows.addEventListner("message", func_callback)
in injected_script.js
<button onClick={()=>window.postMessage({type : "MESSAGE_NAME"})}></button>
I have a Firefox OS app in which I have opened an web page via mozbrowser attribute.
<iframe id="inlineFrameExample"
mozbrowser=true
src="<some external link>"
</iframe>
How can we retrieve DOM content of the iframe?
You can retrieve DOM content via executeScript() method present in Browser API. It will run the script against the iframe and will allow you to do DOM computation tasks.
Note: The example mentioned in the document didn't worked but the syntax given below worked for me. The diff is is passed as string.
iframe.executeScript('put_your_script_here', {origin: 'domain_name'});
(Cross posted here)
Hi,
I have a sandboxed page (specified in my manifest) which is loaded into an iframe in my extension's background page. From within my sandboxed page, I'd like to open a new window and write to it, i.e.:
var win = window.open(); win.document.write('<p>Hello!</p>');
This works from my extension's background page and from regular web pages, but when invoked from either content scripts or my sandboxed page, the window opens, but I cannot access the win object (it's defined, but empty---console.log outputs "Window {}").
I assume this is due to same-origin policies (with every window being given a uinque-origin within the sandboxed environment). However, since the window opens an about:blank page, I'm confused why this would matter.
Is this a feature? Is there a parameter I can add to my manifest to avoid this? And does anyone know of work-arounds that don't involve using postMessage back to my background page? My ideal solution is to have my sandboxed script open a new window and interact with it directly, not with message passing.
I can provide a full example if necessary, but I'm hoping someone might just know off the top of their head. I'm running Chrome 24.0.1312.57 on Mac and 24.0.1312.68 on Ubuntu if that helps.
Thanks,
Hank
Content scripts, by definition, are part of external regular web pages you load so I'm not really sure how your script could work on a "regular web page" but not the content script. Do you mean the code works when you embed it in your own pages, but not in other pages via the content script?
Regardless, if the script is working properly from your background page, you could always try messaging. (more here: http://developer.chrome.com/extensions/messaging.html)
Script for your sandbox/contentscript:
//send message to background page
chrome.extension.sendMessage({todo: "newWindow"});
In background page:
//create a listener
chrome.extension.onMessage.addListener(
function(request, sender) {
if (request.todo === "newWindow") {
//do your stuff here
var win = window.open(); win.document.write('<p>Hello!</p>');
}
});
Per the cross-post here, the issue is indeed that the opened window is given a unique origin. This was intentional as the members of the standards working group (SWG) felt that it would be more secure to not make an exception for about:blank pages where they inherit the sandbox's origin.
However, to get around this issue, at least for my purposes, I can use the following method. First, forget sandboxing. This workaround uses an iframe embedded in a background page with the src url set to data:text/html,.... This gives a unique origin to the iframe so it's no longer in extension space. That means eval can be used and chrome apis cannot be accessed. Unlike in a sandbox, windows opened from the iframe share that same origin as the iframe, allowing created windows to be accessed. For example:
In a background html page:
<html>
<head>
...
<script src="background.js"></script>
...
</head>
<body>
...
<iframe id="myframe"></iframe>
...
</body>
</html>
In background.js:
...
document.getElementById('myframe').setAttribute('src', 'data:text/html,'+
encodeURI('<html><head>'+
'<script src='+chrome.extension.getURL('jquery.js')+'></script>'+
'<script src='+chrome.extension.getURL('myscript.js')+'></script>'+
...
'</head><body></body></html>'
));
...
In myscript.js
jQuery(document).ready(function(){
...
// To receive messages from background.js.
window.addEventListener('message', function(e){ ... } );
// To send messages to background.js.
parent.postMessage({...}, '*');
// To open AND ACCESS a window.
var win = window.open();
win.document.write('Hello'); // Fails in sandbox, works here.
// Eval code, if you want. Can't do this from an extension
// page loaded normally unless you allow eval in your manifest.
// Here, it's okay!
eval( 'var x = window.open(); x.document.write("Hi!")' );
// No chrome apis.
chrome.log( chrome.extension ); // -> undefined
chrome.log( chrome.windows ); // -> undefined
// No direct access to background page (e.g., parent).
chrome.log( parent ); // -> Window with no properties.
...
});
I am trying to write an extension that adds functionality to the Chrome devtools.
According to the devtools documentation, it says that the pages in devtools support very limited apis. Any API that is not supported can be access by accessing it through the background page, just as what contentscripts does.
Here is the relevant documentation snippet:
The tabId property provides the tab identifier that you can use with the chrome.tabs.* API calls. However, please note that chrome.tabs.* API is not exposed to the Developer Tools extension pages due to security considerations — you will need to pass the tab ID to the background page and invoke the chrome.tabs.* API functions from there.
Here is the source url: http://developer.chrome.com/extensions/devtools.inspectedWindow.html
However, when I try to do that, I get the following error in the console:
uncaught Error: "getBackgroundPage" can only be used in extension processes. See the content scripts documentation for more details.
Here is my code in my devtools.js script:
chrome.extension.getBackgroundPage().getLocation();
What am I doing wrong?
EDIT
I should describe my scenario first, and show how I am implementing it.
What I want to do is to display extra data in a devtools panel related to a webpage. In order to get that data, I will need to send a HTTP request in the same session as the page being debugged, because it requires authentication.
Use Case:
User browses to a particular URL. He is authenticated to the site. He then invokes devtools. The devtools panel opens up and a new panel shows up that has extra data related to the page.
Implementation:
1) DevTools script finds out the url of the page being inspected. If the url matches the site base hostname, then it opens a panel. In the callback of the panel creation, it sends a message to a background page, asking it to download a JSON payload from a debug endpoint on the same site, and then sends it to the devtools extension, wh ich then displays it.
Problems:
1) The background page gets the request, and downloads the URL. However the download is not using the same session as the user, so the download request fails.
2) From devtools window, I got the tabId of the inspected window. I send this tabId to the background page so that it can parse some stuff out of the url. However, chrome.tabs.get(tabId) does not return the tab.
To summarize, I need to
1) Get the background page to download data in the same session as the user's tab that is being debugged.
2) I need to have the background page be able to get access to the user's tab.
The APIs available to extension pages within the Developer Tools window include all devtools modules listed above and chrome.extension API. Other extension APIs are not available to the Developer Tools pages, but you may invoke them by sending a request to the background page of your extension, similarly to how it's done in the content scripts.
I guess the documentation is little ambiguous, By chrome.extension API they mean the Supported API's for content scripts.
So, you can use long lived communication for communication between inspected page and background page
Demonstration:
The following code illustrate scenario where a devtools page need some information from background page, it uses messages for communication.
manifest.json
Ensured permissions are all available in manifest file
{
"name":"Inspected Windows Demo",
"description":"This demonstrates Inspected window API",
"devtools_page":"devtools.html",
"manifest_version":2,
"version":"2",
"permissions":["experimental"],
"background":{
"scripts" : ["background.js"]
}
}
devtools.html
A trivial HTML File
<html>
<head>
<script src="devtools.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
</body>
</html>
devtools.js
Used Long lived Communication API's
var port = chrome.extension.connect({
name: "Sample Communication"
});
port.postMessage("Request Tab Data");
port.onMessage.addListener(function (msg) {
console.log("Tab Data recieved is " + msg);
});
background.js
Responded to communication request and passed trivial information using tab API()'s
chrome.extension.onConnect.addListener(function (port) {
port.onMessage.addListener(function (message) {
chrome.tabs.query({
"status": "complete",
"currentWindow": true,
"active": true
}, function (tabs) {
port.postMessage(tabs[0].id);
});
console.log("Message recived is "+message);
});
});
Sample Output received for trivial devtools.js here
Let me know if you need more information
EDIT 1)
For your question 1)
Can you make you call(s) from browser extension HTML Page\Content Script so same session is shared, i have tried both the ways in a sample and it is working form me, instead of code in background page- make the code in content script or browser action HTML Page.
Let me know if you are still facing problems.
For your question 2)
The following code always fetches current window user is browsing
manifest.json
Ensure you have tabs permission in your manifest.
{
"name":"Inspected Windows Demo",
"description":"This demonstrates Inspected window API",
"manifest_version":2,
"version":"2",
"permissions":["tabs"],
"background":{
"scripts" : ["background.js"]
}
}
background.js
chrome.tabs.query({
"status": "complete", // Window load is completed
"currentWindow": true, // It is in current window
"active": true //Window user is browsing
}, function (tabs) {
for (tab in tabs) { // It returns array so used a loop to iterate over items
console.log(tabs[tab].id); // Catch tab id
}
});
Let me know if you are still unable to get tab id of current window.
I am developing Google Chrome extension. Each time my JavaScript source changes, I find myself having to click "load unpacked extension" again to have the changes take effect.
Reloading the extension at each iteration is very tedious. Can it be avoided?
Depends on the asset, lets review:
Asset ----------------------------------------- Action needed
popup.html HTML -------------------------- Refresh browser page
popup.html JS ------------------------------- Refresh browser page
contentscript via manifest ----------------- Reload extension
contentscript via executeScript (code) - location.reload(true) on background page
contentscript via executeScript (file) ---- Refresh browser page
background.html HTML ------------------- location.reload(true) on background page
background.html JS ------------------------ location.reload(true) on background page
For more information on how to do the location.reload(true) see the page on debugging
The content script requiring a plugin reload has been brought up recently and acknowledged by the chromium team:
http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=104610
Consider using programmatic injection (contentscript via executeScript (file)) to avoid having to reload the plugin for content script updates.