Most projects similar to Extension.js rely on some sort of abstraction or configuration to get started, making the initial development process slow given the extra learning curve and setup guidelines. By using Extension.js, adding the package to your npm scripts is all it takes to get started developing cross-browser extensions with no build configuration. Say goodbye to extensive configurations to create your next cross-browser extension!
Creating a new extension is super easy. This command will create a new extension named "my-extension" in the current working directory. In your terminal:
npx extension@latest create my-extension
You can also create an extension based on any extension hosted on GitHub. Just add the URL of the folder where the manifest is located and run `npx extension@latest dev <github_url>`. For instance, you can try the Chrome Sample "page-redder" (https://github.com/GoogleChrome/chrome-extensions-samples/tr...).
I first created this project as a way to teach others how to develop browser extensions, until I realized that a good amount of my teachings would involve setting up a new project. With Extension.js, the abstractions and configurations needed to create cross-browser extensions are handled by a simple command-line interface, allowing developers to focus on the actual development of their next extension.
Any feedback is appreciated. I've been using it for a while in personal projects but it is now mature enough for others to give it a go. I'm looking forward to hear what you all have to say! :D
I'm trying to understand what your tool does, above and beyond copying a few files. Is it cross-browser support? multi-language support?
After copying a few files from the Chrome extension documentation site, you'll need to manually enable "developer mode" in your browser and add these files. If you make changes to your code, seeing the updates live requires manually reloading the various contexts that a browser extension can influence. Additionally, if you want to test your extensions on multiple browsers, you must do this manually for each one.
If you plan to use package dependencies like TypeScript or a JavaScript framework, you'll either have to rely on an existing abstraction framework for extensions and learn new techniques, or create your own configuration using tools like webpack, Parcel, esbuild, or another code compiler. At this point, developing browser extensions can become complex and frustrating.
Extension.js simplifies this by automating the process of bundling an extension in a browser ready for development. It comes with auto-reload support for every context, including parts of the browser that are not HTML/CSS/JavaScript. It also has built-in support for code dependencies such as TypeScript and React, where a simple installation enables your extension to have support without any setup wizardry. And it runs on multiple browsers at once.
Hope that clarifies things, and I'm happy to answer more questions :)