• Home
  • Line#
  • Scopes#
  • Navigate#
  • Raw
  • Download
1<!DOCTYPE html><!-- This page is a placeholder for generated extensions api doc. Note:
2    1) The <head> information in this page is significant, should be uniform
3       across api docs and should be edited only with knowledge of the
4       templating mechanism.
5    3) All <body>.innerHTML is genereated as an rendering step. If viewed in a
6       browser, it will be re-generated from the template, json schema and
7       authored overview content.
8    4) The <body>.innerHTML is also generated by an offline step so that this
9       page may easily be indexed by search engines.
10--><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head>
11    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
12    <link href="css/ApiRefStyles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
13    <link href="css/print.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print">
14    <script type="text/javascript" src="../../../third_party/jstemplate/jstemplate_compiled.js">
15    </script>
16    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/api_page_generator.js"></script>
17    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/bootstrap.js"></script>
18    <script type="text/javascript" src="js/sidebar.js"></script>
19  <title>Developer's Guide - Google Chrome Extensions - Google Code</title></head>
20  <body>  <div id="gc-container" class="labs">
21      <div id="devModeWarning">
22        You are viewing extension docs in chrome via the 'file:' scheme: are you expecting to see local changes when you refresh? You'll need run chrome with --allow-file-access-from-files.
23      </div>
24      <!-- SUBTEMPLATES: DO NOT MOVE FROM THIS LOCATION -->
25      <!-- In particular, sub-templates that recurse, must be used by allowing
26           jstemplate to make a copy of the template in this section which
27           are not operated on by way of the jsskip="true" -->
28      <div style="display:none">
29
30        <!-- VALUE -->
31        <div id="valueTemplate">
32          <dt>
33            <var>paramName</var>
34              <em>
35
36                <!-- TYPE -->
37                <div style="display:inline">
38                  (
39                    <span class="optional">optional</span>
40                    <span class="enum">enumerated</span>
41                    <span id="typeTemplate">
42                      <span>
43                        <a> Type</a>
44                      </span>
45                      <span>
46                        <span>
47                          array of <span><span></span></span>
48                        </span>
49                        <span>paramType</span>
50                        <span></span>
51                      </span>
52                    </span>
53                  )
54                </div>
55
56              </em>
57          </dt>
58          <dd class="todo">
59            Undocumented.
60          </dd>
61          <dd>
62            Description of this parameter from the json schema.
63          </dd>
64          <dd>
65            This parameter was added in version
66            <b><span></span></b>.
67            You must omit this parameter in earlier versions,
68            and you may omit it in any version.  If you require this
69            parameter, the manifest key
70            <a href="manifest.html#minimum_chrome_version">minimum_chrome_version</a>
71            can ensure that your extension won't be run in an earlier browser version.
72          </dd>
73
74          <!-- OBJECT PROPERTIES -->
75          <dd>
76            <dl>
77              <div>
78                <div>
79                </div>
80              </div>
81            </dl>
82          </dd>
83
84          <!-- OBJECT METHODS -->
85          <dd>
86            <div></div>
87          </dd>
88
89          <!-- OBJECT EVENT FIELDS -->
90          <dd>
91            <div></div>
92          </dd>
93
94          <!-- FUNCTION PARAMETERS -->
95          <dd>
96            <div></div>
97          </dd>
98
99        </div> <!-- /VALUE -->
100
101        <div id="functionParametersTemplate">
102          <h5>Parameters</h5>
103          <dl>
104            <div>
105              <div>
106              </div>
107            </div>
108          </dl>
109        </div>
110      </div> <!-- /SUBTEMPLATES -->
111
112  <a id="top"></a>
113    <div id="skipto">
114      <a href="#gc-pagecontent">Skip to page content</a>
115      <a href="#gc-toc">Skip to main navigation</a>
116    </div>
117    <!-- API HEADER -->
118    <table id="header" width="100%" cellspacing="0" border="0">
119      <tbody><tr>
120        <td valign="middle"><a href="http://code.google.com/"><img src="images/code_labs_logo.gif" height="43" width="161" alt="Google Code Labs" style="border:0; margin:0;"></a></td>
121        <td valign="middle" width="100%" style="padding-left:0.6em;">
122          <form action="http://www.google.com/cse" id="cse" style="margin-top:0.5em">
123            <div id="gsc-search-box">
124              <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="002967670403910741006:61_cvzfqtno">
125              <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8">
126              <input type="text" name="q" value="" size="55">
127              <input class="gsc-search-button" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search">
128              <br>
129              <span class="greytext">e.g. "page action" or "tabs"</span>
130            </div>
131          </form>
132
133          <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/jsapi"></script>
134          <script type="text/javascript">google.load("elements", "1", {packages: "transliteration"});</script>
135          <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/t13n?form=cse&amp;t13n_langs=en"></script>
136          <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse&amp;lang=en"></script>
137        </td>
138      </tr>
139    </tbody></table>
140
141    <div id="codesiteContent" class="">
142
143      <a id="gc-topnav-anchor"></a>
144      <div id="gc-topnav">
145        <h1>Google Chrome Extensions (<a href="http://code.google.com/labs/">Labs</a>)</h1>
146        <ul id="home" class="gc-topnav-tabs">
147          <li id="home_link">
148            <a href="index.html" title="Google Chrome Extensions home page">Home</a>
149          </li>
150          <li id="docs_link">
151            <a href="docs.html" title="Official Google Chrome Extensions documentation">Docs</a>
152          </li>
153          <li id="faq_link">
154            <a href="faq.html" title="Answers to frequently asked questions about Google Chrome Extensions">FAQ</a>
155          </li>
156          <li id="samples_link">
157            <a href="samples.html" title="Sample extensions (with source code)">Samples</a>
158          </li>
159          <li id="group_link">
160            <a href="http://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-extensions" title="Google Chrome Extensions developer forum">Group</a>
161          </li>
162        </ul>
163      </div> <!-- end gc-topnav -->
164
165    <div class="g-section g-tpl-170">
166      <!-- SIDENAV -->
167      <div class="g-unit g-first" id="gc-toc">
168        <ul>
169          <li><a href="getstarted.html">Getting Started</a></li>
170          <li><a href="overview.html">Overview</a></li>
171          <li><a href="whats_new.html">What's New?</a></li>
172          <li><h2><a href="devguide.html">Developer's Guide</a></h2>
173            <ul>
174              <li>Browser UI
175                <ul>
176                  <li><a href="browserAction.html">Browser Actions</a></li>
177                  <li><a href="contextMenus.html">Context Menus</a></li>
178                  <li><a href="notifications.html">Desktop Notifications</a></li>
179                  <li><a href="omnibox.html">Omnibox</a></li>
180                  <li><a href="options.html">Options Pages</a></li>
181                  <li><a href="override.html">Override Pages</a></li>
182                  <li><a href="pageAction.html">Page Actions</a></li>
183                </ul>
184              </li>
185              <li>Browser Interaction
186                <ul>
187                  <li><a href="bookmarks.html">Bookmarks</a></li>
188                  <li><a href="cookies.html">Cookies</a></li>
189                  <li><a href="events.html">Events</a></li>
190                  <li><a href="history.html">History</a></li>
191                  <li><a href="management.html">Management</a></li>
192                  <li><a href="tabs.html">Tabs</a></li>
193                  <li><a href="windows.html">Windows</a></li>
194                </ul>
195              </li>
196              <li>Implementation
197                <ul>
198                  <li><a href="a11y.html">Accessibility</a></li>
199                  <li><a href="background_pages.html">Background Pages</a></li>
200                  <li><a href="content_scripts.html">Content Scripts</a></li>
201                  <li><a href="xhr.html">Cross-Origin XHR</a></li>
202                  <li><a href="idle.html">Idle</a></li>
203                  <li><a href="i18n.html">Internationalization</a></li>
204                  <li><a href="messaging.html">Message Passing</a></li>
205                  <li><a href="npapi.html">NPAPI Plugins</a></li>
206                </ul>
207              </li>
208              <li>Finishing
209                <ul>
210                  <li><a href="hosting.html">Hosting</a></li>
211                  <li><a href="external_extensions.html">Other Deployment Options</a></li>
212                </ul>
213              </li>
214            </ul>
215          </li>
216          <li><h2><a href="apps.html">Packaged Apps</a></h2></li>
217          <li><h2><a href="tutorials.html">Tutorials</a></h2>
218            <ul>
219              <li><a href="tut_debugging.html">Debugging</a></li>
220              <li><a href="tut_analytics.html">Google Analytics</a></li>
221              <li><a href="tut_oauth.html">OAuth</a></li>
222            </ul>
223          </li>
224          <li><h2>Reference</h2>
225            <ul>
226              <li>Formats
227                <ul>
228                  <li><a href="manifest.html">Manifest Files</a></li>
229                  <li><a href="match_patterns.html">Match Patterns</a></li>
230                </ul>
231              </li>
232              <li><a href="permission_warnings.html">Permission Warnings</a></li>
233              <li><a href="api_index.html">chrome.* APIs</a></li>
234              <li><a href="api_other.html">Other APIs</a></li>
235            </ul>
236          </li>
237          <li><h2><a href="samples.html">Samples</a></h2></li>
238          <div class="line"> </div>
239          <li><h2>More</h2>
240            <ul>
241              <li><a href="http://code.google.com/chrome/webstore/docs/index.html">Chrome Web Store</a></li>
242              <li><a href="http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/docs/developers_guide.html">Hosted Apps</a></li>
243              <li><a href="themes.html">Themes</a></li>
244            </ul>
245          </li>
246        </ul>
247      </div>
248      <script>
249        initToggles();
250      </script>
251
252    <div class="g-unit" id="gc-pagecontent">
253      <div id="pageTitle">
254        <h1 class="page_title">Developer's Guide</h1>
255      </div>
256        <!-- TABLE OF CONTENTS -->
257        <div id="toc" style="display: none; ">
258          <h2>Contents</h2>
259          <ol>
260            <li>
261              <a>h2Name</a>
262              <ol>
263                <li>
264                  <a>h3Name</a>
265                </li>
266              </ol>
267            </li>
268              <li>
269                <a href="#apiReference">API reference</a>
270                <ol>
271                  <li>
272                    <a href="#properties">Properties</a>
273                    <ol>
274                      <li>
275                        <a href="#property-anchor">propertyName</a>
276                      </li>
277                    </ol>
278                  </li>
279                  <li>
280                    <a>Methods</a>
281                    <ol>
282                      <li>
283                        <a href="#method-anchor">methodName</a>
284                      </li>
285                    </ol>
286                  </li>
287                  <li>
288                    <a>Events</a>
289                    <ol>
290                      <li>
291                        <a href="#event-anchor">eventName</a>
292                      </li>
293                    </ol>
294                  </li>
295                  <li>
296                    <a href="#types">Types</a>
297                    <ol>
298                      <li>
299                        <a href="#id-anchor">id</a>
300                      </li>
301                    </ol>
302                  </li>
303                </ol>
304              </li>
305          </ol>
306        </div>
307        <!-- /TABLE OF CONTENTS -->
308
309        <!-- Standard content lead-in for experimental API pages -->
310        <p id="classSummary" style="display: none; ">
311          For information on how to use experimental APIs, see the <a href="experimental.html">chrome.experimental.* APIs</a> page.
312        </p>
313
314        <!-- STATIC CONTENT PLACEHOLDER -->
315        <div id="static"><div id="pageData-name" class="pageData">Developer's Guide</div>
316
317<p>
318These pages assume you've completed
319the <a href="getstarted.html">Getting Started</a> tutorial
320and <a href="overview.html">Overview</a>.
321Unless otherwise stated, everything in this page
322applies to packaged apps, as well as extensions.
323</p>
324
325<table class="columns">
326  <tbody><tr>
327    <td colspan="2"><h4>Changing the Google Chrome chrome</h4></td>
328  </tr>
329  <tr>
330    <td colspan="2"> &nbsp;</td>
331  </tr>
332  <tr>
333    <td> <a href="browserAction.html">Browser&nbsp;Actions</a> </td>
334    <td> Add icons to the toolbar <em>(extensions only)</em> </td>
335  </tr>
336  <tr>
337    <td> <a href="notifications.html">Desktop&nbsp;Notifications</a> </td>
338    <td> Notify users of important events </td>
339  </tr>
340  <tr>
341    <td> <a href="omnibox.html">Omnibox</a> </td>
342    <td> Add a keyword to the address bar </td>
343  </tr>
344  <tr>
345    <td> <a href="options.html">Options&nbsp;Pages</a> </td>
346    <td> Let users customize your extension </td>
347  </tr>
348  <tr>
349    <td> <a href="override.html">Override&nbsp;Pages</a> </td>
350    <td> Implement your own version of standard browser pages
351         such as the New Tab page</td>
352  </tr>
353  <tr>
354    <td> <a href="pageAction.html">Page&nbsp;Actions</a> </td>
355    <td> Add temporary icons inside the address bar <em>(extensions only)</em> </td>
356  </tr>
357  <tr>
358    <td> <a href="themes.html">Themes</a> </td>
359    <td> Change the overall appearance of the browser </td>
360  </tr>
361
362  <tr>
363    <td colspan="2"><h4>Interacting with Google Chrome in other ways</h4></td>
364  </tr>
365  <tr>
366    <td colspan="2"> &nbsp;</td>
367  </tr>
368  <tr>
369    <td> <a href="bookmarks.html">Bookmarks</a> </td>
370    <td> Create, organize, and otherwise manipulate the user's bookmarks </td>
371  </tr>
372  <tr>
373    <td> <a href="cookies.html">Cookies</a> </td>
374    <td> Explore and modify the browser's cookie system </td>
375  </tr>
376  <tr>
377    <td> <a href="events.html">Events</a> </td>
378    <td> Detect when something interesting happens </td>
379  </tr>
380  <tr>
381    <td> <a href="history.html">History</a> </td>
382    <td> Interact with the browser's record of visited pages </td>
383  </tr>
384  <tr>
385    <td> <a href="tabs.html">Tabs</a> </td>
386    <td> Create, modify, and rearrange tabs in the browser </td>
387  </tr>
388  <tr>
389    <td> <a href="windows.html">Windows</a> </td>
390    <td> Create, modify, and rearrange windows in the browser </td>
391  </tr>
392
393  <tr>
394    <td colspan="2"><h4>Implementing the innards of your extension</h4></td>
395  </tr>
396  <tr>
397    <td colspan="2"> &nbsp;</td>
398  </tr>
399  <tr>
400    <td> <a href="a11y.html">Accessibility (a11y)</a> </td>
401    <td> Make your extension accessible to people with disabilities </td>
402  </tr>
403  <tr>
404    <td> <a href="background_pages.html">Background&nbsp;Pages</a> </td>
405    <td> Put all the common code for your extension in a single place </td>
406  </tr>
407  <tr>
408    <td> <a href="content_scripts.html">Content&nbsp;Scripts</a> </td>
409    <td> Run JavaScript code in the context of web pages </td>
410  </tr>
411  <tr>
412    <td> <a href="xhr.html">Cross-Origin&nbsp;XHR</a> </td>
413    <td> Use XMLHttpRequest to send and receive data from remote servers </td>
414  </tr>
415  <tr>
416    <td> <a href="i18n.html">Internationalization</a> </td>
417    <td> Deal with language and locale </td>
418  </tr>
419  <tr>
420    <td> <a href="messaging.html">Message&nbsp;Passing</a> </td>
421    <td> Communicate from a content script to its parent extension,
422         or vice versa</td>
423  </tr>
424  <tr>
425    <td> <a href="npapi.html">NPAPI&nbsp;Plugins</a> </td>
426    <td> Load native binary code </td>
427  </tr>
428
429  <tr>
430    <td colspan="2"><h4>Finishing and distributing your extension</h4></td>
431  </tr>
432  <tr>
433    <td colspan="2"> &nbsp;</td>
434  </tr>
435  <tr>
436    <td> <a href="autoupdate.html">Autoupdating</a> </td>
437    <td> Update extensions automatically </td>
438  </tr>
439  <tr>
440    <td> <a href="hosting.html">Hosting</a> </td>
441    <td> Host extensions on Google servers or your own </td>
442  </tr>
443  <tr>
444    <td> <a href="external_extensions.html">Other Deployment Options</a> </td>
445    <td> Distribute extensions on your network or with other software </td>
446  </tr>
447  <tr>
448    <td> <a href="packaging.html">Packaging</a> </td>
449    <td> Create a <code>.crx</code> file so you can distribute your extension </td>
450  </tr>
451</tbody></table>
452
453</div>
454
455        <!-- API PAGE -->
456        <div class="apiPage" style="display: none; ">
457        <a name="apiReference"></a>
458        <h2>API reference: chrome.apiname </h2>
459
460          <!-- PROPERTIES -->
461          <div class="apiGroup">
462            <a name="properties"></a>
463            <h3 id="properties">Properties</h3>
464
465            <div>
466              <a></a>
467              <h4>getLastError</h4>
468              <div class="summary">
469                <!-- Note: intentionally longer 80 columns -->
470                <span>chrome.extension</span><span>lastError</span>
471              </div>
472              <div>
473              </div>
474            </div>
475
476          </div> <!-- /apiGroup -->
477
478          <!-- METHODS -->
479          <div id="methodsTemplate" class="apiGroup">
480            <a></a>
481            <h3>Methods</h3>
482
483            <!-- iterates over all functions -->
484            <div class="apiItem">
485              <a></a> <!-- method-anchor -->
486              <h4>method name</h4>
487
488              <div class="summary"><span>void</span>
489                  <!-- Note: intentionally longer 80 columns -->
490                  <span>chrome.module.methodName</span>(<span><span>, </span><span></span>
491                      <var><span></span></var></span>)</div>
492
493              <div class="description">
494                <p class="todo">Undocumented.</p>
495                <p>
496                  A description from the json schema def of the function goes here.
497                </p>
498
499                <!-- PARAMETERS -->
500                <h4>Parameters</h4>
501                <dl>
502                  <div>
503                    <div>
504                    </div>
505                  </div>
506                </dl>
507
508                <!-- RETURNS -->
509                <h4>Returns</h4>
510                <dl>
511                  <div>
512                    <div>
513                    </div>
514                  </div>
515                </dl>
516
517                <!-- CALLBACK -->
518                <div>
519                  <div>
520                  <h4>Callback function</h4>
521                  <p>
522                    The callback <em>parameter</em> should specify a function
523                    that looks like this:
524                  </p>
525                  <p>
526                    If you specify the <em>callback</em> parameter, it should
527                    specify a function that looks like this:
528                  </p>
529
530                  <!-- Note: intentionally longer 80 columns -->
531                  <pre>function(<span>Type param1, Type param2</span>) <span class="subdued">{...}</span>;</pre>
532                  <dl>
533                    <div>
534                      <div>
535                      </div>
536                    </div>
537                  </dl>
538                  </div>
539                </div>
540
541                <!-- MIN_VERSION -->
542                <p>
543                  This function was added in version <b><span></span></b>.
544                  If you require this function, the manifest key
545                  <a href="manifest.html#minimum_chrome_version">minimum_chrome_version</a>
546                  can ensure that your extension won't be run in an earlier browser version.
547                </p>
548              </div> <!-- /description -->
549
550            </div>  <!-- /apiItem -->
551
552          </div>  <!-- /apiGroup -->
553
554          <!-- EVENTS -->
555          <div id="eventsTemplate" class="apiGroup">
556            <a></a>
557            <h3>Events</h3>
558            <!-- iterates over all events -->
559            <div class="apiItem">
560              <a></a>
561              <h4>event name</h4>
562
563              <div class="summary">
564                <!-- Note: intentionally longer 80 columns -->
565                <span class="subdued">chrome.bookmarks</span><span>onEvent</span><span class="subdued">.addListener</span>(function(<span>Type param1, Type param2</span>) <span class="subdued">{...}</span>);
566              </div>
567
568              <div class="description">
569                <p class="todo">Undocumented.</p>
570                <p>
571                  A description from the json schema def of the event goes here.
572                </p>
573
574                <!-- PARAMETERS -->
575                <div>
576                  <h4>Parameters</h4>
577                  <dl>
578                    <div>
579                      <div>
580                      </div>
581                    </div>
582                  </dl>
583                </div>
584              </div> <!-- /decription -->
585
586            </div> <!-- /apiItem -->
587
588          </div> <!-- /apiGroup -->
589
590          <!-- TYPES -->
591          <div class="apiGroup">
592            <a name="types"></a>
593            <h3 id="types">Types</h3>
594
595            <!-- iterates over all types -->
596            <div class="apiItem">
597              <a></a>
598              <h4>type name</h4>
599
600              <div>
601              </div>
602
603            </div> <!-- /apiItem -->
604
605          </div> <!-- /apiGroup -->
606
607        </div> <!-- /apiPage -->
608      </div> <!-- /gc-pagecontent -->
609    </div> <!-- /g-section -->
610  </div> <!-- /codesiteContent -->
611    <div id="gc-footer" --="">
612      <div class="text">
613  <p>
614  Except as otherwise <a href="http://code.google.com/policies.html#restrictions">noted</a>,
615  the content of this page is licensed under the <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/">Creative Commons
616  Attribution 3.0 License</a>, and code samples are licensed under the
617  <a rel="license" href="http://code.google.com/google_bsd_license.html">BSD License</a>.
618  </p>
619  <p>
620  ©2011 Google
621  </p>
622
623<!-- begin analytics -->
624<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
625<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
626
627<script type="text/javascript">
628  // chrome doc tracking
629  try {
630    var engdocs = _gat._getTracker("YT-10763712-2");
631    engdocs._trackPageview();
632  } catch(err) {}
633
634  // code.google.com site-wide tracking
635  try {
636    _uacct="UA-18071-1";
637    _uanchor=1;
638    _uff=0;
639    urchinTracker();
640  }
641  catch(e) {/* urchinTracker not available. */}
642</script>
643<!-- end analytics -->
644      </div>
645    </div> <!-- /gc-footer -->
646  </div> <!-- /gc-container -->
647</body></html>
648