WebExtensions: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:10, 29 December 2018

Revision as of 19:19, 29 December 2018

Line 9:

[[Microsoft]] debuted its [[Microsoft Edge|Edge]] browser in 2014. A key difference from [[Internet Explorer]] was adopting an extension API similar to Chrome's. In December 2018, Microsoft announced that Edge is being rebuilt as a [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]]-based browser.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/12/06/microsoft-edge-making-the-web-better-through-more-open-source-collaboration/|title=Microsoft Edge: Making the web better through more open source collaboration|date=2018-12-06|website=Windows Experience Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-confirms-plans-rebuild-edge-ground-using-chromium-windows-10|title=Microsoft confirms plan to rebuild Edge browser using Chromium on Windows 10|date=2018-12-06|website=Windows Central|language=en|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://social.techcrunch.com/2018/12/06/microsoft-edge-goes-chromium-and-macos/|title=Microsoft Edge goes Chromium (and macOS)|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/3325333/web-browsers/with-move-to-rebuild-edge-atop-googles-chromium-microsoft-raises-white-flag-in-browser-war.html|title=With move to rebuild Edge atop Google's Chromium, Microsoft raises white flag in browser war|last=Keizer|first=Gregg|date=2018-12-08|website=Computerworld|language=en|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> One of the reasons is to improve extension compatibility with Chrome.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/a3pt19/microsoft_edge_making_the_web_better_through_more/eb8rhe5|title=r/Windows10 - Microsoft Edge: Making the web better through more open source collaboration|website=reddit|language=en|access-date=2018-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/10/microsoft-edge-chrome-extensions/|title=Microsoft's new Edge browser will support Chrome extensions|website=Engadget|language=en|access-date=2018-12-15}}</ref>

In 2015, [[Mozilla]] announced plans to deprecate its [[XPCOM]]- and [[XUL]]-based add-ons in favor of an API simliar to Chrome's.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08/21/the-future-of-developing-firefox-add-ons/|title=The Future of Developing Firefox Add-ons|website=Mozilla Add-ons Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2015/08/21/mozillas-self-destruct-course-continues-major-add-on-compatibility-changes-announced/|title=Mozilla's self-destruct course continues: major add-on compatibility changes announced - gHacks Tech News|website=www.ghacks.net|access-date=2018-12-15}}</ref> This change was enacted in late 2017 with the release of Firefox 57. MozillaLegacy nowextensions referscan tono XPCOM-longer andbe XUL-basedinstalled extensionsin as ''legacy add-ons''Firefox.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2017/08/10/upcoming-changes-compatibility/|title=Upcoming Changes in Compatibility Features|website=Mozilla Add-ons Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-15}}</ref> All ''legacy add-ons'' were removed from Firefox Add-ons in November 2018: the search does not show any ''legacy add-ons'' and loading the URLs of individual extension pages returns "page not found" errors.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2018/11/29/it-appears-that-mozilla-removed-all-classic-extensions-from-firefox-add-ons/|title=It appears that Mozilla removed all classic extensions from Firefox Add-ons - gHacks Tech News|website=www.ghacks.net|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> Individual users attempted to enable some ''legacy add-ons'' on Firefox Quantum (version 57.* and newer) via a flag and install them from unofficial archives, but those attempts were largely unsuccessful, since some underlying components were removed from Firefox altogether.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ghacks.net/2017/08/12/how-to-enable-legacy-extensions-in-firefox-57/|title=How to enable legacy extensions in Firefox 57 - gHacks Tech News|website=www.ghacks.net|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref>

Attempts to create a single standard API have been unsuccessful. In 2015, the [[World Wide Web Consortium]] formed a working group to facilitate this,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://browserext.github.io/charter/|title=Browser Extension Community Group Charter — Browser Extension Community Group|website=browserext.github.io|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> but it is unlikely to ever come to fruition.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/community/browserext/|title=Browser Extension Community Group|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-browserext/2017Jul/0001.html|title=Re: One question from Florian Rivoal on 2017-07-29 ([e-mail] from July 2017)|website=lists.w3.org|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref>

=== W3C working group ===

In 2015 [[World Wide Web Consortium|W3C]] Browser Extension Community Group was formed "to facilitate discussion between Web Browser vendors, as well as other interested parties, in order to establish a set of standards for interoperable browser extensions" and "ensure actual interoperability rather than mere similarity [to Google Chrome APIs]."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://browserext.github.io/charter/|title=Browser Extension Community Group Charter — Browser Extension Community Group|website=browserext.github.io|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> Mike Pietraszak from Microsoft became the editor of the draft.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://browserext.github.io/browserext/#respec-offender-linter-local-refs-exist-broken-local-reference-found-in-document-please-fix-the-links-mentioned-see-developer-console-occured|title=Browser Extensions|website=browserext.github.io|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> However, as of December 2018, the Community Group hasn't published any reports yet;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/community/browserext/|title=Browser Extension Community Group|language=en-US|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> only a Working Draft is available. The Community Group is severely understaffed, so the specification is "lagging behind and a little short on the details".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-browserext/2017Jul/0001.html|title=Re: One question from Florian Rivoal on 2017-07-29 ([e-mail] from July 2017)|website=lists.w3.org|access-date=2018-12-14}}</ref> The standard's future is uncertain, since the group is headed by Mike Pietraszak from Microsoft,<ref name=":2" /> and Microsoft decided to rebuild Edge on top of Chromium.<ref name=":0" />

== Security ==