Web Browser Extensions
Thursday, 28. May 2009, 04:06:45
Google have recently blogged about their Chrome browser extensions. Their extensions are basically nothing more than regular web pages, just smaller, and with a bunch of new APIs to obtain the necessary functionality.
It's very similar to what Palm are doing with their new webOS - applications for the new Palm phone are written using HTML, CSS and Javascript.
I've never been much of a supporter of browser extensions. To me, they just add a lot of complexity and trouble to an already incredibly complicated application.
However, back in 2006 I thought that Opera should somehow make their then-new widgets the basis for extending functionality into the browser chrome. I still think Opera should do something like that.
Leveraging existing web development knowledge makes a lot of sense. I'm not convinced that Google's use of separate processes is really necessary. Just lightweight multi-threading so nothing blocks up.
It's very similar to what Palm are doing with their new webOS - applications for the new Palm phone are written using HTML, CSS and Javascript.
I've never been much of a supporter of browser extensions. To me, they just add a lot of complexity and trouble to an already incredibly complicated application.
However, back in 2006 I thought that Opera should somehow make their then-new widgets the basis for extending functionality into the browser chrome. I still think Opera should do something like that.
Leveraging existing web development knowledge makes a lot of sense. I'm not convinced that Google's use of separate processes is really necessary. Just lightweight multi-threading so nothing blocks up.
WIDGETIZE
Morghus # 28. May 2009, 11:43
Extensions are a pretty brilliant way to enhance the experience on the web, and stuff like Firebug made web-development tremendously much easier, while CoolIris added a much more simple picture-browsing.
There are merits to them, they push the development of what can be done on and with the web, and how we interact with it.
How Google's take on extensions will pan out in the future isn't within my reach to comment about, but if it's web-based in some way, then it could be migrated or emulated in other browsers too, no?
Chas4 # 28. May 2009, 19:50
Andrew Gregory # 29. May 2009, 01:55
"Proper" extensions at minimum need access to the browser chrome.