whats_new.html revision dc0f95d653279beabeb9817299e2902918ba123e 
1<div id="pageData-name" class="pageData">What's New in Extensions?</div>
2<!-- <div id="pageData-showTOC" class="pageData">true</div> -->
3
4<p>
5This page lists the API and manifest changes
6made in recent releases.
7</p>
8
9<ul>
10  <li> <a href="#10">Google Chrome 10</a> </li>
11  <li> <a href="#9">Google Chrome 9</a> </li>
12  <li> <a href="#8">Google Chrome 8</a> </li>
13  <li> <a href="#7">Google Chrome 7</a> </li>
14  <li> <a href="#6">Google Chrome 6</a> </li>
15</ul>
16
17
18<h2 id="10"> Google Chrome 10 </h2>
19
20<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
21  <ul>
22    <li>The new <a href="manifest.html#bg">background</a> permission
23      extends the life of Chrome,
24      allowing your extension or app
25      to run even when Chrome has no windows open.
26      </li>
27  </ul>
28
29<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
30  <ul>
31    <li> The <a href="windows.html#method-create">chrome.windows.create()</a>
32      method now has a <code>tabId</code> parameter.
33      You can use it to move a tab or panel into a new window.
34      <p class="note">
35      <b>Note:</b>
36      This change was incorrectly attributed to Chrome 9
37      in previous versions of this page.
38    </li>
39  </ul>
40
41<h2 id="9"> Google Chrome 9 </h2>
42
43<h4> New APIs </h4>
44  <ul>
45    <li>The <a href="omnibox.html">omnibox API</a> allows you to
46      register a keyword with Chrome's address bar. </li>
47  </ul>
48
49<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
50  <ul>
51    <li> The <a href="manifest.html#homepage_url">homepage_url</a> field
52      lets you specify the extension or app's homepage. </li>
53  </ul>
54</h4>
55
56<!-- <h4> New experimental APIs </h4> -->
57
58<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
59  <ul>
60    <li> The <a href="tabs.html#type-Tab">Tab</a> object
61      now has a <code>pinned</code> property
62      that's reflected in various <code>chrome.tabs</code> methods.
63      For example,
64      you can <a href="tabs.html#method-create">create</a>
65      a pinned tab. </li>
66    <li> The <a href="windows.html#method-create">chrome.windows.create()</a>
67      method can now take a list of URLs,
68      letting you create multiple tabs in the new window. </li>
69    <li> The new
70      <a href="management.html#method-get">chrome.management.get()</a> method
71      lets you get information about the specified extension or app. </li>
72  </ul>
73
74
75<h2 id="8"> Google Chrome 8 </h2>
76
77<p>
78We took a break for Chrome 8.
79No API or manifest changes worth noting.
80</p>
81
82
83<h2 id="7"> Google Chrome 7 </h2>
84
85<h4> New APIs </h4>
86  <ul>
87    <li> All users can now install
88      <a href="http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/index.html">apps</a>;
89      packaged apps can use extension APIs
90      </li>
91    <li> The <a href="management.html">management API</a>
92      lets you work with installed apps and extensions
93      </li>
94  </ul>
95
96<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
97  <ul>
98    <li> Introduced <a href="manifest.html#incognito">split incognito</a>
99      mode as the default for installable web apps
100      (also available to extensions)
101      </li>
102    <li> The <a href="tabs.html">tabs API</a>
103      <code>create()</code> and <code>update()</code> methods
104      no longer require the "tabs" permission, removing one common cause of
105      <a href="permission_warnings.html">scary dialogs</a>
106      </li>
107  </ul>
108
109<!--
110<h4> New experimental APIs </h4>
111  <ul>
112    <li> a change </li>
113  </ul>
114
115<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
116  <ul>
117    <li> a change </li>
118  </ul>
119-->
120
121
122<h2 id="6">Google Chrome 6</h2>
123
124<h4> New APIs </h4>
125  <ul>
126    <li>The <a href="contextMenus.html">context menus API</a> allows you to
127      add context menus to pages or specific objects on a page </li>
128    <li>The <a href="cookies.html">cookies API</a> allows you to manage the
129      browser's cookie system  </li>
130    <li>The <a href="idle.html">idle API</a> allows you to detect when the
131      machine's idle state changes </li>
132  </ul>
133
134<h4> New experimental APIs </h4>
135  <ul>
136    <li>The <a href="experimental.omnibox.html">omnibox API</a> allows you to
137      add functionality to the browser's address bar </li>
138    <li>The <a href="experimental.infobars.html">infobars API</a> allows you
139      to add a UI panel across the top of a tab </li>
140  </ul>
141
142<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
143  <ul>
144    <li>The <a
145      href="extension.html#method-getViews">chrome.extension.getViews()</a>
146      method can now return popup views </li>
147    <li>A new <a
148      href="windows.html#property-WINDOW_ID_NONE">WINDOW_ID_NONE</a> constant
149      identifies when focus shifts away from the browser </li>
150    <li>The new <a
151      href="tabs.html#method-getCurrent">chrome.tabs.getCurrent()</a> method
152      returns the tab associated with the currently executing script </li>
153  </ul>
154
155<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
156  <ul>
157    <li>The <a href="manifest.html#geolocation">geolocation</a> permission
158      gives an extension access to the user's physical location </li>
159    <li><a href="match_patterns.html">Match patterns</a> can now select all
160      schemes or all URLs </li>
161    <li>Access to file:/// URLs no longer triggers the "access to your machine"
162      security warning, but now requires user opt-in from the extensions
163      management page </li>
164  </ul>
165
166