Extension

A short description

Extensions are small addons to a Mozilla product, such as Firefox or Thunderbird, that can extend the functionality of the browser to meet the user's needs.

A longer detailed discussion

Extensions allow a user to enhance their Mozilla product to meet their personal requirements without the core product being too bloated. It can be anything from a toolbar button to a small icon on the status bar to another addon to the right-click menu. Extensions can be created by anyone that has the the knowledge of the following extension-related technologies:

• XPI — Cross-Platform Installer module
• JavaScript – The primary language of Mozilla Browsers
• XUL (XML User Interface Language) – Used to define the UI (User Interface) and interaction with user.
• DOM (Document Object Model) – Used to change XUL in real-time or to edit HTML that is currently loaded
• CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
• XPCOM/XPConnect

Extensions are installed via an XPInstall module.

Relevant resources

• MDC Extension Page
• Tutorial on how to build an Extension
• Extension Frequently Asked Questions
• Setting up extension development environment
• Extension Packaging
• Creating Custom Firefox Extensions with the Mozilla Build System
• Articles about Extensions

Examples of code or other relevent artifacts

• Tabbed Browser code - snippet of code to help work with Firefox's tabbed browser.
• MozillaZine Example Code

Newsgroups, mailinglists, IRC channels, etc. relevant to the technology

• Mailing List
• News Group
• Google Group
• Web Feed from Google Groups
• IRC Channel
• MozillaZine Forum
• Extensions Community

Extensions

• Extension Builder - an extension to help build an extension
• Firefox/Thunderbird Extension Wizard - Generates an extension skeleton to meet your needs
• Venkman - Mozilla-based JavaScript debugger
• Extension Downloads - download thousands of extensions to meet your personal needs