Design Challenge Tutorial: Stupid XPI Tricks - Bookmarks and Prefs

Download

• bookmarks-and-prefs.zip
• bookmarks-and-prefs.tar.gz

Install

• Download and unpack. Move the bookmarks-and-prefs folder to Projects.
• Mac and Linux: Make a file at ~/Profiles/stupid-tricks/extensions/bookmarks-and-prefs@evilbrainjono The contents of the file should be:
  ~/Projects/bookmarks-and-prefs/
• Windows: Make a file at %USERPROFILE%\Profiles\stupid-tricks\extensions\bookmarks-and-prefs@evilbrainjono The contents of the file should be:
  %USERPROFILE%\Projects\bookmarks-and-prefs\

What's it do?

• Creates several bookmarks.
• Sets several preferences.

How does it work?

• See file bookmarks-and-prefs/chrome/content/setup.js
• Components.classes and Components.interfaces -- always defined in extension javascript context.
• Let your extension request a Firefox component and get an interface to it.
• There are MANY components you can use; this extension demonstrates using two: Nav-Bookmarks-Service and Preferences-Service.
• Other very useful components, not shown here, include those for reading/writing files on disk, manipulating the browsing history, etc.
• If you want to get really fancy, your extension can even create a component and register it, so that it will be available to other code.

Let's improve it

• Use about:config to find a preference.
• Use the Preferences service to print out the value of that preference.
• Use prefs.getCharPref( nameOfPref ); if it's a string.
• Try setting the value with prefs.setCharPref( nameOfPref, newValue );

Where to Learn More

• A big list of XPCOM components
• Manipulating bookmarks using Places
• Using the Places history service
• Sample code for using preferences

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