Firefox Add-on SDK released

Mozilla's Add-on Mascot
Source: Mozilla Version 1 of the Add-on SDK for the open source Firefox web browser has been released; the APIs and tools started life two years ago as a Mozilla Labs project known as JetPack. The Firefox development team has also released a beta version of its Add-on Builder, which allows users to create add-ons using a web-based development environment.

The SDK includes modules for working with elements such as clipboards and the context menu, and for modifying page content. Further modules are expected to follow. The SDK contains a command line tool which can be used to create an add-on skeleton and generate an XPI installation package, which can be tested locally. The SDK requires Python 2.5 or 2.6, but does not require a specific operating system. Add-ons consist primarily of JavaScript code.

Instead of using their own editor, add-on developers can also try the new Add-on Builder, which is currently still in beta. It is a web-based development environment that contains an editor (including syntax checker) which can also be used to test applications in the browser. This does, however, require an add-on which is only available for Firefox 4 – Firefox 5 was released yesterday, 21 June.

Further information about the Add-on SDK and Add-on Builder can be found in a post on the Add-ons Blog, in the release notes and on the Builder and SDK Developer Hub. The Add-on SDK is available to download (direct download) from the project's web site.

(crve)