What's New in Extensions?

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2. API reference
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   3. Events
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This page lists the API and manifest changes made in recent releases.

• Google Chrome 9
• Google Chrome 8
• Google Chrome 7
• Google Chrome 6

Google Chrome 9

New APIs

• The omnibox API allows you to register a keyword with Chrome's address bar.

Manifest changes

• The homepage_url field lets you specify the extension or app's homepage.

Additions to existing APIs

• The Tab object now has a pinned property that's reflected in various chrome.tabs methods. For example, you can create a pinned tab.
• The chrome.windows.create() method's first parameter can now be an array of strings, letting you create an array of tabs.
• The chrome.windows.create() method now has a tabId parameter. You can use it to move a tab or panel into a new window.
• The new chrome.management.get() method lets you get information about the specified extension or app.

Google Chrome 8

We took a break for Chrome 8. No API or manifest changes worth noting.

Google Chrome 7

New APIs

• All users can now install apps; packaged apps can use extension APIs
• The management API lets you work with installed apps and extensions

Manifest changes

• Introduced split incognito mode as the default for installable web apps (also available to extensions)
• The tabs API create() and update() methods no longer require the "tabs" permission, removing one common cause of scary dialogs

Google Chrome 6

New APIs

• The context menus API allows you to add context menus to pages or specific objects on a page
• The cookies API allows you to manage the browser's cookie system
• The idle API allows you to detect when the machine's idle state changes

New experimental APIs

• The omnibox API allows you to add functionality to the browser's address bar
• The infobars API allows you to add a UI panel across the top of a tab

Additions to existing APIs

• The chrome.extension.getViews() method can now return popup views
• A new WINDOW_ID_NONE constant identifies when focus shifts away from the browser
• The new chrome.tabs.getCurrent() method returns the tab associated with the currently executing script

Manifest changes

• The geolocation permission gives an extension access to the user's physical location
• Match patterns can now select all schemes or all URLs
• Access to file:/// URLs no longer triggers the "access to your machine" security warning, but now requires user opt-in from the extensions management page