CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-chromeexecutablegoogle-chrome-extension
krb
krb

Reputation: 16345

Start an external application from a Google Chrome Extension?

How to start an external application from a Google Chrome Extension?

So basically I have an executable file which does the job when you launch it. I need to be able to start it without a window (it is a console application) and pass the current URL to it in an argument,

Upvotes: 87

Views: 146024

Answers (4)

Jared Forsyth
Jared Forsyth

Reputation: 13172

You can't launch arbitrary commands, but if your users are willing to go through some extra setup, you can use custom protocols.

E.g. you have the users set things up so that some-app:// links start "SomeApp", and then in my-awesome-extension you open a tab pointing to some-app://some-data-the-app-wants, and you're good to go!

Upvotes: 28

Carson
Carson

Reputation: 8118

Native messaging host

Chrome-extensions

{
  "name": "AppName",
  "description": "",
  "version": "1.0",
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "permissions": [
    "nativeMessaging"  // 👈 https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv3/declare_permissions/
  ]
  // ...
}

Host

Add schema

@echo off
:: If you add "/f" then you can force write.
REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\com.my_company.my_application" ^
 /ve /t REG_SZ ^
 /d "%~dp0Mymanifest.json"

// Mymanifest.json
{
  "name": "com.my_company.my_application",
  "description": "My Application",
  "path": "relative_dir/my.exe",
  "type": "stdio",
  "allowed_origins": [
    "chrome-extension://nbjjflbnekmabedahdolabcpahfjojjb/"
  ]
}

chrome.runtime.sendNativeMessage

example:

// your.js
chrome.runtime.sendNativeMessage("com.my_company.my_application",
  {key1: "value1", key2: "value2"}, // 👈 Send those parameters to your program.
  (response) => {
    console.log(response)
  }
)

Example repository

I have created a project thunder/e11fde9 whose ultimate goal is to be able to use a browser as input and then open a specified file locally (without a mouse, if possible)

It is still in development, but I think the early code is enough. The link is below.

Which already has a log that records the results of the browser's transmission, while the browser can also get the program's return value.

Reference

Upvotes: 10

jnewbery
jnewbery

Reputation: 1012

Previously, you would do this through NPAPI plugins.

However, Google is now phasing out NPAPI for Chrome, so the preferred way to do this is using the native messaging API. The external application would have to register a native messaging host in order to exchange messages with your application.

Upvotes: 88

Jacquelyn.Marquardt
Jacquelyn.Marquardt

Reputation: 630

I go for hypothesys since I can't verify now.

With Apache, if you make a php script on your local machine calling your executable, and then call this script via POST or GET via html/javascript?

would it function?

let me know.

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions