CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptgoogle-chromefirefox-addonfirefox-addon-webextensions
john k
john k

Reputation: 6615

How do I keep an extension script running after the popup window is closed?

So lets say I am making an addon/extension for firefox/chrome. I have a popup with one button. It looks like this:

enter image description here

When the button is clicked I want some function to execute, and I want it to continue to execute even after the popup loses focus and disappears.

The normal behavior is to close the popup as soon as it loses focus. So if I click the button then immediately click something else, the popup disappears and I get this message in the console:

Cannot send function call result: other side closed connection (calldata:
({path:"bookmarks.getTree", args:[]}))

No error checking or using onbeforeunload works.

Here's a minimal example:

Manifest.json

{
    "manifest_version": 2,
    "name": "delete bookmarks",
    "version": "0.1",
    "browser_action": {
        "default_popup": "popup.html"
    },
    "permissions": ["management", "bookmarks", "http://*/"],
    "background": {
        "scripts": ["doStuff.js"]
    },
    "content_scripts": [{
        "matches": ["<all_urls>"],
        "js": ["doStuff.js"]
    }]
}

popup.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <button id="doStuff">doStuff</button>
    <script src="doStuff.js"></script>
</html>

doStuff.js

var button = document.getElementById("doStuff");
button.addEventListener("click", function() {
  doStuff();
}, false); 

function doStuff(){
  chrome.bookmarks.getTree(deleteAllBookmarks);
}

function deleteAllBookmarks(result){  //JUST AN EXAMPLE!
 //delete/remove ALL bookmarks
  for(var i = 0 ; i < result[0].children.length; i ++){  //get children of root 
    var child = result[0].children[i];
    for(var j = 0 ; j < child.children.length; j++){  //get children of children of root 
      var childchild = child.children[j];
      console.log("deleting id " + childchild.id);
      chrome.bookmarks.removeTree(childchild.id, success);  //delete everything
    }
  }
}

function success(result){
  alert("Success");
}

So, again, I am trying to finish executing javascript code even after the parent html page is closed. It seems like this should be easy, since I am loading the script both as a content_script and a background script, but I cannot figure it out and there are no matching SO posts. Any help is appreciated.

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1397

Answers (1)

hong4rc
hong4rc

Reputation: 4103

You should messaging of chrome. When press button, popup will send message to background, and background will listen and do something.

You can't do it if just use popup page. And if you want to do something with active page, you need create listener in that page (add script with content_scripts).

Upvotes: 1

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