Building Browser Extensions Tooling

• Mozilla’s Browser Extension Development Tools
  • Provides a high-level overview of the various tools available for webextensions development by the Mozilla community.
  • Includes scaffolding, examples, web-ext, web-ext-webpack-plugin, API polyfill, about:debugging, addon debugging window, web extension translator, translate web-ext.
  • WebExtension Toolbox Generator – Cross-browser generator.
  • Luca Greco. Developing Cross-Browser Extensions with web-ext 3.2.0. mozilla, 12/2019.
• Mozilla’s web-ext CLI Tool – Stars: 982 – Updated: 6/2020 – Reviewed: 6/2020.
  • CLI that helps one build, run, and test webextensions.
  • Getting Started with web-ext
• Mozilla’s Browser Toolbox
  • Allows for debugging extensions.
• Webpack Extension Reloader – Stars: 262 – Updated: 11/2019 – Reviewed: 6/2020.
  • Webpack plugin that reloads extensions automatically as files change.
• Exthouse* – Stars: 367 – Updated: 7/2020 – Reviewed: 9/2020.
  • Allows one to test the impact of a browser extension on web performance.
• Browser Extension Development Tools.
  • Overview of various tools available for extension development including boilerplating, scaffolding, examples, CLI’s, helpers, testing, debugging, and translation.
• CRX Viewer – Stars: 748 – Updated: 5/2020 – Checked: 9/2020.
  • Allows one to view the source code of any extension in the Chrome Web Store without installing the extension.

Chrome Oriented

• Chrome Extension Hot Reloader – Stars: 425 – Updated: 11/2019 – Reviewed: 6/2020.
• Mozilla’s WebExtension PolyFill – Stars: 1k – Updated: 3/2020 – Reviewed: 6/2020.
  • Promise-based APIs for Chrome browser extensions.
• CRX (oncletom) – Stars: 420 – Updated: 7/2019 – Checked: 9/2020.
  • Node.js CLI for packing Google Chrome extensions.
• Yeoman Generator Chrome Extension – Stars: 2.3k – Updated: 10/2019 – Reviewed: 6/2020.
• Chrome Extension CLI – Stars: 499 – Updated: 8/2020 – Checked: 9/2020.

Compatibility

• Extension Compatibility Test for Firefox
  • Tests whether a Chrome extension can be used in Firefox.

Security

• Browser Extension Analysis Framework – Stars: 258 – Updated: 5/2020 – Checked: 9/2020
  • Analyzes extensions for security vulnerabilities.
• CRXcavator – Provides a risk score for all Chrome Web Store extensions updated every three hours.