grasp/README.md
Samuel Simões cc81dd9ba4 Collapse boilerplate in a single commit
First prototype

Added the README

Fixed the hot module replacement

Minor adjustments on readme

Normalizing the env vars and using it capitalized

Added info about the react.js branch

Fix babel transpiling

Using yarn

Removing the babel package, just the babel-core does the job

Using just the dependencies key on package.json

Since it isn't a lib package doesn't matter the separation between
devDependencies and dependencies.

Updating the css-loader

Updating the fs-extra

Moving the utility packages to utils folder

Better description

Adds the license

closes #3

Write the env vars on the bundle file

http://dev.topheman.com/make-your-react-production-minified-version-with-webpack/

Fixs the hot reload setup

Sringifies the env object to define plugin

Uses the webpack html plugin to generate the pages in a less hacky way

Uses the write-file-webpack-plugin

this plugin allows the webpack write on disk all files, even running
with the webserver, which is necessary to the hot reload.

this plugin also help us to remove nasty hacks and expose bundles to
other extension features.

Allows exclude some entry points to be hot reloaded

It's useful for content scripts that can't keep the connection with the
webpack endpoint.

Updates the webpack

Updates the README with instructions about the content scripts

resolves #4

Updates to Webpack 2

closes #8

Expand the DefinePlugin usage

In Webpack 1, the replaced value at compile time by define plugin was placed with
parenthesis, like ({"NODE_ENV":"development","PORT":3000}), now, it not works in
this way, breaking the app.

So, to simplify the things, this commit just passes the NODE_ENV var.

Fix README

Exclude /node_modules/ from babel and css transpiling #9

Source maps to help debugging

closes #10

Removes the forbidden webpack config 'chromeExtensionBoilerplate'
before build and webserver's start

Although I know that it's not a good practice, right now I don't know a
good way to keep the boilerplate configs simple as it is today without
this hacky solution, so, until we came with a better solution, we'll
remove the key before build and webserver's start.

  #9

Update README.md

Removing babel.js

Basically, we don't need transpiling with babel since Webpack 2 take care of
ES6 modules transpiling and the ES2015 is supported by Chrome.

  kudos @gagarine

  resolve #16

Setup boilerplate to load images and other assets in html and css

resolves #18
resolves #23
resolves #14
resolves #12

Added icons and images boilerplate

Split dependencies on package.json

resolves #15

Webpack config improvements (#26)

- Use CopyWebpackPlugin to generate `manifest.json` file
- Use CleanWebpackPlugin to clear build folder

Minor README adjustments

* explicitly the required node version
* pointing to yarn install instructions page instead suggest install
with npm. the yarn page will be always updated to the best way to install
the yarn.

closes #28

Adding the contribution guidelines
2019-01-05 10:17:50 +00:00

5.1 KiB

Chrome Extension Webpack Boilerplate

A basic foundation boilerplate for rich Chrome Extensions using Webpack to help you write modular and modern Javascript code, load CSS easily and automatic reload the browser on code changes.

Developing a new extension

I'll assume that you already read the Webpack docs and the Chrome Extension docs.

  1. Check if your Node.js version is >= 6.
  2. Clone the repository.
  3. Install yarn.
  4. Run yarn.
  5. Change the package's name and description on package.json.
  6. Change the name of your extension on src/manifest.json.
  7. Run npm run start
  8. Load your extension on Chrome following:
    1. Access chrome://extensions/
    2. Check Developer mode
    3. Click on Load unpacked extension
    4. Select the build folder.
  9. Have fun.

Structure

All your extension's development code must be placed in src folder, including the extension manifest.

The boilerplate is already prepared to have a popup, a options page and a background page. You can easily customize this.

Each page has its own assets package defined. So, to code on popup you must start your code on src/js/popup.js, for example.

You must use the ES6 modules to a better code organization. The boilerplate is already prepared to that and here you have a little example.

Webpack auto-reload and HRM

To make your workflow much more efficient this boilerplate uses the webpack server to development (started with npm run server) with auto reload feature that reloads the browser automatically every time that you save some file o your editor.

You can run the dev mode on other port if you want. Just specify the env var port like this:

$ PORT=6002 npm run start

Content Scripts

Although this boilerplate uses the webpack dev server, it's also prepared to write all your bundles files on the disk at every code change, so you can point, on your extension manifest, to your bundles that you want to use as content scripts, but you need to exclude these entry points from hot reloading (why?). To do so you need to expose which entry points are content scripts on the webpack.config.js using the chromeExtensionBoilerplate -> notHotReload config. Look the example below.

Let's say that you want use the myContentScript entry point as content script, so on your webpack.config.js you will configure the entry point and exclude it from hot reloading, like this:

{
  
  entry: {
    myContentScript: "./src/js/myContentScript.js"
  },
  chromeExtensionBoilerplate: {
    notHotReload: ["myContentScript"]
  }
  
}

and on your src/manifest.json:

{
  "content_scripts": [
    {
      "matches": ["https://www.google.com/*"],
      "js": ["myContentScript.bundle.js"]
    }
  ]
}

Packing

After the development of your extension run the command

$ NODE_ENV=production npm run build

Now, the content of build folder will be the extension ready to be submitted to the Chrome Web Store. Just take a look at the official guide to more infos about publishing.

Secrets

If you are developing an extension that talks with some API you probably are using different keys for testing and production. Is a good practice you not commit your secret keys and expose to anyone that have access to the repository.

To this task this boilerplate import the file ./secrets.<THE-NODE_ENV>.js on your modules through the module named as secrets, so you can do things like this:

./secrets.development.js

export default { key: "123" };

./src/popup.js

import secrets from "secrets";
ApiCall({ key: secrets.key });

👉 The files with name secrets.*.js already are ignored on the repository.

With React.js

💡 If you want use React.js with this boilerplate, check the react branch.

Contributing

  1. Please!! Do not create a pull request without an issue before discussing the problem.
  2. On your PR make sure that you are following the current codebase style.
  3. Your PR must be single purpose. Resolve just one problem on your PR.
  4. Make sure to commit in the same style that we are committing until now on the project.

Samuel Simões ~ @samuelsimoes ~ Blog