Generator-chrome-extension NPM

Chrome Extension generator

Chrome Extension generator that creates everything you need to get started with extension development. You can choose Browser UI(Browser,Page Action, Omnibox) type and select into permissions what you need.

Getting Started

# Please make sure that `yo`, `gulp` and `bower` was installed on your system using this command:
npm install --global yo gulp-cli bower

# Install the generator:
npm install -g generator-chrome-extension

# Make a new directory, and `cd` get into it:
mkdir my-new-chrome-extension && cd $_

# Generate a new project
yo chrome-extension

# Transform updated source written by ES2015 (default option)
gulp babel

# or Using watch to update source continuously
gulp watch

# Make a production version extension
gulp build

Test Chrome Extension

To test, go to: chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode and load app as an unpacked extension.

Need more information about Chrome Extension? Please visit Google Chrome Extension Development

Generators

Available generators:

chrome-extension (aka chrome-extension:app)

App

Sets up a new Chrome Extension, generating all the boilerplate you need to get started.

yo chrome-extension

gulp tasks

Babel

The generator supports ES 2015 syntax through babel transforming. You may have a source files in script.babel if your project has been generated without --no-babel options. While developing, When those of source has been changed, gulp babel should be run before test and run a extension on Chrome.

gulp babel

If you would like to have a continuous transforming by babel you can use watch task

Watch

Watch task helps you reduce your efforts during development extensions. If the task detects your changes of source files, re-compile your sources automatically or Livereload(chromereload.js) reloads your extension. If you would like to know more about Live-reload and preview of Yeoman? Please see Getting started with Yeoman and generator-webapp for your understanding.

gulp watch

You need to load/reload extension after starting gulp watch for Live-reload to work.

For content scripts you need to refresh pages where it is used.

Build and Package

It will build your app as a result you can have a distribution version of the app in dist. Run this command to build your Chrome Extension app.

gulp build

You can also distribute your project with compressed file using the Chrome Developer Dashboard at Chrome Web Store. This command will compress your app built by gulp build command.

gulp package

Options

--no-babel
If you wouldn't use Babel ES2015 transpiler.
--skip-install
Skips the automatic execution of bower and npm after scaffolding has finished.
--test-framework=[framework]
Defaults to mocha. Can be switched for another supported testing framework like jasmine.
--sass
Add support for Sass.
--all-permissions
All of permissions of chrome extension will be shown.

ES2015 and babel

ES2015 is the default option in the generator that means you can use es2015 now for developing the Chrome extensions. However, at this moment, you need to execute babel task of gulp to compile to test and run your extension on Chrome, because ES2015 is not full functionality on Chrome as yet.

The sources written by es2015 is located at scripts.babel and runnable sources will be at script after compiling by gulp babel. May you don't want to use babel and ES2015 use --no-babel option when scaffolding a new project.

yo chrome-extension --no-babel

Sass

This generator supports sass through --sass options and generate scss boilerplate files at styles.scss that those of scss files will be compiled to styles via gulp style task. To do this, libsass is featured in the generator. Please see this for further information.

yo chrome-extension --sass

All of Permissions for Chrome Extension

Need to add more permissions for chrome extension? You can get all list of permissions using --all-permissions option when scaffolding a new project.