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Getting started |
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opera-ccby |
Extensions are small code packages that you can add to your browser to extend its functionality. Want to add an e-mail notification window to the browser that brings up your latest mails form your preferred mail service? Want to tweet straight from the browser, replace all instances of the word "politics" on web pages with "fish", or bring up translations of the current selection in a tooltip? Extensions are the way forward!
The Opera extensions API allows you to tap into many different features of the browser, giving you a lot options for extension functionality. This article will get you started, look at what is available, and provide links to further information.
Note: If you haven’t done so already, then head over to the Opera extensions catalog to download and get a feel for various extensions.
If you have already developed extensions for Chrome then you will feel right at home making extensions for Opera. Opera is based on Chromium, which means it is possible to run CRX files in Opera. For a list of which chrome.* APIs we support, please check the API Docs section in the sidebar of this page.
To get a good overview of how things work, we would suggest to start with an overview of the Opera extensions architecture.
To learn how to make Opera extensions, read our making your first Opera extension article: this will get you familiar with the basics of making a simple extension.
With the basics behind you, consult our range of tutorials and walk-throughs for much more detailed information on specific aspects of extension development and API usage.
Identify issues and solve them easily by reading our guide to testing and debugging Opera extensions.
You can share your extensions with the world by submitting them to the Opera add-ons gallery. To make this process easier and smoother, read the guidelines on submitting extensions to the add-ons store. We’ve also provided a handy checklist of the acceptance criteria for you to follow, to speed up the submission process further.
We’d love to discuss Opera extension development with you some more!
- If you want ask a quick question or say hi, contact us on Twitter.
- If you have an extension dev question, ask it on StackOverFlow and tag it
[opera-extension]. - Subscribe to the ODIN blog for the latest on Opera extensions and web standards in general.