The Mozilla Foundation has announced its plan to develop a Web Extension API, which will be compatible with extensions used by the Chrome, Opera, and Vivaldi browsers.
This means that developers will be able to develop add-ons that will work in multiple browsers, without having to rewrite 2, 3, or even 4 different versions of the same extension.
Chrome and Opera already use such a system for extensions, while Vivaldi is still in testing. Microsoft has also said it is developing a similar system for Edge.
“We are developing a new Firefox API called WebExtensions,” Mozilla’s Needham said. “This modern JavaScript API has several advantages, such as cross-browser support.”
The Mozilla Foundation added that Firefox is moving in a new direction with its add-ons not having full access to the Firefox core, which will definitely offer more security and more.
“With a fundamental change to the way Firefox uses add-ons, we will be able to use new technologies like Electrolysis, Servo or browser.html as part of Firefox,” said Mr. Needham.
By moving to new technologies, such as Electrolysis, and Servo, the Mozilla Foundation will not only change the way browser extensions interact with its content, but also how the entire browser works.
While multi-process support seems (and is) a good idea to anyone in the know, it means a complete overhaul of the architecture of the entire browser.
This was the main reason why the WebExtensions API was developed.
By developing extensions that use the WebExtensions API, the program will be compatible with Electrolysis.
