688127 - Add property to provide JSON set of global variables for initial state of content scripts

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Add-on SDK Graveyard :: General, enhancement, P3)

Description

[Louis-Rémi BABE]

Attaching a contentScript to a tab is like executing a function.
I'd like to "call" the content scripts and pass it arbitrary (jsonable) values:

// in main.js
tabs.activeTab.attach({
  contentScriptFile: "cs.js",
  data: {a: 1, b: 2}
});

// in cs.js
self.data.a === 1;
self.data.b === 2;

currently, I have to wrap all my cs.js code in a port listener to achieve the same effect, which is not ideal:

// in main.js
var worker = tabs.activeTab.attach({
  contentScriptFile: "cs.js"
});
worker.port.emit( "init", {a: 1, b: 2} );

// in cs.js
self.port.on( "init", function( data ) {
  data.a === 1;
  data.b === 2;
});

Comment 1

[Myk Melez [:myk] [@mykmelez]]

I'm not sure I would use the "function" metaphor to describe such functionality, but I do see the value of providing a set of values to a content script to initialize its state.  I would just call the option something other than `data`, such as `globals`, and then define a global variable in the content script for each property of the JSON object to which `globals` is set, i.e.:

// in main.js
tabs.activeTab.attach({
  contentScriptFile: "cs.js",
  globals: { a: 1, b: 2 }
});

// in cs.js
// a === 1
// b === 2


To create a `data` global that encapsulated several values, you would do:

// in main.js
tabs.activeTab.attach({
  contentScriptFile: "cs.js",
  globals: { data: { a: 1, b: 2 } }
});

Comment 2

[Myk Melez [:myk] [@mykmelez]]

Note: the property should be called contentScriptGlobals for consistency with the other content script properties.

Comment 3

[Louis-Rémi BABE]

I sent a PR for this bug: https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/pull/351

Comment 4

[[github robot]]

Commits pushed to master at https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk

https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/commit/f82e7c8a8f520075d198ac77479e4a225a788faf
Bug 688127: Add property to provide JSON set of global variables for initial state of content scripts

https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/commit/0006f26a99b3b9016ac8def642e125de31b87492
Merge pull request #411 from ochameau/fix688127

Bug 688127: Add property to provide JSON set of global variables for initial state of content scripts r=@ochameau

Comment 5

[Alexandre Poirot [:ochameau]]

louisremi, I ended up rebased your patch on landed it so that it can go in next release!

Comment 6

[Alexandre Poirot [:ochameau]]

Thanks Louis rémi for this great contribution!

Comment 7

[Jeff Griffiths (:canuckistani) (:⚡︎)]

Should we consider cherry-picking this for 1.7?

Comment 8

[[github robot]]

Commits pushed to stabilization at https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk

https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/commit/f82e7c8a8f520075d198ac77479e4a225a788faf
Bug 688127: Add property to provide JSON set of global variables for initial state of content scripts

https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/commit/0006f26a99b3b9016ac8def642e125de31b87492
Merge pull request #411 from ochameau/fix688127

Comment 9

[[github robot]]

Commits pushed to release at https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk

https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/commit/f82e7c8a8f520075d198ac77479e4a225a788faf
Bug 688127: Add property to provide JSON set of global variables for initial state of content scripts

https://github.com/mozilla/addon-sdk/commit/0006f26a99b3b9016ac8def642e125de31b87492
Merge pull request #411 from ochameau/fix688127