Chrome Browser extension

fccoelho
Hi,

Google Chrome browser recently enabled extensions. I'd like to be able to have a zotero extension for it.
  • mark
    edited December 10, 2009
    Please search the forums to see whether this has already been requested. It has been, and you'll find plenty of threads explaining why this will probably not be done. Example.
  • fbennett
    Emacs is extensible too. 8-)
  • bdarcus
    The new Chrome extension architecture would not allow a true Zotero port, but it would allow one to create a lightweight extension to grab data and send it to one's Zotero account.

    Might be nice, too, if Zotero moved to a server-based architecture for translators (and made them much easier to write!).
  • fccoelho
    @fbennett: but Emacs is not eating market share from firefox... ;-)

    @bdarcus: A light extension would be already usefull...

    I totally understand the kind resource constraints that Zotero developers are probably under, but a light Chrome extension might be a good defense against similar moves by competitors, such as Mendeley or others.
  • bdarcus
    There's no reason that a third-party couldn't write this, though.
  • beogl
    I think the right way to go is to loby Google to support FF extensions. Right now is a good time since FF is having trouble with many sites at the moment.
  • ajlyon
    @beogl: That would be nice, but it's certainly not worth their while. Extensions have free run of the Firefox innards, so Chrome would need to have -- essentially -- a full copy of FIrefox inside it.
  • beogl
    @ajlyon: Then the road forward would be to standardize this interface.
  • ajlyon
    While I wouldn't hold my breath, see JetPack (https://jetpack.mozillalabs.com/). But really, any change to a new standard extension system will be equivalent in work required to a port to a wholly new platform. Another 300-500 thousand in funding, and perhaps some new clients for other platforms can be developed.
  • beogl
    @ajlyon: Jetpack looks like a good idea. This is probably what I want.

    It does not necessarily mean that a lot of rewriting is needed. The cost could be minimized by choosing API:s similar in structure to the current API and also by providing a middle layer for transition.
  • mark
    Whatever the cost, the issue remains that additional funding would need to be sought. It would be great if some institution would come forward and fund it, either with money or with developer power.
  • dstillman
    http://www.zotero.org/blog/zoteros-next-big-step/

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