Chapter 8. Making Extensions Work for You

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Firefox Extensions: Never a Dull Moment!

• Installing an Extension

• The Most Popular Extension Categories

• Working with Extensions: Secrets for Power Users

Extensions are a way to allow the user to easily extend Firefox's capabilities. Just like plug-ins add to the types of content Firefox can use, an extension enables you to add features and extend the interface of Firefox.

We know that not everyone wants the same things. Any program that tries to make everyone happy will be so large and awkward that it will be unusable. Instead, Mozilla has followed the path that the main product should have the common functionality most users will want. Then, when users want special things, these can be added as needed using extensions.

Note

A plug-in is a separate program Firefox is able to host in a browser window, and it enables you to view content Firefox was not specifically designed to show. An extension, on the other hand, becomes an integral part of Firefox and usually extends the features of Firefox.

Chapter 5, "Taking Control of Your Browser," talked about a few useful extensions. In this chapter we expand extensions to show exactly which types of extensions are available, how you install them, and how you manage conflicts.

In Chapter 16, "Writing an Extension," you will actually create a simple extension.

Note

The Mozilla website contains more than 500 extensions you can download and install. That's just at Mozilla alone. Who knows how many are scattered throughout the Internet!