chrome/common/extensions/docs/static/whats_new.html

<div id="pageData-name" class="pageData">What's New in Extensions?</div>
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<p>
This page lists the API and manifest changes
made in recent releases.
</p>

<ul>
  <li> <a href="#11">Google Chrome 11</a> </li>
  <li> <a href="#10">Google Chrome 10</a> </li>
  <li> <a href="#9">Google Chrome 9</a> </li>
  <li> <a href="#8">Google Chrome 8</a> </li>
  <li> <a href="#7">Google Chrome 7</a> </li>
  <li> <a href="#6">Google Chrome 6</a> </li>
</ul>


<h2 id="11"> Google Chrome 11 </h2>

<h4> Changes to existing APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>
      For security reasons, you can no longer call
      <a href="tabs.html#method-captureVisibleTab">chrome.tab.captureVisibleTab()</a>
      on just any tab.
      Instead, you now must have
      <a href="manifest.html#permissions">host permission</a>
      for the URL displayed by that tab.
      To get the previous behavior,
      specify <code>&lt;all_urls></code> for the host permission.
    </li>
  </ul>

<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>
      The management API's
      <a href="management.html#type-ExtensionInfo">ExtensionInfo</a> object
      now has a <code>homepageUrl</code> property.
    </li>
    <li> The management API now lets you get the icons of
      disabled apps and extensions.
      Also, you can now modify the regular icon's URL
      to get its disabled equivalent.
      See <a href="management.html#type-IconInfo">IconInfo</a> for details.
    </li>
    <li> The cookies API
      <a href="cookies.html#method-set">set()</a>
      and <a href="cookies.html#method-remove">remove()</a> methods
      can now take callbacks.
    </li>
  </ul>

<h2 id="10"> Google Chrome 10 </h2>

<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>The new <a href="manifest.html#bg">background</a> permission
      extends the life of Chrome,
      allowing your extension or app
      to run even when Chrome has no windows open.
      </li>
  </ul>

<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li> The <a href="windows.html#method-create">chrome.windows.create()</a>
      method now has a <code>tabId</code> parameter.
      You can use it to move a tab or panel into a new window.
      <p class="note">
      <b>Note:</b>
      This change was incorrectly attributed to Chrome 9
      in previous release notes.
    </li>
  </ul>

<h2 id="9"> Google Chrome 9 </h2>

<h4> New APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>The <a href="omnibox.html">omnibox API</a> allows you to
      register a keyword with Chrome's address bar. </li>
  </ul>

<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
  <ul>
    <li> The <a href="manifest.html#homepage_url">homepage_url</a> field
      lets you specify the extension or app's homepage. </li>
  </ul>
</h4>

<!-- <h4> New experimental APIs </h4> -->

<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li> The <a href="tabs.html#type-Tab">Tab</a> object
      now has a <code>pinned</code> property
      that's reflected in various <code>chrome.tabs</code> methods.
      For example,
      you can <a href="tabs.html#method-create">create</a>
      a pinned tab. </li>
    <li> The <a href="windows.html#method-create">chrome.windows.create()</a>
      method can now take a list of URLs,
      letting you create multiple tabs in the new window. </li>
    <li> The new
      <a href="management.html#method-get">chrome.management.get()</a> method
      lets you get information about the specified extension or app. </li>
  </ul>


<h2 id="8"> Google Chrome 8 </h2>

<p>
We took a break for Chrome 8.
No API or manifest changes worth noting.
</p>


<h2 id="7"> Google Chrome 7 </h2>

<h4> New APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li> All users can now install
      <a href="http://code.google.com/chrome/apps/index.html">apps</a>;
      packaged apps can use extension APIs.
      </li>
    <li> The <a href="management.html">management API</a>
      lets you work with installed apps and extensions.
      </li>
  </ul>

<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
  <ul>
    <li> Introduced <a href="manifest.html#incognito">split incognito</a>
      mode as the default for installable web apps
      (also available to extensions).
      </li>
    <li> The <a href="tabs.html">tabs API</a>
      <code>create()</code> and <code>update()</code> methods
      no longer require the "tabs" permission, removing one common cause of
      <a href="permission_warnings.html">scary dialogs</a>.
      </li>
  </ul>

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<h2 id="6">Google Chrome 6</h2>

<h4> New APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>The <a href="contextMenus.html">context menus API</a> allows you to
      add context menus to pages or specific objects on a page. </li>
    <li>The <a href="cookies.html">cookies API</a> allows you to manage the
      browser's cookie system.  </li>
    <li>The <a href="idle.html">idle API</a> allows you to detect when the
      machine's idle state changes. </li>
  </ul>

<h4> New experimental APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>The <a href="experimental.omnibox.html">omnibox API</a> allows you to
      add functionality to the browser's address bar. </li>
    <li>The <a href="experimental.infobars.html">infobars API</a> allows you
      to add a UI panel across the top of a tab. </li>
  </ul>

<h4> Additions to existing APIs </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>The <a
      href="extension.html#method-getViews">chrome.extension.getViews()</a>
      method can now return popup views. </li>
    <li>A new <a
      href="windows.html#property-WINDOW_ID_NONE">WINDOW_ID_NONE</a> constant
      identifies when focus shifts away from the browser. </li>
    <li>The new <a
      href="tabs.html#method-getCurrent">chrome.tabs.getCurrent()</a> method
      returns the tab associated with the currently executing script. </li>
  </ul>

<h4> Manifest changes </h4>
  <ul>
    <li>The <a href="manifest.html#geolocation">geolocation</a> permission
      gives an extension access to the user's physical location. </li>
    <li><a href="match_patterns.html">Match patterns</a> can now select all
      schemes or all URLs. </li>
    <li>Access to file:/// URLs no longer triggers the "access to your machine"
      security warning, but now requires user opt-in from the extensions
      management page. </li>
  </ul>