loading simple iframe from extension firefox - firefox

I have created a webpage that runs a script that I would like to be able to open from a button on the Firefox taskbar like an extension. If this looks something like this addon layout wise that would be fine. I was hoping to open an iframe in which the page is loaded. Does an extension exist for this or is it possible to create this for personal use myself?
I'm completely new at building Firefox extensions.

Turned out to be pretty simple. You basically create a file like this and add it to the addons website which can be set to personal or public use. Done.

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How can I create a Firefox extension that changes the new tab page behavior?

I am completely new to Firefox extension development so please let me know if there is a more appropriate place to post this question.
I want to create an extension for Firefox similar to Momentum or Tabliss that redefines the new tab page. I have some html/css/js files that I can run on a local server that work as desired. But I'd like to create an extension so I can view this stuff when I make a new tab. I have tried extensions to point to a local file on new tab but these are no longer allowed by Firefox.
I don't want to host it as a website and have the new tab open to a url. I specifically want to create an extension like Momentum or Tabliss that completely changes the new tab page.
Are there any resources I should look at to figure out how to do this? What specifically allows an extension to change the new tab page behavior?
Thank you for any help

How to display popup with html in firefox bootstrapped extensions?

I developed a firefox bootstrapped extension (without add-on sdk). I need to display a popup with html content, something like panel in add-on sdk. Also, it is necessary that the extension could interact with content in the popup. Also, I need a way to display html content in separate tab and interact with this content. So what can I use to implement what I need?
You can append an iframe to that panel, and then load a page into that iframe. That's what I did in this simple addon here - https://github.com/Noitidart/AwesomeBar-Power-Tip/
Here's another gist that does something similar - https://gist.github.com/Noitidart/9445992
I think this is how the SDK does it as well.
but I can not understand how it is possible to implement the interaction between expansion and content inside the panel.
The panel or its frameLoader property should have a messageManager, which can be used to load frame scripts and pass messages to them.

Opening a bar on top of the page with firefox sdk

I am making a firefox pluggin and I want to open a "topbar" on a few websites. Realy, it would be a few informations about the curent page a link back to my own website. What would be te best way to do that ?
My first idea was to use content script, but that seems to be a very bad practice. I also read about panels, here are my questions :
How can I add my pannel just under the adressbar ?
How can I only open in it on the website I need ?
thx.
Using content script is completely fine.
It is modern, simple, less-code, more compatible way
to add top-panel to some web pages.
Also, code of content script is not injected to the web page, it just uses the dom and context; page script has no access (if you do not provide it explicit) to content script.
The only possible disadvantage is that panel would not look like native part of the browser.
If I convienced you to use content script:
The module you really need in your plugin page-mod
Using Add-on Builder you make have your plugin in a day

Modify contents of Firefox download dialog from add-on kit

I'd like to be able to add an option to the download dialog that pops-up in Firefox when starting a file download. Is it possible to do so using the new add-on SDK or do I have to do it the old way?
edit: Obviously, if the new option is selected, I need a way to know it and execute code based on it.
That's something you would use XUL overlays for. I guess that the dialog you are talking about is chrome://mozapps/content/downloads/downloads.xul - the download manager. AFAIK doing this isn't possible with the Add-on SDK, it only provides the most common UI integration points. You could create a traditional extension however, it can overlay any dialog.
There is no existing module that will help you that I know of, so you would have to create one, or wait for one to be made by someone else. But the main idea to extending browser UI is simple, and goes like this:
When the addon is loaded, scan for open windows of the type that you wish to extend.
extend the open windows by adding xul elements and javascript to the page.
listen for newly opened windows, and test that they are the type that you are looking for once they open
extend newly opened windows while your addon is active
Clean up after yourself when windows close or when your addon is disabled/uninstalled.
The last step is the most important and never matter with old school extensions which were not restartless.
Some for the built-in modules that you can look at that do this are the widget module, the context menu module, and the hotkeys module, all of which you can find here.
I've made a couple myself which are the toolbar button module, the xulkeys module, the menuitems module, and a few others, all of which you can find here.
Recently I wrote an extension do the same things. A bootstrap extension, not using addon-sdk.
I already submit it on AMO, but wait for review
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/download-dialog-tweak/
And the source code
https://github.com/muzuiget/download_dialog_tweak

Can I get the current page sourcecode from a firefox extension?

Can this be done? How?
I want to write my own extension. Can Get the current page sorcecode in my own extension?
As Rich says, adding view-source in front of the URL will give you the current page's source code. A keyboard shortcut for this is Ctrl+U.
I want to write my own extension.
There are a number of existing Firefox extensions that fetch a page's source code and apply some action to it (colour-coding, syntax-checking, etc). Downloading them and looking at how they handle it may be a good place to start!
7 Firefox extensions to explore source code
View Formatted Source extension
If you're new to Firefox extension development, this article at Lifehacker is an excellent primer in how to start, and will give you an idea of where to look in the above linked extensions for tasks that may be similar to your own.
Sure, just add view-source: in front of the URL.
view-source:http://stackoverflow.com/posts/edit/145419
Will show the source of this page for instance - try it in the address bar.

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