Mozilla Jetpack, an API For Standards-Based Add-Ons 42
revealingheart writes "Mozilla Labs have released a prototype extension called Jetpack: An API for allowing you to write Firefox add-ons using existing web technologies to enhance the browser (e.g. HTML, CSS and Javascript), with the goal of allowing anyone who can build a Web site to participate in making the Web a better place to work, communicate and play. Example add-ons are included on the Jetpack website. While currently only a prototype, this could lead to a simpler and easier to develop add-on system, which all browsers could potentially implement."
Standards... (Score:5, Interesting)
This is great for Firefox. I really hope this takes off, pardon the unintended pun. I'm just a little leery about the other browser makers picking this up and running with it. It will need to at least be a de facto standard before Google, Apple, Opera or Microsoft even consider using it. If it's controlled by Mozilla, they're not going to want to.
Also, (at least to me) the fact that it's difficult to write an add-on for a browser if you don't have anything but basic web development skills is what add-ons so useful. You know they're probably not going to be half-baked and have someone who (hopefully) knows what they're doing supporting it. Jetpack could lower the skill set bar too low. So to sum up, great for Firefox, but I don't think this is something that will be used across browsers once it's fully implemented, which it's not (yet)
Re:They just re-invented Greasemonkey (Score:1, Interesting)
I'm not sure how you could have written any scripts in your life and actually come to this conclusion, short of never having programmed in anything other than PHP and the various "web" languages. But language diatribes aside, even if you concede that web languages are the best thing since sliced bread, this "standard" is still pretty crappy.
There is a difference between supporting jQuery and codifying jQuery into the specification. Allowing jQuery to be used by extensions or even implementions of the specification would be acceptable, but requiring jQuery to be used by implementors is just stupid.
What they've produced is a specification, and a fairly-incomplete one at that. They haven't produced a standard since it appears that they haven't gotten input from other potential implementors. You can't just create a specification that meets your own needs perfectly and call it a standard. Standards are about hammering out the differences between many sets of interests to provide a common interface to a common domain.
As it is, I can't see this as anything more than Mozilla announcing its willingness to explore a common extension API with other browser vendors.
Re:Standards... (Score:1, Interesting)
It will need to at least be a de facto standard before Google, Apple, Opera...
Isn't this very similar if not the same as Opera's widgets?