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Getting Started for Opera Gx Extention

This guide will help you set up your development environment and prepare you for creating extensions for Opera GX using Manifest V3.

Welcome to the world of Opera GX Extensions! This guide will help you set up your environment and create your first extension.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • Opera GX Browser: Download and install from Opera GX.
  • Code Editor: A text editor or IDE (we recommend Visual Studio Code.
  • Basic Knowledge: Familiarity with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Setting Up Your Development Environment

Install Opera GX

If you haven't already, download and install Opera GX from the official website.

Enable Developer Mode

  • Open Opera GX and go to the extensions page by typing opera://extensions in the address bar.
  • Toggle on the "Developer mode" switch in the top right corner.

Set Up a Workspace

  • Create a new directory on your computer for your extension project.
mkdir gx-extension-name
cd gx-extension-name
  • Inside this directory, create a file named manifest.json. This file is crucial as it contains important information about your extension.

Set Up Version Control (Optional but Recommended)

  • Initialize a Git repository in your project directory:
git init
  • Create a .gitignore file to exclude unnecessary files from version control.

Your First Extension

Let's create a simple "Hello, Opera GX!" extension using Manifest V3 to get you started.

Create the following files in your extension directory:

  • manifest.json
  • popup.html
  • popup.js

Add the following content to manifest.json:

manifest.json 
{
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "name": "Hello Opera GX",
  "version": "1.0",
  "description": "A simple Opera GX extension",
  "action": {
    "default_popup": "popup.html"
  },
  "permissions": []
}

Add the following content to popup.html:

popup.html 
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Hello Opera GX</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Hello, Opera GX!</h1>
  <script src="popup.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Add the following content to popup.js:

popup.js 
console.log('Hello from the Opera GX extension!');

Load your extension:

  • Go to the Opera GX extensions page (opera://extensions)
  • Click on "Load unpacked" and select your extension directory

Opera GX Demo

Congratulations! You've created your first Opera GX extension using Manifest V3. You should see a new icon in your browser toolbar. Click it to see your "Hello, Opera GX!" message.

Key Differences in Manifest V3

Manifest V3 introduces several changes from V2. Here are some key differences:

  1. The manifest_version is now set to 3.
  2. browser_action is replaced with action.
  3. Background pages are replaced with service workers.
  4. Content security policies are more strict by default.
  5. Some APIs have changed or been replaced.

Next Steps

Now that you have your development environment set up and have created a basic extension using Manifest V3, you're ready to dive deeper into Opera GX extension development. Check out the Key Concepts of Extensions to learn more about the core components and APIs you'll be working with.

Remember, the key to successful extension development is experimentation and continuous learning. Don't hesitate to explore the Opera GX documentation and try out different features as you build your extensions.

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Opera GX Documentation
Comprehensive guide to creating and optimizing extensions for Opera GX. Learn how to use GX-specific features to enhance your extension's functionality.
Key Concepts for Opera GX Extensions
Understanding the core concepts of browser extensions is crucial for developing effective and efficient Opera GX extensions. This guide covers the fundamental components and APIs you'll be working with.