Revision 693527 of Code snippets

<p>This is a quick list of useful code snippets (small code samples) available for developers of extensions for the various Mozilla applications. Many of these samples can also be used in XULRunner applications, as well as in actual Mozilla code itself.</p>
<p>These examples demonstrate how to accomplish basic tasks that might not be immediately obvious.</p>
<h2 id="General" name="General">General</h2>
<dl>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/From_articles" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/From_articles">Examples and demos from MDN articles</a></dt>
 <dd>
  A collection of examples and demos from articles.</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Windows" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Windows">Windows code</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Opening and manipulating windows</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Toolbar" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Toolbar">Toolbar</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Toolbar related code</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Sidebar" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Sidebar">Sidebar</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Sidebar related code</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Forms">Forms</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Forms related code</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/XML" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/XML">XML</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to parse, write, manipulate, etc. XML</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/File_I_O" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/File_I/O">File I/O</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to read, write and process files</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Drag_&amp;_Drop" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Drag_&amp;_Drop">Drag &amp; Drop</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to setup and handle drag and drop events</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Dialogs_and_Prompts" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Dialogs_and_Prompts">Dialogs</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to display and process dialog boxes</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Alerts_and_Notifications" title="/en-US/docs/Code snippets/Alerts and Notifications">Alerts and Notifications </a></dt>
 <dd>
  Modal and non-modal ways to notify users</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Preferences" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Preferences">Preferences</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to read, write, and modify preferences</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/JS_XPCOM" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/JS_XPCOM">JS XPCOM</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to define and call XPCOM components in JavaScript</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Running_applications" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Running_applications">Running applications</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to run other applications</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Canvas" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Canvas"><code>&lt;canvas&gt;</code> related</a></dt>
 <dd>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/HTML/Canvas" title="/en-US/docs/HTML/Canvas">WHAT WG Canvas</a>-related code</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Signing_a_XPI" title="/en-US/docs/Signing_a_XPI">Signing a XPI</a></dt>
 <dd>
  How to sign an XPI with PKI</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Threads" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Threads">Threads</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Performing background operations and delaying execution while background operations complete</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Miscellaneous" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Miscellaneous">Miscellaneous</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Miscellaneous useful code fragments</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/HTML_to_DOM" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/HTML_to_DOM">HTML to DOM</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Using a hidden browser element to parse HTML to a window's DOM</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="Browser-oriented_code" name="Browser-oriented_code">JavaScript libraries</h2>
<p>Here are some JavaScript libraries that may come in handy.</p>
<dl>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/StringView" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/StringView">StringView</a></dt>
 <dd>
  A library that implements a <code>StringView</code> view for <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Typed_arrays" title="/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Typed_arrays">JavaScript typed arrays</a>. This lets you access data in typed arrays using C-like string functions.</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Rosetta" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Rosetta">Rosetta</a></dt>
 <dd>
  By default, the only possible standardized scripting language for HTML is <strong>ECMAScript</strong>. Hence, if you are going to use another scripting language you might expect that most of the browsers will not recognize it. Nevertheless, the increasing computational power of modern browsers together with the introduction of <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Typed_arrays">typed arrays</a> in ECMAScript allow us, in theory, to build full <a class="external external-icon" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_machine">virtual machines</a> in pure ECMAScript. Therefore, it is also possible, in theory, to use ECMAScript for a smaller task: parsing exotic programming languages (i.e., creating compilers). This snippets shows a possible way to start from.</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="Browser-oriented_code" name="Browser-oriented_code">Browser-oriented code</h2>
<dl>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Tabbed_browser" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Tabbed_browser">Tabbed browser code</a> (Firefox/SeaMonkey)</dt>
 <dd>
  Basic operations, such as page loading, with the tabbed browser, which is the heart of Mozilla's browser applications</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Cookies" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Cookies">Cookies</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Reading, writing, modifying, and removing cookies</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Page_Loading" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Page_Loading">Page Loading</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to load pages, reload pages, and listen for page loads</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Interaction_between_privileged_and_non-privileged_pages" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Interaction_between_privileged_and_non-privileged_pages">Interaction between privileged and non-privileged code</a></dt>
 <dd>
  How to communicate from extensions to websites and vice-versa.</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Downloading_Files" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Downloading_Files">Downloading Files</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code to download files, images, and to monitor download progress</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Password_Manager" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Password_Manager">Password Manager</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to read and write passwords to/from the integrated password manager</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Bookmarks" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Bookmarks">Bookmarks</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to read and write bookmarks</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/JavaScript_Debugger_Service" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/JavaScript_Debugger_Service">JavaScript Debugger Service</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to interact with the JavaScript Debugger Service</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="SVG" name="SVG">SVG</h2>
<dl>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/SVG_General" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/SVG_General">General</a></dt>
 <dd>
  General information and utilities</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/SVG_Animation" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/SVG_Animation">SVG Animation</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Animate SVG using JavaScript and SMIL</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/SVG_Interacting_with_script" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/SVG_Interacting_with_script">SVG Interacting with Script</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Using JavaScript and DOM events to create interactive SVG</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Embedding_SVG" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Embedding_SVG">Embedding SVG in HTML and XUL</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Using SVG to enhance HTML or XUL based markup</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="XUL_Widgets" name="XUL_Widgets">XUL Widgets</h2>
<dl>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/HTML_in_XUL_for_rich_tooltips" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/HTML_in_XUL_for_rich_tooltips">HTML in XUL for Rich Tooltips</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Dynamically embed HTML into a XUL element to attain markup in a tooltip</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Label_and_description" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Label_and_description">Label and description</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Special uses and line breaking examples</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Tree" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Tree">Tree</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Setup and manipulation of trees using XUL and JS</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Scrollbar" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Scrollbar">Scrollbar</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Changing style of scrollbars. Applies to scrollbars in browser and iframe as well.</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Autocomplete" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Autocomplete">Autocomplete</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Code used to enable form autocomplete in a browser</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Boxes" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Boxes">Boxes</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Tips and tricks when using boxes as containers</dd>
 <dt>
  <a class="internal" href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Tabbox" title="/en-US/docs/Code snippets/Tabbox">Tabbox</a></dt>
 <dd>
  Removing and manipulating tabs in a tabbox</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="Windows-specific" name="Windows-specific">Windows-specific</h2>
<dl>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Finding_Window_Handles" title="/en-US/docs/Code_snippets/Finding_Window_Handles">Finding Window Handles (HWND)</a> (Firefox)</dt>
 <dd>
  How to use Windows API calls to find various kinds of Mozilla window handles. Window handles can be used for IPC and Accessibility purposes.</dd>
 <dt>
  <a href="/en-US/docs/Accessing_the_Windows_Registry_Using_XPCOM" title="/en-US/docs/Accessing_the_Windows_Registry_Using_XPCOM">Using the Windows Registry with XPCOM</a></dt>
 <dd>
  How to read, write, modify, delete, enumerate, and watch registry keys and values.</dd>
</dl>
<h2 id="External_links" name="External_links">External links</h2>
<p>The content at <a class="external" href="https://kb.mozillazine.org/Category:Example_code">MozillaZine Example Code</a> is slowly being moved here, but you can still find useful examples there for now.</p>
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