An experimental Chrome extension designed to study and explore the capabilities of the
chrome.downloads API. It aims to provide hands-on experience with programmatically managing downloads and to understand how the Chrome Extension APIs can be leveraged for practical applications.This project is not intended for production use but rather serves as a learning exercise to:
- Experiment with the
chrome.downloadsAPI. - Understand how to interact with browser downloads programmatically.
- Explore the process of creating a Chrome extension with basic UI elements and background functionality.
Features
1. Real-Time Monitoring:
- Track the status of ongoing downloads (e.g., in-progress, paused, completed).
- Display notifications or update a UI with download progress.
2. Manipulation:
- Pause, resume, or cancel downloads based on user interactions or predefined rules.
- Change the destination folder or filename during an active download.
3. Search and Filter:
- Use the API to search for existing downloads based on criteria such as time, filename, or status.
- Filter and categorize downloads automatically (e.g., by file type or domain).
4. Custom Download Manager:
- Replace or complement Chrome's default Downloads UI with a custom interface tailored for better usability.
- Automate download actions, such as renaming files or sorting into folders based on file type or source.
chrome.downloads API Overview
The chrome.downloads API provides a robust set of methods and events to manage browser downloads:
1. Methods:
downloads.download(): Initiates a new download.downloads.pause(): Pauses an ongoing download.downloads.resume(): Resumes a paused download.downloads.cancel(): Cancels an ongoing download.downloads.search(): Searches for existing downloads.downloads.erase(): Removes a download from the history.
onCreated: Triggered when a download starts.onChanged: Fired when the state or properties of a download change.onErased: Triggered when a download is removed from the history.
Challenges
- Permission Restrictions:
The
chrome.downloadsAPI requires user consent for certain operations. - File System Constraints: Manipulating file paths and names is limited to predefined options.
- Manifest V3 Migration: Extensions using the new manifest version may require adjustments in background script implementation (e.g., switching to service workers).
Disclaimer
This project is purely for educational purposes and serves as a prototype to experiment with browser features. While it includes functional code, its purpose is to study the API and Chrome extension development concepts, rather than provide a fully-fledged tool.
Source Code in Github Repository
View on GitHub