Alhassan Joshua Abel
Deep Dive into Chrome Alarm API: Scheduling Timed Events in Chrome Extensions

Deep Dive into Chrome Alarm API: Scheduling Timed Events in Chrome Extensions

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Joshua Alhassan
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7 min read

Table of contents

Outline

  • Introduction

  • Understanding the Chrome Alarm API

    • What is the Chrome API?

    • Key Features and Benefits

    • Use Cases

  • Getting Started with the Chrome Alarm API

    • Installation and Setup

    • Chrome Alarm API Basics

  • Advanced Usage and Techniques

    • Repeating Alarms

    • Updating and Clearing Alarms

  • Best Practices and Considerations

    • User Experience Considerations

    • Security and Permissions

  • Example: Creating a Reminder Chrome Extension

  • Conclusion

Introduction

The Chrome Alarm API is a powerful tool that allows developers to schedule and manage timed events within their Chrome extensions. Whether you want to create reminders, automate tasks, or perform actions at specific intervals, the Chrome Alarm API provides the necessary functionality to enhance the capabilities of your extension. In this article, we will dive into the details of the Chrome Alarm API, its features, usage, and best practices.

Understanding the Chrome Alarm API

What is the Chrome Alarm API?

The Chrome Alarm API is a feature in the Chrome browser that lets developers schedule and control timed events in their Chrome extensions. It’s like having an alarm clock inside your extension.

The Chrome Alarm API is important because it allows developers to make their extensions do things at specific times or after a certain amount of time. For example, they can set reminders, update information in the background, or show notifications to users at the right moment.

Imagine you have a weather extension. With the Chrome Alarm API, you can make it automatically refresh the weather data every hour. Or, if you have a to-do list extension, you can set it to remind you of important tasks at specific times throughout the day.

To draw a relatable analogy, think of the Chrome Alarm API as the traditional alarm clocks. Just like how you can set an alarm on a clock to wake you up or remind you of something at a particular time, the Chrome Alarm API functions similarly. Instead of waking you up, it helps the extension perform tasks, show notifications, or update information at specific times.

Key Features and Benefits

The Chrome Alarm API offers several key features and benefits for developers:

  • Scheduling: Set alarms to execute code or trigger actions at specific times or intervals.

  • Automation: Automate processes within your extension by utilising timed events.

  • Reminders: Create reminder functionality to notify users about important events or tasks.

  • Background Tasks: Perform background tasks periodically based on alarms.

Use Cases

The Chrome Alarm API can be applied in various scenarios:

  1. Reminder Extensions: Develop extensions that remind users of important tasks, appointments, or breaks at predefined intervals.

  2. Automation Extensions: Build extensions that perform automated tasks at specific times, such as data updates or synchronisation.

  3. Background Processes: Utilises alarms to trigger background processes, like checking for updates or performing periodic maintenance.

Getting Started with the Chrome Alarm API

Installation and Setup

Before diving into Chrome Alarm API, ensure you have a development environment set up for Chrome extension development. This typically involves installing the Chrome browser and a code editor of your choice.

Recommendation: Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code Image

Chrome Alarm API Basics

The Chrome Alarm API provides a way for developers to schedule timed events within their Chrome extensions. Here’s how it works

  • Creating an Alarm: Developers can use the chrome.alarms.create method to set alarms. This method allows them to specify the time or delay for the alarm to trigger. For example, they can set an alarm to go off in 30 minutes or at a specific time tomorrow. Each alarm is given a unique name for identification.
chrome.alarms.create("myAlarm", { delayInMinutes: 10 });
  • Handling Alarms: To handle alarm triggers, you can use the chrome.alarms.onAlarm event listener. This allows you to execute specific codes or actions when the alarm event occurs. When the scheduled time or delay is reached, the Chrome browser triggers the alarm. Developers can define what actions should be taken when an alarm is triggered. This could include executing specific code or performing certain tasks within the extension.
chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener((alarm) => {
    if (alarm.name === "myAlarm") {
        // Perform desired actions here
    }
});

Advanced Usage and Techniques

Repeating Alarms

If you want to create recurring alarms, you can specify the periodInMinutes property when setting the alarm. This will cause the alarm to repeat at the specified interval.

Example:

chrome.alarms.create("recurringAlarm", { periodInMinutes: 60 });}

Updating and Clearing Alarms

You can modify or cancel existing alarms using the chrome.alarms.clear and chrome.alarms.clearAll methods. This allows you to update your alarm settings o remove alarms as needed.

Persistent Alarms

By default, alarms are cleared when the user restarts their computer or browser. However, you can create persistent alarms using the chrome.alarms.create method with the persistent property set to true. These alarms survive browser or system restarts.

Best Practices and Considerations

User Experience Considerations

  • Be mindful of alarm frequency to avoid excessive notifications or disruptions to the user.

  • Provide options for users to customise alarm settings, such as the ability to enable/disable alarms or adjust intervals.

Security and Permissions

  • Request only the necessary permissions for alarm functionality to maintain user trust.

  • Handle alarm-related security considerations.

Example: Creating a Reminder Chrome Extension

To practice the usage of the Chrome Alarm API, we will work through the process of creating a simple Reminder Chrome Extension. This extension will allow users to set reminders for important tasks or events, and it will display notifications when the reminders are triggered.

  • Setup:

    • Set up a new directory for your Chrome extension project.

    • Create the necessary files. manifest.json, popup.html, popup.js, popup.css, and background.js.

  • Manifest File:

    • Fill in the basic details of your extension, such as name, version, and permissions, in the manifest.json file.

    • Specify the necessary permissions, such as alarms, notifications, and activeTab. Example: Manifest.json

{
  "manifest_version": 2,
  "name": "Reminder Extension",
  "version": "1.0",
  "description": "A simple reminder extension",
  "permissions": ["alarms", "notifications", "activeTab"],
  "background": {
    "scripts": ["background.js"],
    "persistent": false
  },
  "action": {
    "default_popup": "popup.html",
    "default_icon": {
      "16": "icons/icon16.png",
      "48": "icons/icon48.png",
      "128": "icons/icon128.png"
    }
  }
}

  • Popup HTML:

    • Create the popup.html file, which will serve as the interface for users to set reminders.

    • Design a simple form with an input field for the reminder message and a button to set the reminder. Example popup.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="popup.css">
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Set Reminder</h1>
    <form id="reminderForm">
      <input type="text" id="reminderInput" placeholder="Enter your reminder message" />
      <button type="submit">Set Reminder</button>
    </form>
    <script src="popup.js"></script>
  </body>
</html>

  • Popup JavaScript:

    • Add the necessary JavaScript code in popup.js to handle the form submission and set the reminder using the Chrome Alarm API. Example popus.js
document.getElementById("reminderForm").addEventListener("submit", function(event) {
  event.preventDefault();

  const reminderMessage = document.getElementById("reminderInput").value;

  chrome.alarms.create("reminder", { delayInMinutes: 1 });
  chrome.storage.local.set({ reminderMessage });

  window.close();
});

  • Background JavaScript

    • Create the background.js file to handle the alarm triggers and display notifications. Example: background.js
chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener(function(alarm) {
  if (alarm.name === "reminder") {
    chrome.storage.local.get("reminderMessage", function(data) {
      const notificationOptions = {
        type: "basic",
        iconUrl: "icons/icon48.png",
        title: "Reminder",
        message: data.reminderMessage
      };
      chrome.notifications.create(notificationOptions);
    });
  }
});

  • CSS Styling:

    • Style the popup.html file by creating a pop.css file.

  • Testing:

    • Load the extension in Chrome by navigating to chrome://extensions and enabling developer mode.

Load extension

  • Click the Load Unpacked and select the directory containing your extension files.

Load unpacked and select directory

  • Test the extension by setting a reminder and verifying that the notification works.

Test the extension

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the key aspects of the Chrome Alarm API. We discussed its purpose and benefits, highlighting its ability to schedule tasks, automate processes, and enhance the user experience. We also examined the core components of the API, such as setting alarms using chrome.alarms.create and handling triggers with the chrome.alarms.onAlarm event listener.

Furthermore, we delved into advanced techniques, including repeating alarms, updating and clearing alarms, and working with persistent alarms.

Lastly, if you enjoyed this article, please like, comment, and share it with your friends on social.

PS: This article is inspired by Aderemi Okeowo. The best mentor I know. Thank you so much sir for all you do.

You can check him out on Twitter: @qtguru and LinkedIn: Okeowo Aderemi

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