chrome/common/extensions/docs/templates/articles/devtools.html

<h1>chrome.devtools.* APIs</h1>

<p>
The following API modules provide support for extending
Chrome Developer Tools:
</p>

<a name="api-list"></a>
<ul>
  <li>
  <a href="devtools.inspectedWindow.html">devtools.inspectedWindow</a></li><li>
  <a href="devtools.network.html">devtools.network</a></li><li>
  <a href="devtools.panels.html">devtools.panels</a></li>
</ul>

<h2 id="using">How to use DevTools APIs</h2>

<ol>
  <li>
    Specify the "devtools_page" field in your extension's manifest:
<pre>{
  "name": ...
  "version": "1.0",
  "minimum_chrome_version": "10.0",
  <b>"devtools_page": "devtools.html"</b>,
  ...
}
</pre>
  </li>
  <li>
    An instance of the devtools_page specified in your extension's manifest
    will be created for every Developer Tools window opened. The page may add
    other extension pages as panels and sidebars to the Developer Tools window
    using <a href="devtools.panels.html">devtools.panels</a>
    API.
  </li>
  <li>
    The chrome.devtools.* API modules are available only to the
    pages loaded within the Developer Tools window. Content scripts and other
    extension pages do not have these APIs. Thus, the APIs are available only
    through the lifetime of the Developer Tools window.
  </li>
  <li>The APIs available to extension pages within the Developer Tools
    window include all <a href="#api-list">devtools modules
    listed above</a> and <a href="extension.html">chrome.extension</a> API.
    Other extension APIs are not available to the Developer Tools pages, but
    you may invoke them by sending a request to the background page of your
    extension, similarly to how it's done in the
    <a href="overview.html#contentScripts">content scripts</a>.
  </li><li>
    There are also some Developer Tools APIs that are still experimental.
    Please refer to <a href="experimental.html">chrome.experimental.* APIs</a>
    for the list of experimental APIs and guidelines on how to use them.
  </li>
  <li>
    <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/google-chrome-developer-tools/topics">Give us feedback!</a>
    Your comments and suggestions help us improve the APIs.
  </li>
</ol>

<h2 id="other">More information</h2>

<p>
For information on the standard APIs that extensions can use, see
<a href="api_index.html">chrome.* APIs</a> and
<a href="api_other.html">Other APIs</a>.
</p>

<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>

<p>
You can find examples that use Developer Tools APIs in
<a href="samples.html#devtools">Samples</a>.
</p>