Install Chrome Store Web Apps with JavaScript

By  on  
Chrome Web Store

Being able to install Firefox OS web apps from any domain, not just the platform app store, is a giant step forward in mobile app marketing and freedom.  Firefox OS allows installing apps from any or all domains, and it just so happens that the Chrome Web Store allows JavaScript-triggered app installation as well.

JavaScript Install Code

The chrome.webstore.install method accepts three parameters, the install URL, the success callback, and the error callback:

/* Chrome installation */
var chromeInstallUrl = "path/to/chrome/app";
chrome.webstore.install(chromeInstallUrl,
function() {
	//  Success!
}, function(err) {
	//  Error :(
});

The code above triggers installation of the Chrome web app at the given location.  The obvious difference from Firefox OS app installation is that callbacks are included in the initial call here, instead of adding adding onsuccess and onerror methods to a resulting install object.

Recent Features

  • By
    CSS Filters

    CSS filter support recently landed within WebKit nightlies. CSS filters provide a method for modifying the rendering of a basic DOM element, image, or video. CSS filters allow for blurring, warping, and modifying the color intensity of elements. Let's have...

  • By
    9 Mind-Blowing Canvas Demos

    The <canvas> element has been a revelation for the visual experts among our ranks.  Canvas provides the means for incredible and efficient animations with the added bonus of no Flash; these developers can flash their awesome JavaScript skills instead.  Here are nine unbelievable canvas demos that...

Incredible Demos

  • By
    The Simple Intro to SVG Animation

    This article serves as a first step toward mastering SVG element animation. Included within are links to key resources for diving deeper, so bookmark this page and refer back to it throughout your journey toward SVG mastery. An SVG element is a special type of DOM element...

  • By
    Dijit&#8217;s TabContainer Layout:  Easy Tabbed Content

    One of Dojo's major advantages over other JavaScript toolkits is its Dijit library.  Dijit is a UI framework comprised of JavaScript widget classes, CSS files, and HTML templates.  One very useful layout class is the TabContainer.  TabContainer allows you to quickly create a tabbed content...

Discussion

    Wrap your code in <pre class="{language}"></pre> tags, link to a GitHub gist, JSFiddle fiddle, or CodePen pen to embed!