runtime.onConnect

Fired when a connection is made with either an extension process or a content script.

browser.runtime.onConnect.addListener(listener)
browser.runtime.onConnect.removeListener(listener)
browser.runtime.onConnect.hasListener(listener)

Events have three functions:

addListener(callback)

Adds a listener to this event.

removeListener(listener)

Stop listening to this event. The listener argument is the listener to remove.

hasListener(listener)

Checks whether a listener is registered for this event. Returns true if it is listening, false otherwise.

function

A callback function that will be called when this event occurs. The function will be passed the following arguments:

port

A runtime.Port object connecting the current script to the other context it is connecting to.

This content script:

• connects to the background script, and stores the Port in a variable myPort
• listens for messages on myPort, and logs them
• sends messages to the background script, using myPort, when the user clicks the document

// content-script.js

let myPort = browser.runtime.connect({name:"port-from-cs"});
myPort.postMessage({greeting: "hello from content script"});

myPort.onMessage.addListener(function(m) {
  console.log("In content script, received message from background script: ");
  console.log(m.greeting);
});

document.body.addEventListener("click", function() {
  myPort.postMessage({greeting: "they clicked the page!"});
});

The corresponding background script:

• listens for connection attempts from the content script
• when it receives a connection attempt:
  • stores the port in a variable named portFromCS
  • sends the content script a message using the port
  • starts listening to messages received on the port, and logs them
• sends messages to the content script, using portFromCS, when the user clicks the extension's browser action

// background-script.js

let portFromCS;

function connected(p) {
  portFromCS = p;
  portFromCS.postMessage({greeting: "hi there content script!"});
  portFromCS.onMessage.addListener(function(m) {
    console.log("In background script, received message from content script")
    console.log(m.greeting);
  });
}

browser.runtime.onConnect.addListener(connected);

browser.browserAction.onClicked.addListener(function() {
  portFromCS.postMessage({greeting: "they clicked the button!"});
});