<div id="pageData-name" class="pageData">experimental.webInspector.* APIs</div>

<p>
The following API modules provide support for extending
Chrome Development Tools (aka WebInspector):
</p>

<a name="api-list"></a>
<ul>
  <li jsselect="webInspectorAPIs();">
  <a jsvalues=".href: $this + '.html'" jscontent="$this"></a></li>
</ul>

<p class="warning">
<b>Caution:</b>
Don't depend on these experimental APIs. They might disappear, and they
<em>will</em> change.
Also, the Chrome Developer Dashboard doesn't allow you to
upload extensions that use experimental APIs.
</p>

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

<ol>
  <li>
    WebInspector APIs are currently experimental, so please start with
    <a href="experimental.html">the steps for using experimental extension
    APIs</a>.
  </li>
  <li>
    Specify the "devtools_page" field in your extension's manifest and make
    sure you have "experimental" permission:
<pre>
{
  "name": ...
  "version": "1.0",
  "minimum_chrome_version": "10.0",
  <b>"devtools_page": "devtools.html"</b>,
  "permissions": [ <b>"experimental"</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="experimental.webInspector.panels"
    >experimental.webInspector.panels</a>
    API.
  </li>
  <li>The APIs available to extension pages within the Developer Tools
    window include all <a href="#api-list">experimental.webInspector 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>Please note that, unlike other Chrome Extension APIs, the WebInspector
    APIs lack "chrome" prefix. This is because the APIs, as the WebInspector
    itself, are a part of WebKit and may eventually appear in other browsers.
  </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 and decide which
    ones should move from experimental to supported.
  </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>