Firefox Extension - Tab Focus Sync

Overview

Tab Focus Sync is a Firefox extension that tracks active tab changes using a SignalR Hub. It monitors tab activations, updates, closures, and window focus events in real time, ensuring seamless synchronization between the browser and your backend.

Requires the ClusterFocus.

Features

• Real-time Tracking: Utilizes SignalR for live tab status updates.
• Auto-Reconnect: Automatically attempts to reconnect if the connection drops.
• Inactivity Detection: Stops tracking after 60 minutes of inactivity.
• Event Handling: Supports tab activation, updates, removals, and window focus changes.

Installation

Prerequisites

• Firefox Browser: Ensure you have the latest version with WebExtension support.
• ClusterFocus Hub: A running backend at the endpoint (default: https://localhost:7131/tabfocused).

Steps

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ATClus/tab-focus-sync.git

2. Navigate to the Directory:

   cd tab-focus-sync

3. Load the Extension in Firefox:

   • Open Firefox and go to about:debugging.
   • Click on This Firefox > Load Temporary Add-on...
   • Select the manifest.json file from the repository.

Usage

Once installed, the extension automatically begins tracking, if the hub is running:

• Start Tracking: Invokes StartTabTracking when a tab is activated or updated.
• Stop Tracking: Calls StopTabTracking when a tab is removed or after a period of inactivity.

Check the browser console for log messages regarding connection status and tracking events.

How It Works

Establishing Connection:

The extension connects to the ClusterFocus using a WebSocket connection at the specified hubUrl.

Tab Tracking:

• Activation & Updates: On tab activation or update, the extension calls StartTabTracking with the tab's title and URL.
• Removal: When a tab is closed, StopTabTracking is invoked to end tracking.
• Window Focus: If the browser loses window focus, tracking stops; when focus is regained, the active tab is queried and tracked again.
• Inactivity Management: An inactivity timer is set to 60 minutes. If no tab activity occurs within this interval, tracking is automatically stopped.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions, please open an issue or submit a pull request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgements

• Built with @microsoft/signalr.