Greasemonkey
| Greasemonkey
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|---|---|
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| Basic data
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| developer | Anthony Lieuallen, Aaron Boodman, Johan Sundström |
| Publishing year | March 28, 2005 |
| Current version |
4.9 ( June 12, 2019 ) |
| programming language | JavaScript , XUL , CSS |
| category | Browser extension |
| License | MIT license |
| German speaking | Yes |
| www.greasespot.net | |
Greasemonkey (from English grease monkey for "(car) mechanic", literally " grease monkey ", in German colloquially also " grease maxe ") is a web browser extension that enables the installation of scripts that change the content of websites that are accessed . Greasemonkey allows the user to run their own JavaScript files in the browser. These scripts individualize the appearance and behavior of the displayed website without having to access the actual website. In this way, Greasemonkey adds functions to websites, for example, corrects display errors, integrates content from other websites and automatically handles recurring tasks.
Technical details
Greasemonkey was written in JavaScript and XUL . It allows the user to execute JavaScript files in the browser that the displayed web page using DOM - Interface can manipulate. These JavaScript files are known as Greasemonkey scripts or userscripts; they cannot be run directly without the extension. Since Greasemonkey only provides a simplification for the creation and integration of these scripts, many Greasemonkey scripts also offer Firefox extensions or bookmarklets that can be run on their own .
For each script, regular expressions can be used to define the URL for which it should be included. If this URL is then called up, Greasemonkey integrates the script in the page so that it behaves as if it had been integrated by the page itself, and it can therefore change the page at will.
Greasemonkey scripts have the file extension .user.jsso that they are automatically recognized as scripts by Greasemonkey and are offered to the user for installation. In addition to the actual JavaScript source text , the files also contain some metadata about the author , working method and suggestions for regular expressions to be used.
Even if Greasemonkey simplifies the creation of extensions, basic knowledge of JavaScript and DOM is required.
Typical areas of application
Users have created a wide variety of scripts, such as
- add a delete button in Gmail
- See prices for the same product on other websites
- Remove Internet Ads
- customize the layout of a website
- Fill in forms automatically
- Add keyboard shortcuts to a webpage
- Call up services automatically via HTTPS
Similar functions for other browsers
Greasemonkey is available for Mozilla Firefox , Web , Flock , Pale Moon and for SeaMonkey .
Opera had implemented similar software directly from version 8 to version 12 , which meant that Greasemonkey scripts could mostly also be run in Opera without (major) changes. There are also two extensions called Violent Monkey , a counterpart to Greasemonkey, and UserScript Converter (only up to version 12), which tries to generate Opera extensions from Greasemonkey scripts.
For Internet Explorer , attempts were made to provide this functionality through GreasemonkIE (now discontinued), Trixie and Turnabout , the latter being developed as open source software under the BSD license . IMacros follows a similar concept , but this software focuses on the automation of processes in the browser. Changes to the website are not planned.
Google Chrome has supported Greasemonkey scripts since version 4, which was released at the beginning of 2010. The scripts are not executed natively as ECMA scripts, but transferred to a plug-in when a script is installed, which can then be managed like all other browser extensions. Due to the technical differences between Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome, Google assumes that around 85 to 90% of the scripts run error-free in Google Chrome. With Tampermonkey there is also a Chrome extension that states that it is fully compatible with Greasemonkey. Also Violentmonkey there for Chrome.
The web extensions Tampermonkey and Violentmonkey have also been ported for Firefox. Under Firefox Android, the add- ons Tampermonkey and usi (User | Unified Script Injector) enable the execution of Greasemonkey scripts.
Almost all browsers allow JavaScript to be executed in the browser using bookmarklets , but only by calling it up manually and not automatically when the page is loaded.
Similar software
The Stylus extension for Mozilla and Chrome browsers works very similarly, but with cascading style sheets .
Many local proxy servers make it possible, regardless of the browser used, to change the requested website before it is displayed by the web browser, for example Proxomitron and Privoxy .
Web links
- Official project website (English)
- Greasemonkey at addons.mozilla.org
- Script compiler for converting Greasemonkey scripts into Firefox extensions
- German translation of the book Dive Into Greasemonkey (currently incompletely translated)
- Stylus
Individual evidence
- ↑ Release 4.9 . June 12, 2019 (accessed June 12, 2019).
- ↑ grease monkey is an English slang expression for "(auto) mechanic", can be meant derogatory / insulting and can be traced back to at least 1928, compare dictionary.com (English). For the presumed earlier origin of the word, see Grease monkey in the English language Wikipedia.
- ↑ addons.opera.com ( Memento of the original from May 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ addons.opera.com
- ↑ daishar.com
- ↑ bhelpuri.net ( Memento of the original from January 11, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ addons.mozilla.org
- ↑ blog.chromium.org
- ↑ heise.de
- ↑ chrome.google.com
- ↑ chrome.google.com
