Similar technology to Chrome's Native Client Messaging in Firefox?

Question

We want to replace a custom NPAPI interface between a browser based web application and an client side daemon process.

Is there a similar technology to Chrome's Native Client Messaging in Firefox?

Hammack

Answer 1

js-ctypes[1] is probably the closest alternative for Mozilla.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/js-ctypes

I have a C++ module that I compile as a binary executable for native-messaging or as a library for js-ctypes. The difference between the two is primarily that native-messaging calls a binary executable and performs stdin/stdout data exchange, and js-ctypes opens a static/shared library (via dlopen) and calls exposed methods of your library which can return compatible data types[2] and optionally call a passed JavaScript callback method.

[1] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/js-ctypes

[2] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/js-ctypes/js-ctypes_reference/ctypes#Predefined_data_types

Mikamikado

I also need to do native-messaging from Firefox, can you give more information on the structure of your solution? Do you mean that you use the binary executable for Chrome and the library for Firefox? – Blistery

Do you use this solution for webpg? – Blistery

All of the links in this answer are broken now. – Charlettecharley

Answer 2

With new support for Mozilla 'Chrome' WebExtensions API seems like soon there will be a very similar technology to Chrome's Native Client Messaging.

At this time it's still on the 'List of APIs [mozilla] will likely support in the future'

Anatase

Now supported: developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions/… – Cannady