IMPORTANT: I've sold this extension. I no longer maintain it.
I've crafted an extension for Google Chrome: Auto-Reload. The extension enables automatic interval based page reloading.
I've crafted an extension for Google Chrome: Auto-Reload. The extension enables automatic interval based page reloading.
This capability can be useful when developing web applications or just for the anxious folks waiting for a reply on a forum...
The extension can be installed by following this link (Chrome Gallery). Usage is simple: just press the "blue" button in the address bar to enable auto-reloading (the button will turn green when enabled). For more information, follow the extension's link to the gallery.
UPDATED: This extension is now hosted on the Google Chrome Gallery. Follow the above link.
UPDATED: The extension's project code home page is now located on GitHub at this link.
UPDATED: The work currently on my plate for this extension can be viewed here.
UPDATED: The extension's project code home page is now located on GitHub at this link.
UPDATED: The work currently on my plate for this extension can be viewed here.
UPDATED: The latest version information can be found on the extension's page here.
Latest Release: 7.6
- Includes "per-URL" customization: uses the "context-menu" available through right-click
Release: 6.6
- Sticky Mode : keep auto-reload status across page close
- Allows a page configured as "Chrome Application" to auto-reload continuously
- Use the "Create Application Shortcuts" menu item to configure
- Timeout & Randomize manual value editing (i.e. not only with "slider")
Suggestions Welcome!
Posts
How do you configure the timing on the auto-reload?
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew - you can't configure the interval on the latest version of the extension unfortunately. Google is removing the "toolstrips" functionality as so it is difficult to provide a UI to configure parameters. I'll figure out a way. Stay tuned! Cheers.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the current interval. Would this work well for a Woot-Off?
ReplyDeleteThe current interval is 30seconds.
ReplyDeleteYou can use "Browser actions" right? I've used it and it's pretty damn easy. You just only have to change the extension manifest file and do some tweaks to make plugin look better. And is it okay with you to share the source code of the plugin with us? probably get it uploaded to the Chromium-extensions google group?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
"Browser Actions" should be used to facilities scoped at the browser level: this extension's scope is the tab level.
ReplyDeleteYou can always look at the source code of a Chrome extension: just change the file extension from .crx to .zip and unzip the file...
Will you add a way to customize the reload interval?
ReplyDeleteI get this error: Invalid value for 'permissions[0].
ReplyDeleteWhat do I need to do so I can install it?
@Johnny: Yes I'll be adding customization options in the near future - Stay tuned!
ReplyDelete@Billie: Which dev release are you running? I believe this extension will only work with >= 4.0.222.0.
ReplyDeleteVersion 5 with Timeout customization is available!
ReplyDeletethis extension will reload all open tabs? or just user selected tabs?
ReplyDeleteokay I found the answer.. i didn't realize there's a refresh icon at the address bar.. so it's only refresh selected tabs..
ReplyDeletegreat extension man
ReplyDeleteExcellent extension, thank you. This was one of the few useful things I was genuinely missing after the transition To Chrome from Firefox.
ReplyDeleteIt seems the Chromium devs have broken a great deal of extensions by preventing file:// in content scripts. Apparently it wasn't considered secure.
ReplyDeleteFeature request: The ability to set a different timer variable per tab. A nice way to do this would be by right clicking the reload icon.
ReplyDelete@flebbet: I am definitely interested in implementing "per-page" parameters but I am waiting on this "bug": http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=28948 . Anyone interested can just "star" this "bug" too: this helps the prioritization process on the Chrome team. Stay tuned!
ReplyDeleteHi Jean-Lou Dupont,
ReplyDeleteI did what you suggested and 'unzipped' the extension. I changed the line 'var inter=30*1000;' in content.js to be 'var inter=300*1000;' so it refreshes every 5 mins, then re-zipped it.
Now when I try to install it, I get 'bad magic number' coming up.
What am I doing wrong?
My Chrome version is 4.0.249.30 if that helps.
@Jinxx: use the latest version available through the download link at the top of this post: you'll be able to get up to 1hour. Alternatively, you can use the "load unpacked extension" option in chrome://extensions/
ReplyDeleteI like of this extension, but will be really good if you put a update key (example: CTRL+F12) to reload extensions on the need.
ReplyDeleteBye
@Nerdinho: I don't understand what you are asking: could you clarify? If you want to reload a "tab", there is also "CTRL+R" but I am guessing that's not what you want, is it?
ReplyDeleteThanks very much. I look forward to more control.
ReplyDeleteRegards.
Is there a way to set the default auto refresh under thirty seconds. I have found the options but the setting only goes down to 30 seconds. There is one particular website that I need to refresh on an almost continuous basis. If this is not possible now will it be in a future version and approximately how soon? Thanks and great add on!
ReplyDelete@counselorsuzie: the only way at the moment would be to edit the code yourself. This feature has been asked to me twice so on the next release I plan on include it. Stay tuned!
ReplyDeleteHey, I love your Auto reload program...thanks so much for writing it :) I can post a step by step to change the reload rate if anyone wants it...I just changed my rate today to 3 seconds :)
ReplyDeleteMy problem is the keys and values don't seem to display in windows 7 when I open the developer tools...can anyone else verify this problem or suggest a fix?
Icon does not show up when website is temporarily down.
ReplyDeleteAlso please check my comment on your chrome extension page, if you have not done it yet. TY
@Stephanie: (1) I will enable refresh rate downto 3seconds in the next release. (2) As far as your Windows 7 issue: I can't answer... I don't even have a Windows box anymore.
ReplyDelete@rEnr3n : (1) randomization feature is already present: I am not sure what you are asking. Could you elaborate? (2) Support for when the target website is down: interesting feature... adding it to my "todo" list. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteRelease 6.3 is out with minimal interval of 3seconds now supported (defaults to 60seconds).
ReplyDeleteCan you provide a detailed explanation on the randomize feature? I did some test with 3 seconds on timer and 100% randomize. And the page I am testing is reloading not more than 10 seconds. It's usually 5 - 8 seconds.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of confused about it.
base_interval + (base_interval * random()) where random is between 0 and 1.
ReplyDeleteExample:
ReplyDeletebase_interval = 3 (user defined)
end_interval = 60 (user defined)
random() -where random is between base_interval and end_interval
The output would look like 6, 40, 3, 25, 60, 12, 15, 33, 59, 48 and so on. I don't know what the code would really look like but that is the main idea.
I just got a question about the code you posted, The random() will get a value of 0 and 1 only (no 0.1, 0.5, etc). Am I right?
If so, the minimum value I would get is the base_interval and the maximum value is twice the base_interval. It's not really random IMO.
I'm sorry for all the trouble I'm causing you. I'm really looking forward to this. ^_^
@rEnr3n: why don't you look at the code directly: http://github.com/jldupont/chrome-auto-reload/blob/master/src/content.js and see if it answers your question?
ReplyDeletejust wanted to say thanks for the extension. Simple but useful.
ReplyDeleteGetting an error trying to install:
ReplyDeleteCould not load extension icon 'reload-24-off.png'.
Disables itself after first reload.
ReplyDeleteI have not messed with the time range stuff. But for some reason it turns off after it reloads oncee. How can I fix this?
@Anon: if the page loads with errors (check the developer console for JS exception), then it might not work. I do not have control over this in the extension code.
ReplyDeleteI found when I selected "time range" and adjusted the time that it will keep refreshing. The only thing is I cannot go lower than "7" on the first setting. The second I am able to go all the way to 24.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI set everything up but not seeing it refresh at all...
ReplyDeleteThis would be even more useful if there was a way to activate it for web pages that you turn into an "application" in Chrome.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: What do you mean by "application in Chrome"? Please provide more details.
ReplyDeletein the "Control the Current Page" menu (looks like piece of paper in upper right), then select "Create Application Shortcut..."
ReplyDeleteThis makes an app-ized shortcut on desktop that opens without controls, tabs, and address bar. (basically just web page/app in a window)
I run several info pages like this (kinda like poor man's widget) and I have to right-click to reload page manually.
@Anonymous : interesting... thanks for sharing! I just checked the "app file" that Chrome generates. The only way I could think of to make this work would be to introduce another feature: "sticky reload". This setting would be stored in the "localstorage" as to be always available i.e. either through a normal page view or when the "app" in question is launched. The drawback of course being that another address bar button would be required...
ReplyDeleteThank you sir Dupont for creating this extension. I got a suggestion for the timeout interval, can you set it as a text box instead of the scroll bar? So we can enter the exact seconds? Because I find that I can only choose from 3sec then jump to 22sec to 44sec...etc. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI am used to Opera's build-in auto refresh, which lets you select from 5sec, 15, 30, 1min, 2, 5, 15, and 30mins. I believe those are more practical intervals.
@Anonymous: "Application Shortcuts" is now supported through the "sticky mode". Enjoy!
ReplyDelete@Andy: parameters can now be edited manually i.e. no need to touch slider if you wish.
ReplyDeleteGreat extension, would be even better if it supported POST data.
ReplyDeleteAny plans to support POST data?
@Anonymous: how would this work? Find the first form on the page and issue a "submit()" on it?
ReplyDeleteHey Jean,
ReplyDeleteReally awesome work you have been doing. Please ii need urgent help. I am using the chromereload extension. I just need help with one thing.
Is there a way that when the page is refreshed and a new post is availible, a sound is made? because one cannot conituosly look at the screen and do nothing. SO kind of an alert that a new post is avaible. any thing like that
please reply soon.. awiting
@Ak@sh: I don't know about "chromereload" but for my extension "auto-reload", please vote for new features using the "Google Moderator" (see top of page).
ReplyDeleteTo detect a "new post", one would need to know what to look for on the page. This process is "site dependent" and thus not within the scope of this extension.
I am unable to change the time interval or get to the options. I just have the button and that is it
ReplyDelete@Bijan: Use Chrome's Extension management page under "Tools -> Extension".
ReplyDeletehello Jean-Lou Dupont,
ReplyDeleteit`s a great extension, i like it. Thanks for sharing it .
but is it possible to start the extension by skript?
for example: i have a skript wich opens chrome with 2 sites. both sites should autoreload. so i have to klick the button, is it possible to start autoreload without klicking ?
greatings from Germany
Andrew
@linus-johannes: can't you use the "sticky" mode? Once the sticky mode is enabled on a page, then the page will auto-reload every time a browser tab is opened for this page. Thus, if you really need a script to launch a browser tab (really easy using Python BTW), then you just have to configure the "sticky" mode on the target page prior to using the script.
ReplyDeleteJust installed this extension. Going under Tools->Extensions I can find the extension - but there isn't an "Options" selection. Just enable/disable and incognito.
ReplyDeleteHow do I turn this on for one tab - but not another?
@Clint: which version of Chrome are you using? It seems it is not a recent enough version.
ReplyDeleteExcellent extension! Very handy for us tab-junkies! Thank you very much for the awesome work.
ReplyDeleteTo be fully rid of Firefox, I just need ASNumbers and Y-Slow (and Firebug) :)
Is there anyway to view the settings, particularly for tabs that have been setup for "sticky" auto-reload?
ReplyDelete@Nunzio: with >V7.x, you can view the "per-URL" setting through right-clicking in the corresponding tab. If you are looking for an "admin view" of all the tabs, view in 1 place, maybe you could suggest this feature and describe a rationale for it?
ReplyDeleteHi Jean-Lou
ReplyDeleteI am trying to individualise refresh rates for different tabs (urls). I have tried doing as stated above :
"- per-URL configuration using 'context-menus' ( i.e. right-click mouse button ) "
But the same refresh rate is applied to all tabs, even across different Chrome window sessions.
Any help ?
tia
Would it be possible to enhance this extension to also block reloads initiated from the page itself? I'm trying to avoid automatic reloads on online newspaper sites.
ReplyDelete@Tor: This feature is out of focus for this extension.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this awesome extension. There is only one thing I have not been able to find that's been preventing me from making my RAM happy and ditching Firefox and one of it's auto-reload scripts.
For work I monitor a page that does not reload on its own, and requires me to press keys every so often to sort incoming e-mail. On Firefox I have it set to reload every 3 minutes, and it continues to reload even if a key is pressed. For what I need, this is perfect as it's only one key at a time and I do not have to fill out forms.
The key-press is require for me to sort the material on this page, but in your extension this causes the reload to disable. Which then means I have to remember to click the icon again to start reloading it once more. Is there a way, that I stupidly missed, to disable the "stop reloading on key-press" functionality of your extension?
Thanks in advance!
-Tim
@Timothy: there isn't a way to disable "stop on key press" functionality as of yet. Please be sure to visit the "Google Moderator" page to vote for this feature though :)
ReplyDeleteWell made :D Thank you sir
ReplyDelete