Instead of making a Chrome plugin, I would either make the window title blink or use HTML5 Notifications. Create a simple page which polls your IMAP Gmail for new messages, and include gmail in a large iFrame. If a new message is found, your outer window can issue the notification.
HTML5 Notifications: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/notifications/quick/
Blinking Title (adopted from this):
var newMailBlinker = (function () {
var oldTitle = document.title,
msg = 'New Mail!',
timeoutId,
blink = function() {
document.title = document.title == msg ? ' ' : msg;
},
clear = function() {
clearInterval(timeoutId);
document.title = oldTitle;
window.onmousemove = null;
timeoutId = null;
};
return function () {
if (!timeoutId) {
timeoutId = setInterval(blink, 1000);
window.onmousemove = clear;
}
};
}());
PHP Poll Gmail IMAP (adopted from this):
$t1=time();//mark time in
$tt=$t1+(60*1);//total time = t1 + n seconds
do{
if(isset($t2)) unset($t2);//clean it at every loop cicle
$t2=time();//mark time
if(imap_num_msg($imap)!=0){//if there is any message (in the inbox)
$mc=imap_check($imap);//messages check
//var_dump($mc); die;//vardump it to see all the data it is possible to get with imap_check() and them customize it for yourself
echo 'New messages available';
}else echo 'No new messagens';
sleep(rand(7,13));//Give Google server a breack
if(!@imap_ping($imap)){//if the connection is not up
//start the imap connection the normal way like you did at first
}
}while($tt>$t2);//if the total time was not achivied yet, get back to the beginning of the loop
jQuery AJAX Polling to your IMAP script (adopted from this):
// make the AJAX request
function ajax_request() {
$.ajax({
url: '/path/to/gmail/imap/checkMessages.php',
dataType: 'json',
error: function(xhr_data) {
// terminate the script
},
success: function(xhr_data) {
console.log(xhr_data);
if (xhr_data.status == 'No new messages') {
setTimeout(function() { ajax_request(); }, 15000); // wait 15 seconds than call ajax request again
} else {
newMailBlinker(); // blink the title here for new messages
}
}
contentType: 'application/json'
});
}
Obviously you wouldn't use jQuery AND PHP to poll. Pick one to do the polling. I'd recommend have the client do the polling and have PHP check IMAP once per connection. That being said, these snippets should get you started :)
