what is the use of window.open('','_self').close(); in chrome extension

Question

When I click the extension icon, a popup is shown.
After that, when I try to click "URL restrictions", it will open a window, after that when I click the popup again, the popup is overlapping that url restriction window.
The above issue happens on Windows only, not on Linux.

So I have added window.open('','_self').close(); which apparently fixed the issue. But not exactly. Is it correct? I have referred this Link and Link2 but can not understand the meaning.

What is the purpose of window.open('','_self').close();? EDIT: this is my popup.js

  function click(e) {


    var windowObj = window.open(site_exception_url, 'url_window', params);     
    windowObj.focus();
    window.close();
    window.open('','_self').close();
    return false;

}

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 12 '15 at 10:48

1

On Windows the popup isn't closed automatically after a new window is opened from a link within the popup.

Close it in the click handler manually, this won't hurt Linux but will help on Windows:

document.addEventListener("click", function(event) {
    if (event.target.localName == "a") {
        close();
    }
});

The related questions linked in your question don't apply here as the first is for userscripts, not extensions, and the second isn't for popups shown by the browser when you click the toolbar button.

answered Aug 12 '15 at 10:48

wOxxOm

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what is meant by `a` here? – PHP dev Aug 12 '15 at 13:40
what should i use?here – PHP dev Aug 12 '15 at 13:42
`
Show gUnify Panel

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URL Restrictions

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` – PHP dev Aug 12 '15 at 13:43
Use `div` instead of `a` – wOxxOm Aug 12 '15 at 13:44
ji still need to clarify,kindly help me tomorrow – PHP dev Aug 12 '15 at 14:08
i accpet ur answer,but the popup sometime get overlapping the url restriction window:( but sometime working fine....May i know the reason? – PHP dev Aug 13 '15 at 03:47
Use `if (event.target.id.indexOf("gu_") == 0) {` – wOxxOm Aug 13 '15 at 04:55
Actually what does it means? – PHP dev Aug 13 '15 at 05:03
Apparently there are other problems in your code which contributed to the conflict. – wOxxOm Aug 13 '15 at 05:43
For example you already have the code which closes the popup after the new window is created. Try to close first. Or use chrome.windows.create to open the new window. There are many things to try. – wOxxOm Aug 13 '15 at 05:47
And there's no need for `window.open('','_self').close();` – wOxxOm Aug 13 '15 at 06:00
ya i too think the same,ok let me check – PHP dev Aug 13 '15 at 06:04

what is the use of window.open('','_self').close(); in chrome extension

1 Answers1