Google Chrome Plugins and Themes

Extension: SessionSaver

Developer: twinsen

Toolstrip Version: 0.17
Download Toolstrip Version: SessionSaver.crx
Browser Compatibility: Chrome dev 4.0.206.1

BrowserAction Version: 0.1
Download BrowserAction Version: SessionSaverBrowserAction_0.1.crx
Browser Compatibility: Chrome dev 4.0.249.4

Download Previous Versions:
0.1, 0.11, 0.12, 0.13, 0.14, 0.15, 0.16

Description: A session manager that lets you save and manage multiple sessions.

Features:
* Saves all tab urls for all chrome windows.
* Saves multiple sessions with custom names.
* Loads all urls from saved session to current window in new tabs.
* Can view all urls to copy/paste from.
* Can save tabs just for current window.
* Can close saved tabs.
* Export all saved sessions to bookmarks.

History:
* BrowserAction Edition 0.1 released. This is a new BrowserAction version. Something to use when ToolStrips are deprecated. It currently only has save support, and it saves to "Other Bookmarks\\Your Saved Sessions" in a timestamped sub folder. You need to use BookMarkManager to load your session back.
* 0.17:
** Loading a session goes to last selected window, makes it easier to restore multiple sessions at once to separate windows.
* 0.16:
** Chrome 4.0.206.1 support added.
** Export to Bookmarks - Exports all saved sessions to bookmarks under "Other Bookmarks\\Your Saved Sessions" in a timestamped sub folder.
** Save current window tracks all windows, ignoring dev tools and session saver windows.
** System tests to replace some manual testing.
* 0.15:
** New option: Save current window only.
** New option: Close saved tabs.
** Options state preserved.
* 0.14:
** Bug Fix - Chrome 4.0.201.1 support added (permissions in manifest).
** Tools menu containing some developer tools - unit tests, toggling logging etc.
** Help menu containing link to this forum.
* 0.13:
** Bug Fix - Occasionally multiple [SessionSaverSettings] bookmark folders were created, which caused session data loss when an out of date folder is loaded. Multiple bookmark entries are now deleted, and a safeguard is in place to ensure only 1 entry is created.
** Bug Fix - When showurls active, doesn't keep saving data (was thrashing bookmarks).
** Bug Fix - Saving too many sessions you eventually reach the maximum data size for a single cookie (about 4k). When I had 22 sessions, each new session had undefined saved as its urls. Now session data is chopped into 3k pieces and we can no longer use cookies.
* 0.12: Bug fixed - When you delete an entry, and load a session after the deleted one, it loads the incorrect one. The ids are now correctly reset on deletion.
* 0.11: The window closes when you save or load.
* 0.1: Initial release.

Browser Compatibility:
* 0.16: Chrome dev 4.0.206.1
* 0.14: Chrome dev 4.0.201.1
* 0.1: Chrome dev 3.0.197.11

Screenshots:
Launching:

The main window:

Click save to save existing tab urls:

Multiple sessions are added to the dropdown list:

This is what happens when you click ShowUrls:

These are the options:


The most difficult areas were:
* The strange cookie behaviour - seems that you can't rely on extension cookies to save (unless you wait 30 seconds before exiting). This is a known bug (Issue 15708). Don't use cookies for important data.
* The callback systems present in bookmark functions. It seems tricky to get the order of execution right. Plus you can't search for folders, or search within an existing parent.

Features I would have liked:
* Context menus for toolstrip icons. (looks like moles may finally make this possible).

The code still needs lots of cleaning up, but I think its ready for general use.

If you like this tool, also try Chrome Sticky Notes. You can copy/paste urls from the Session Url Viewer into the Sticky Note, highlight some and click "visit links in selection".

Also try JW's Session Save - Bookmark current session. I found it useful to learn from when implementing the export to bookmarks feature.

very cool!

"Context menus " .. aint that the mole feature (that never seem to get finished) ?

Awesome!
I really like this allot, very useful to me.
Would like it when you clicked the Load button the window closed or alternatively when you clicked the toolstrip button and a session saver window was allready open it would come to the front and not open another window (if either of these things are possible).
Thanks allot, I love it.

Thanks for the feedback. I wanted the close window ability too, but chrome crashes whenever I did it (it would have made saving way easier - no need to dynamically fill the selectbox).
I found a workaround posted here ChromeGestures beta 0.1

So now in 0.11 the window closes when you save or load.

do you require feedback from Chromium users?

__________________
What version of Chrome are you running?

Yeah it would be useful to find any remaining bugs and find out if there are any significant features missing.

Thank for the update, this really is usefull.

after loading a session, would it be possible for all other tabs close (not related to the session) ?

__________________
What version of Chrome are you running?

I noticed that there is an update;

Uninstall and install new version and previous sessions are saved

does this extension update automatically ?

__________________
What version of Chrome are you running?