Read the version from manifest.json

Is there a way for a Chrome extension to read properties from manifest.json? I'd like to be able to read the version number and use it in the extension.

You can just use chrome.runtime.getManifest() to access the manifest data - you don't need to GET it and parse it.

var manifestData = chrome.runtime.getManifest();
console.log(manifestData.version);
console.log(manifestData.default_locale);

The snipet chrome.app.getDetails() is not working anymore, is returning an error:

> TypeError: Object #

I use this way.

chrome.manifest = (function() {

    var manifestObject = false;
    var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();

    xhr.onreadystatechange = function() {
        if (xhr.readyState == 4) {
            manifestObject = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
        }
    };
    xhr.open("GET", chrome.extension.getURL('/manifest.json'), false);

    try {
        xhr.send();
    } catch(e) {
        console.log('Couldn\'t load manifest.json');
    }

    return manifestObject;

})();

And that's all. This short code snippet loads manifest object and put's it among other chrome.* APIs. So, now you can get any information you want:

// current version 
chrome.manifest.version

// default locale
chrome.manifest.default_locale

Since Chrome 22, you shoud use chrome.runtime

console.log(chrome.runtime.getManifest().version);

It's actually simple.

function yourFunction() {
return chrome.app.getDetails().version;
}

where you can name yourFunction whatever you like.

Then to call it, just insert yourfunction() wherever you want to call the version number.

For example, if your version number is 9.07, then yourfunction() actually equals the numeric value of 9.07