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I would need the list of currently opened desktop apps (+ files opened in it) from a Chrome Extension, or at least the active application name (With current focus on the desktop).

Use case : Imagine a chrome extension that would get the list of tabs with URLS (I solved it with Chrome.tabs) and in addition would give the name of the current active app when Chrome loose the focus (idle) : exemple => powerpoint.app / documentname.ppt.

I'm looking for any option, ideally without having to implement a Desktop App that would exchange messages with the Extension. But if this is the only way, any example/experience to do so with Electron (http://electron.atom.io/) or Node-WebKit?

imaginair
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This may be possible in an electron app, but I don't think so as Electron is more multiplatform-oriented and this is a platform-oriented feature. You only will have access to methods that the developers chose to expose to you, and I doubt that they exposed a way to have this kind of information. (I have very little knowledge in the tech since I used it only once, so I might be wrong).

The only solution I see is the one you talked about in your question, a real desktop app messaging with the chrome extension.

Antoine
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  • I've seen interesting approach via osx javascript automation (JXA) here : https://github.com/dtinth/JXA-Cookbook/wiki/Getting-the-Application-Instance – imaginair Jul 14 '15 at 09:21