Firefox tips and triks 11. How to convert Greasemonkey scripts into Firefox extensions by Download Squad.

Source: Download Squad

User Script Compiler is a tool that creates a Firefox extension from a Greasemonkey script. So why would you want to do that? The answer is simple: for the mass majority of Firefox users that fear associating anything called "Greasemonkey" with their computers, and who panic at the mention of "scripts."

Intrepid techies such as Gina Tripani of Lifehacker have worked to make Greasemonkey scripts more digestible (her Better Gmail is a selection of scripts wrapped in a simple Firefox extension). Now, with the User Script Compiler, there is a way for all users to easily convert Greasemonkey scripts into the one-click simplicity of a Firefox extension, with no programming experience required.

Converting a Greasemonkey script into a Firefox extension does take a bit of legwork--but we're confident all you Download Squad readers could do this in your sleep.

First, you'll need to track down your installed scripts. They're in your Firefox profile, under the "gm_scripts" sub-folder. Or, if you'd prefer, you can skip the search and download any script from the online script repository.

Next, you need to change the file extension from .js (Javascript) to .txt (plain text). After you've changed the extension, double-click the file to view the code. Copy and paste the code into the User Script Compiler and hit "Generate."

Voila! Your new Firefox extension (.xpi) is complete. To install in Firefox, simply drag the new extension onto the Firefox interface and follow the prompts.