Can Node.js invoke Chrome?

Question

Is it possible for Node.js running on a desktop to spawn a Chrome Browser window? I would like to start a Chrome Browser providing the window size and location when Node.js receives an event.

Is sys shell commands only methodology?

Answer 1

Checkout https://www.npmjs.com/package/chrome-launcher:

Launch chrome:

const chromeLauncher = require('chrome-launcher');

chromeLauncher.launch({
  startingUrl: 'https://google.com'
}).then(chrome => {
  console.log(`Chrome debugging port running on ${chrome.port}`);
});

Launching headless chrome:

const chromeLauncher = require('chrome-launcher');

chromeLauncher.launch({
  startingUrl: 'https://google.com',
  chromeFlags: ['--headless', '--disable-gpu']
}).then(chrome => {
  console.log(`Chrome debugging port running on ${chrome.port}`);
});

chrome-launcher opens a remote debugging port so you can also control browser instance using the DevTools protocol.

Puppeteer is another way to launch Chrome and interact with it using high level APIs.

Answer 2

On MacOSX

var childProc = require('child_process');
childProc.exec('open -a "Google Chrome" http://your_url', callback);
//Or could be: childProc.exec('open -a firefox http://your_url', callback);

A bit more:

• Use "open -a" with the name of your app from /Applications and append your args
• callback function is called with the output after completion
• Link to API: https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_exec_command_options_callback