Chrome - Detect When Browser Exits

Question

I am wondering if it is possible to detect whether the user exits the Chrome browser?

EDIT - Sorry, I wasn't being very clear so I'll explain my situation. I am storing some variables in the browser's localstorage. When the user closes the browser, I want to delete some of these variables.

Answer 1

Executing some JavaScript before the window is unloaded

You can hook the OnBeforeUnload event of the window

<script type="text/javascript">
    $(window).bind('beforeunload', function() {
        if (iWantTo) {
            return "Don't leave me!";
        }
    }); 
</script>

Using a heartbeat to know when the user has left

Or create a JavaScript timer that pings your sever every XX seconds. When the pings stop, you can assume the user has closed the browser or navigated away.

http://ajaxpatterns.org/archive/Heartbeat.php

Answer 2

They have lots of good stuff in their documentation. onRemoved of the window object would seem to do it.

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/windows/#event-onRemoved

Or perhaps you mean tabs. In which case the onRemoved for the tab object would do it.

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/reference/tabs/#event-onRemoved

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