We have an idea to develop a toolbar for major browsers on Windows.
The toolbar will be a compliment for our weather application.
We want the toolbar to have an access to Windows API, specifically we need Registry and file system access (want access main app user settings).
Is it possible with Firefox and Internet Explorer toolbar extentions?
Browser toolbar development is new grounds for me.
I just want to know if it makes sense to start the project.
You can access the registry and filesystem from Firefox using the existing XPCom interfaces that are already exposed for you.
Internet Explorer plug-ins are all native, so you're already writing Win32 and COM, so you just call whatever API you need. However, since you are most likely running in a low integrity process, you need to read this which will explain the limitations on registry and filesystem access that you will encounter. If you describe exactly what registry and filesystem locations you're interested in, I can give you a more detailed answer.
The filesystem can be accessed from a Firefox extension:
File System access from Firefox Extension
I don't know about Internet Explorer, but that seems like it would make sense.
As for Registry access in Firefox, see this:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en/accessing_the_windows_registry_using_xpcom
It sounds like it should all be possible. I didn't find anything about Internet Explorer, but it seems like that would be a feature that they would include. I don't like to mess with the registry since that is not cross-platform, but if you really need the user settings, then I guess you have a valid reason. Just remember that not all of your users will be using Windows, and Mac OS doesn't have a registry (neither does Linux), so try not to restrict yourself too much if you can avoid it.
Related
I have a sandbox system redirecting file modifications by hooking Ntxxx file system APIs. An interesting thing is, if i move files in Notepad->File/Open dialog in my sandbox, e.g. from desktop\a.txt to desktop\b\a.txt, the a.txt file on real desktop just disappears, and it comes back after i refresh real desktop by pressing F5. actually there is no change in desktop folder at all, because all changes are directed. I know that most apps use API like ReadDirectoryChanges to monitor changes, but apparently explorer is doing something different. I tried tools like https://directorymonitor.com/, they did not observe any changes on desktop. I guess SHFileOperation internally interact with explorer somehow, but who knows details and how can i prevent this notification? It is really strange for users to see a file disappearing while it is actually still there.
windows calls windows_storage!SHChangeNotify instead of that one in shell32. Why does Windows have two copies of same API, are they different?
I have an application with web interface. Unfortunately, it has all disadvantages of being a web page:
It doesn't have a standalone window, so users cannot manage it via the taskbar.
Users see the address line with something like 'http://localhost:8080' that is not a good idea for home users.
If users click on a tray icon, there is no way to activate the tab in a browser, which contain the application interface.
So, it would be nice to have a wrapper application with a browser within.
In case of IE I know it's possible to create a window with Trident ActiveX component. But what if it's Windows XP with IE6 but installed latest Chrome? I'd like to prefer Chrome since it supports a lot more features which the user will never see.
So, is there a way to wrap a page into Chrome/Firefox and make it look like a standalone application, if one of them is presented in the user's system? (The application shouldn't install anything large, so Chromium build is not an option).
P.S. I'm not interested in supporting other platforms than Windows.
Regards,
Take a look at Chrome Apps.
I hope helps you.
I managed to create a Chrome extension pretty easy and the main application is hosted on my server allowing me to provide updates to the app itself without having to update the whole extension. I like the idea and I just want to know if it's possible to create a similar extension for Firefox where the main application is hosted on a live server.
In creating my Chrome extension, I followed a tutorial. The code for Chrome is included on the linked page.
It's possible to create a simple extension that loads a web app either in a panel or a tab. You should read up on the Addon SDK documentation, including the panel, tabs and getting started docs.
There is nothing wrong with this, as the web app would not have direct access to internal Firefox APIs. If you read the Addon guidelines closely that #makyen links to above, none of it covers this implementation detail. In their defence, they seem to have misinterpreted what you want to do. It looks to me like you just want to integrate / launch your web app from the browser UI?
Web application:
After finding the tutorial (please provide a link next time) I surmise you are referring to in your question, I suspect that what you are actually attempting to convey is different than how I initially interpreted your question. I have edited the question to make this more clear to people reading it in the future.
That tutorial is explaining how to place a link to a web application into the Chrome user interface. Such is, to a large extent, just a bookmark that is able to be placed within other areas of the user interface than the bookmarks bar.
If that is what you are wanting to do, then, yes, you can easily do so in Firefox. Given that the extension is not running external content in the security context of an extension (you are effectively just navigating to and displaying a website), then that should be fine as a Firefox extension. Note that you need to be sure that you are not granting elevated permissions when you launch the web application.
If running a web application is what you are wanting to do, then I suggest you might want to use different semantics to refer to what you are doing. The above is not a "Firefox extension app hosted on server". Saying it that way strongly implies that you are hosting the actual extension code on your own server. The rest of your question implies that the extension dynamically loads external code and runs it. I would suggest that you refer to it as something like: a web application that is launched (navigated to) by a Firefox extension allowing the web application to be started from an icon in the toolbar.
Extension running web sourced code:
However, if what you are wanting to do is have external content running as a Firefox extension, then implementing that functionality is a large security hole for anyone installing the extension. Even assuming that your intentions are totally benign, there is a huge security hole for anyone who is intercepting your traffic, or gains control of your server to inject code into Firefox that runs at the level of an extension (i.e. the malware can have full control of the browser and then of the computer).
Yes, it is currently possible for you to write this for Firefox.
However, given that the extension pulls code from something not packaged within the extension, the extension will never be permitted to be hosted on AMO.
In addition, the plan is that later this year there will be mandatory signing of Firefox extensions through Mozilla. I doubt that an extension like this will be permitted at that time.
You can read a set of Add-on guidelines on MDN.
Before Windows 8, the method of adding a mailto: protocol handler was straightforward (as outlined here Register Windows program with the mailto protocol programmatically)
As of Windows 8, the old method no longer works. It would seem that Win8 enforces the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\MAILTO\UserChoice.
It also appears the ProgID of the selected app is hashed and can't be forged, at least not that I can tell.
Does anyone have a working method for this, or can point me at a utility class/code that'll outline how to accomplish this programmatically?
For code, any language will do.
Edit
I've been asked from other discussions to specify a use-case, so I think it'd be helpful in the context of this question. Please consider this screenshot https://github.com/shellscape/Gmail-Notifier-Plus/raw/master/Promotional/prefs-account.png and the checkbox allowing the user to specify mailto handling. In this use-case, no one is forcing the user, the user is in control and makes the decision. While windows 8 store apps (metro/modern) have an available app manifest entry that automates the missing process described above, nothing seems to readily exist for desktop apps.
You can set your application to be activated by a custom protocol (like mailto:). When the user installs your app, if there is no other app supporting that protocol, they are not prompted and you are automatically assigned to that protocol.
If, however, the user already has an app that handles that protocol, then they will be prompted with a list of apps who support that protocol with the option to select the default. You cannot force the user to make a specific selection.
Also, if the user clicks on a protocol (like myprotocol:) and they have no app installed that handles that protocol then they will be sent to the store (app) which automatically searches for all apps that support that protocol. The user then installs whatever they want. You cannot force the user to make a specific selection (if any at all).
I wrote an article on protocol activation. It might be interesting to you: http://blog.jerrynixon.com/2012/10/walkthrough-using-windows-8-custom.html
So, I made Desktop Firefox my default mailto handler today in Windows 8 by adding the string value "mailto" to the HKCU\Software\Clients\StartMenuInternet\FIREFOX.EXE\Capabilities\URLAssociations and setting the value of "mailto" equal to the ProgID or "FirefoxURL". I then deleted the keys at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\URLAssociations\MAILTO\UserChoice to allow me to choose the default client again and this time Firefox was available for me to choose.
The essence of this question seems to be that one cannot take over the default client for any protocol anymore (post Windows 8). The user must choose. However, if you wanted to break the OS convention you could hook the call to create the choose default dialog, which would take research, effort, and be only a temporary kludge and would require "breaking" the OS, or you could send a double click to the dialog to choose for the user, assuming your program has elevated rights so that it can send clicks to Admin windows. That would probably be the easiest way, the user would never know what happened, just a quick flash. Really though, after registering itself as a protocol handler, I don't think any program should go beyond deleting the default protocol handler registry entry, thereby forcing the user to re-choose.
This is how to set mailto protocol manually and simply in Windows 8, 8.1, 2012, 2012R2
Add a new registry branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Associations\UrlAssociations\mailto\UserChoice
Then click any mailto: link in your web browser, say IE
and finally there in a program list for you to choose which was not available before.
Also MAILTO appears in Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Default Programs now. There is no other option to add/remove a protocol from there.
You can't have your app directly take over file associations anymore in Windows 8. There are guidelines for how to handle this for both Windows Store and desktop applications here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh700321.aspx
Is it possible to lock a user in chrome using .dll files (NPAPI plugin) or any other method?
I want to invoke chrome browser in highly controlled environment preferably on Windows. I would download chrome for businesses and write policies such that user isn't allowed to access any url except one.
I would create a packaged app and create an application shortcut on desktop for user which goes to the url. So it will open in KIOSK mode. But I would want that user shouldn't be able to navigate away from chrome, specifically that window and shouldn't be able to use any other program until he logs out of the application or explicitly closes the window. That means disabling function /ctrl/alt and window keys.
Something like this but with chrome.
Even opening chrome itself in 'locked' mode is not a problem.
Has someone ever implemented it? Is it possible using NPAPI plugin or any other method? If anybody could direct me towards any such resources I would be grateful.
No, this is not realistically possible using an NPAPI plugin, at least not by itself. At minimum you'd need an extension (see http://npapi.com/extensions).
If you loaded it from an extension it might be possible to get the window handle of the browser and such, but I think you'd probably be better off with a separate app.