Fully Scriptable Plugins For Mozilla/Netscape
Netscape Technology Evangelists
Some good news for those that have wondered why for a long time, major
plugins like Flash and Quicktime have NOT been scriptable in Mozilla and
Netscape 6.x and Netscape 7 (PR1). "Scriptability" is the term used to
describe the invoking of Plugin methods via Web-delivered JavaScript,
and vice-versa -- the Plugin's ability to access the DOM and invoke
client JavaScript methods.
Now, both Flash and Quicktime are fully scriptable: Macromedia have
released Flash 6 r 40
(http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayerbutton/) and Apple Quicktime
have released Quicktime 6 (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/).
Both plugins have installers that recognize both standalone Mozilla
browsers and Netscape browsers. Here's a little more about what this
means :
Until a few days ago, you could not invoke JavaScript commands on these
plugins, nor could the plugin in any way access the DOM or call client
JavaScript. This was a by-product of the fact that Mozilla browsers do
not support the old "LiveConnect" method present in Netscape
Communicator 4.x browsers of scripting plugins via the JRI/JNI bridge,
and that Plugin Vendors (like Macromedia) had not yet adopted the XPCOM
ideas to script plugins in Mozilla.
All that is poised to change now that we have a scriptable API that
Plugin Vendors are using :-)
Flash 6 r40 (http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayerbutton/) is both
scriptable and FSCommand compliant. FSCommands allow you to "talk" to
the browser, and you can now invoke methods on the Flash player:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/publishexport/scriptingwithflash/
As a quick test, go to http://www.ford.de without the new Flash, and see
the difference after you do install it!
Similarly, Quicktime 6 (http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/)is
fully scriptable. You can read about the exposed API from:
http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/quicktime/qtdevdocs/REF/QT41_HTML/QT41WhatsNew-72.html
Those multimedia/DHTML experiences that we were once "locked out of" are
now available in Mozilla and Netscape browsers :-)
-- AKR
David Brittain
(I installed it by unzipping nightly build 2002071708) - is this because
I didn't use the installer? By using the "Other Browser" button I chose
the Mozilla plugin directory. This successfully installed the plugin,
but it doesn't seem to be scriptable, I went to http://www.ford.de and
the page renders with a toolbar along the bottom, but clicking the arrow
buttons in the centre does nothing (and gives no error) clicking any of
the other buttons gives the following error in the Javascript console:
Error: flashnav.SetVariable is not a function
Source File:
http://www.ford.de/firefly/spg/spg.asp?SessionID={6D4D49CE-8F86-41D1-AA12-56A5AD619EA9}&page=flash_nav&PageID=&NavID=home&SiteVerID=2&LangID=31
Line: 108
I can't seem to find an xpt file which I would have thought would need
to be installed to enable scripting. Is this missing because the install
didn't work properly?
The quicktime install again did not recognise that Mozilla was on my
machine. I manually copied the plugins into the plugin directory. But
again there is no xpt file. I couldn't find something that tested the
scripting though.
Are these problems just down to the installation method that I used?
Dave
Arun K.R.
Arnaud
using the flash installer, I still cannot find on my hard drive the
file flashplayer.xpt that seems to be missing for a proper behavior
of mozilla with scriptable flash.
I use the nighly trunk 2002-07-21-08
Do you have any hints.
Regards,
Arnaud.
Klaus-Peter Heidrich
> using the flash installer, I still cannot find on my hard drive the
> file flashplayer.xpt that seems to be missing for a proper behavior
> of mozilla with scriptable flash.
Looks like a bug in the Macromedia installer. It doesn't copy it to the
mozilla directory. If you are fast, you can find the flashplayer.xpt it in
your temp folder while installing. Copy it to the mozilla\components
directory and run the installer again, then it gets registered.
Hope they fix it soon.
Regards,
Klaus-Peter
Klaus-Peter Heidrich
> > using the flash installer, I still cannot find on my hard drive the
> > file flashplayer.xpt that seems to be missing for a proper behavior
> > of mozilla with scriptable flash.
Addition:
If the flashplayer.xpt does not get installed, check your registry under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla
Looks like the installer gets confused by old entries/versions that do not
exist anymore.
And choose just one Browser directory when the installer asks, then it
worked for me.
Regards,
Klaus-Peter
Olivier Cahagne
Still doesn't work for me, I also removed Mozilla entries from
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Pointed Flash 6.0.40 install to my plugins directory from latest nightly
build (trunk) but the .xpt file is still missing, couldn't catch it from
temp directory.
unch
> I tried to reinstall several times mozilla and the flash plugin
> using the flash installer
I tried as well, Win2K, it seems the installer is not working as
described, i.e. at the end if the installation it is supposed to open a
browser window, but it didn't. I tried upgrading my Shockwave plugin by
downloading the installer from Macromedia and it did bring up the
browser window. This is obviously not a very good verification that it
worked. How do I verify my version of Flash?
Anyways, I see no difference before or after installing Flash from the
installer link provided with the test link http://www.ford.de
John Griffiths
in the cold as far as QuickTime is concerned.
jama
> the difference after you do install it!
Installatiuon worked well - but no difference at www.ford.de. .-(
Holger Ruediger
At first SORRY for my bad english.
I have the same problem. But it is only a problem from the installer. This
don't copy the flashplayer.xpt in the components folder. So I have install
the Netscape 7 PR1 and after the installion the file was in the components
folder from Netscape. I only must copy this file in the Mozilla components
folder. Now the page www.ford.de locks well. I have copy the file on my
webspace. When you like to download ist you must use "Save Link Target
As" ... I hope not so many like to download it. ;-)
http://home.t-online.de/home/ruediger.holger/flashplayer.xpt
Robert Crowther
components before it all worked, maybe something to do with caching?
BTW http://www.ford.co.uk features the same flash script except in
English, presumably all European Ford sites have the same front end.
Rob
Robert Crowther
good enough to be understandable :)
Rob
styx
all. I have tried to copy the xpt file without success. www.ford.de is
unreadable.
But, may be it is because i'm using the version 1.1beta of mozilla!!??
mr_tob
the installer does not open a mozilla window so I copied the .xpt to
my components folder. but still http://www.ford.de doesn't work.
maybe somebody can tell me what else I could do with this problem ?!
thanks, bfn,
mr_tob
David Gasior
> I tried as well, Win2K, it seems the installer is not working as
> described, i.e. at the end if the installation it is supposed to open a
> browser window, but it didn't.
Contrary to what the Flash Player 6 installer says, do not close your
browser window before installing it.
Launch the Flash Player installer and select "Mozilla 1.0" to install
the plug-in for.
(There may be two options: "Mozilla 1.0" and "Mozilla 1.0[en]". I
find that if you select the "Mozilla 1.0[en]" option, then the browser
will not be closed by the installer and will not reopen.)
The Flash Player installer will close the browser on its own, and once
plug-in has been installed, and the browser relaunches, it will go to
the About page which has a small Flash movie that shows the version
number.
>How do I verify my version of Flash?
Well, you can do that by just going here:
Klaus-Peter Heidrich
> my components folder. but still http://www.ford.de doesn't work.
>
> maybe somebody can tell me what else I could do with this problem ?!
Run regxpcom.exe in your Mozilla Folder or delete xpti.dat in your
components folder.
And ask Macromedia to fix their installer...
mr_tob
thanks mate,
I ran regxpcom.exe and deleted xpti.dat, and now it works !
macromedia supports only microsofts browsers ?!
Martin
Even more, there's no delay for loading Java like in Netscape 4.78.
But it doesn't work with Mozilla 1.0 nor 1.1b.
I tried these :
1/ with MZ1.1b and swf 6.0 r40 :
no action and message "document.embedname.SetVariable is not a function"
on javascript console.
2/ with MZ1.1b and swf 6.0 r47 upgrade : the same issue.
3/ uninstalled MZ1.1b, deleted this program folder, reinstalled MZ1.0 and
swf 6.0 r47, selecting only "Mozilla 1.0" : same issue.
Is there a bug in MZ1.0/1.1b ?
Jérôme
> all. I have tried to copy the xpt file without success. www.ford.de is
> unreadable.
> But, may be it is because i'm using the version 1.1beta of mozilla!!??
Netscape 6.2.3 and Netscape 7 (PR1) according the test with ford.de.
BUT ONE function Javascript-to-Flash doesn't work : SetVariable(). I
tested it with the simple example of Macromedia :
http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/java_script_comm/javascript_to_flash.html
The javascript console says it is not a function. Unfortunatly I need
it in my site.
Could anyone help me ?
Thanks for your attention, Jerome
NB: the both installer worked fine