Total newbie, don't even know where to start!

[Chris Shearer Cooper]

I have a C++/Windows application (created in Visual Studio) that needs
to scan the existing Firefox windows and find out what URL each window
is displaying. It looks like XPCOM is the best way to do this, but I
can't figure out how to even get started. All of the sample code &
tutorials I see online are for creating XPCOM components or hidden
windows inside of Firefox which is not what I want to do.

Can someone point me to a "getting started" guide that ...
(1) is written in C++
(2) doesn't assume I am writing code that will run _inside_ Firefox
(3) doesn't start with "download & recompile Firefox" or "create an
interface definition file for your new component"?

Thanks so much!
Chris

[Derrick Rice]

On Sep 9, 3:13 pm, Chris Shearer Cooper

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe XPCOM is cross-
process middleware. You will need to create an XPCOM component that
can communicate with your process as well as interact with XPCOM in
the ways that you need it to. As far as I know, this requires
creating an interface definition for your new component.

If you are looking at "getting started", then I suggest you do those
things to understand the style and approach to XPCOM. IMO your task
is not "getting started" material.

I'm actually just starting on scoping out the work required for
writing an extension that will allow another process to control parts
of firefox. I'll try to write up as much of it as possible, for
interested individuals such as yourself, but I make no promises since
I may not actually take that route. I'll probably have this within a
few months (by year end).

Best of luck

Derrick

[Mook]

Chris Shearer Cooper wrote:
> I have a C++/Windows application (created in Visual Studio) that needs
> to scan the existing Firefox windows and find out what URL each window
> is displaying. It looks like XPCOM is the best way to do this, but I
> can't figure out how to even get started. All of the sample code &
> tutorials I see online are for creating XPCOM components or hidden
> windows inside of Firefox which is not what I want to do.
>

I'd instead go for MSAA (the IAccessible stuff), since that's a clearly
public API that doesn't involve linking in XPCOM at all. Similar things
should work for IE as well (I have no idea what level of a11y support
Chrome, Safari, Opera et al have).

--
Mook