Subj : Re: XPConnect/Spidermonkey or ActiveX/npruntime for JS scripting of plug-ins
To   : netscape.public.mozilla.xpcom,netscape.public.mozilla.jseng
From : Phil McLachlan
Date : Thu Aug 11 2005 02:53 pm

"Phil McLachlan" <pmclachlan@.nospam.vizible.com> wrote in message 
news:dd8m5o$ok62@ripley.netscape.com...
> We are investigating using XPCOM as a framework for our project.  Our 
> application will run as a stand-alone executable, and it will be used as a 
> plug-in within browsers: Mozilla, Safari, and IE.  We require JS scripting 
> of our application, so packaging Spidermonkey with our application seems 
> appealing.  In this case, we could use XPConnect to perform the 
> integration.
>
> I've noticed that XPCOM's plug-in API (XPConnect?) has been replaced by 
> npruntime.  Is this because plug-in writers are moving towards using 
> ActiveX integration in IE with npruntime wrappers for the other browsers? 
> I reckon this would eliminate having to package a JS engine with a 
> plug-in, which is currently the approach used by Macromedia Flash and 
> Adobe Acrobat Reader. On the other hand, writing the npruntime wrappers 
> could become labour intensive.  Is there a npruntime to ActiveX bridge? 
> What is the recommended approach for developing rich environment browser 
> plug-ins?  It would be nice, if we could also use a JS engine with our 
> stand-alone executable.

I guess using XPCOM, XPConnect, and embedded Spidermonkey  is a better 
option for us, because it allows us to reuse the JS in our stand-alone 
executable.  However, XPConnect being depricated in favour of npruntime 
scares me a bit.  Is anyone using npruntime to script their application with 
embedded Spidermonkey, or is that not the intent?

> Also, in this context, which is better to use: standalone XPCOM or XPCOM 
> with the entire Mozilla source tree?  If possible, I imagine the 
> standalone implementation would be more desirable.  Is XPCOM packaged as a 
> separate product that you can get frozen stable interfaces and 
> implementations for? Is there documentation for the various Mozilla XPCOM 
> libraries?  I read the standalone is not compatible with the one in the 
> Mozilla tree.  Why is this, and should this be a concern?
>
> Assuming standalone XPCOM is the way to go, can someone point me to 
> directions on how to download it and use it with XPConnect/Spidermonkey?

Okay, I've found the Gecko SDK, which comes compiled and packaged for the 
various Mozilla releases.  This seems to work well, as opposed to standalone 
XPCOM, which seems to have become broken in the Mozilla build in the past 
due to neglect.

> Thanks for any advice.

.