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Refreshing ActiveX controls

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  Refreshing ActiveX controls Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> - 2012-11-29 14:58 +0100
    Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-11-29 17:42 +0100
      Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> - 2012-11-29 21:36 +0100
        Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-11-29 23:20 +0100
          Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> - 2012-11-30 00:27 +0100
            Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-12-01 16:42 +0100
    Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls JJ <jaejunks@glegooilma-swapit.com> - 2012-11-29 23:37 +0000
      Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> - 2012-11-30 00:53 +0100
        Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls JJ <jaejunks@glegooilma-swapit.com> - 2012-12-01 06:36 +0000
          Re: Refreshing ActiveX controls Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2012-12-01 17:12 +0100

#17377 — Refreshing ActiveX controls

Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or 
probably any browser that support ActiveX).

I was thinking about something similar to refresh method 
(https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/PluginArray), but for ActiveX.

-- 
Cezary Tomczyk
http://www.ctomczyk.pl/

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#17378

Cezary Tomczyk wrote:

> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or
> probably any browser that support ActiveX).

Several.  Depends on what *exactly* you are looking for.

-- 
var bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk = (
    navigator.userAgent.indexOf('MSIE 5') != -1
    && navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac') != -1
)  // Plone, register_function.js:16

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#17379

W dniu 2012-11-29 17:42, Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn pisze:
> Cezary Tomczyk wrote:
>
>> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or
>> probably any browser that support ActiveX).
>
> Several.  Depends on what *exactly* you are looking for.

I'll try do describe it how it works in steps:

1. The user goes to the requested page. Let's say http://www.test.com/
2. I check if user has already installed required external software. 
This software has a specified "ProgID" and ActiveX Class ID.

Short code:

var found, obj;

if (typeof window.ActiveXObject !== 'undefined') {
     try {
         obj = new window.ActiveXObject('here is full ProgID');
         found = typeof obj !== 'undefined';
     } catch (e) {
     }
}

3. If "found" is true then this means that required external software is 
installed and user will be moved to the next step. If not then I 
triggering download process and must wait for end of installation. 
External software will do all necessary changes inside ActiveX after 
installation is complete.

Now, I check every n seconds (using setTimeout instead of setInterval) 
if required software is already installed. I can not check required 
"ProgID" until I restart manually Internet Explorer. That's the problem.

All I want is to refresh ActiveX list of all Controls and read required 
data from ActiveX (check if required "control" is already installed) 
without restart Internet Explorer.

-- 
Cezary Tomczyk
http://www.ctomczyk.pl/

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#17380

Cezary Tomczyk wrote:

> Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn pisze:
>> Cezary Tomczyk wrote:
>>> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or
>>> probably any browser that support ActiveX).
>> Several.  Depends on what *exactly* you are looking for.
> 
> I'll try do describe it how it works in steps:
> 
> 1. The user goes to the requested page. Let's say http://www.test.com/

There is a real test.com.  For examples, please use the .example TLD or the 
example.com SLD:

<http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2606>

If you have a problem with a Web site, however, it is of course best to post 
the real URI.

> 2. I check if user has already installed required external software.
> This software has a specified "ProgID" and ActiveX Class ID.
> 
> Short code:
> 
> var found, obj;
> 
> if (typeof window.ActiveXObject !== 'undefined') {
>      try {
>          obj = new window.ActiveXObject('here is full ProgID');
>          found = typeof obj !== 'undefined';

I do not think `obj' is ever going to be `undefined' at this line.  You can 
just as well assign `true', or skip `found' and only work with `obj' (which 
you might want to initialize with `null').

See also jsx.net.http.Request.prototype._getXHR() in 
<http://pointedears.de/websvn/filedetails.php?repname=JSX&path=%2Ftrunk%2Fhttp.js> 
(a bit slow currently).

>      } catch (e) {
>      }
> }
> 
> 3. If "found" is true then this means that required external software is
> installed and user will be moved to the next step. If not then I
> triggering download process and must wait for end of installation.
> External software will do all necessary changes inside ActiveX after
> installation is complete.
> 
> Now, I check every n seconds (using setTimeout instead of setInterval)
> if required software is already installed. I can not check required
> "ProgID" until I restart manually Internet Explorer. That's the problem.
> 
> All I want is to refresh ActiveX list of all Controls and read required
> data from ActiveX (check if required "control" is already installed)
> without restart Internet Explorer.

You should reconsider that approach.  There should be an event for the 
successfully loaded ActiveX control which you can add an event listener for, 
or the control can execute code itself.


PointedEars
-- 
Use any version of Microsoft Frontpage to create your site.
(This won't prevent people from viewing your source, but no one
will want to steal it.)
  -- from <http://www.vortex-webdesign.com/help/hidesource.htm> (404-comp.)

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#17381

W dniu 2012-11-29 23:20, Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn pisze:
> Cezary Tomczyk wrote:
>
>> Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn pisze:
>>> Cezary Tomczyk wrote:
>>>> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or
>>>> probably any browser that support ActiveX).
>>> Several.  Depends on what *exactly* you are looking for.
>>
>> I'll try do describe it how it works in steps:
>>
>> 1. The user goes to the requested page. Let's say http://www.test.com/
>
> There is a real test.com.  For examples, please use the .example TLD or the
> example.com SLD:
>
> <http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2606>

Or even example.net and example.org. Will use those names next time.

> If you have a problem with a Web site, however, it is of course best to post
> the real URI.

Actually I can not post a real URL, but I am not sure if this could help 
anything. The main point of the problem is elsewhere.

>> 2. I check if user has already installed required external software.
>> This software has a specified "ProgID" and ActiveX Class ID.
>>
>> Short code:
>>
>> var found, obj;
>>
>> if (typeof window.ActiveXObject !== 'undefined') {
>>       try {
>>           obj = new window.ActiveXObject('here is full ProgID');
>>           found = typeof obj !== 'undefined';
>
> I do not think `obj' is ever going to be `undefined' at this line.  You can
> just as well assign `true', or skip `found' and only work with `obj' (which
> you might want to initialize with `null').

Not really. I tested in IE9:

var obj = new window.ActiveXObject('NonExistsProgID');
window.console.log(typeof obj);

The result is: undefined.

> See also jsx.net.http.Request.prototype._getXHR() in
> <http://pointedears.de/websvn/filedetails.php?repname=JSX&path=%2Ftrunk%2Fhttp.js>
> (a bit slow currently).

I know that file and I even studied more closely not so long time ago :-)

I see your part of initializing XHR object, but there is also some weird 
parts for me. You define:

x = null;

and later in part between /*@if (@_jscript_version >= 5) and @end @*/ in 
catch(e){} you sets x = null, which I do not know why. It is defined x = 
null at the beginning.

Not sure if part for /* IceBrowser */ is still necessary.

However, generally speaking code could inspire many coders.

>>       } catch (e) {
>>       }
>> }
>>
>> 3. If "found" is true then this means that required external software is
>> installed and user will be moved to the next step. If not then I
>> triggering download process and must wait for end of installation.
>> External software will do all necessary changes inside ActiveX after
>> installation is complete.
>>
>> Now, I check every n seconds (using setTimeout instead of setInterval)
>> if required software is already installed. I can not check required
>> "ProgID" until I restart manually Internet Explorer. That's the problem.
>>
>> All I want is to refresh ActiveX list of all Controls and read required
>> data from ActiveX (check if required "control" is already installed)
>> without restart Internet Explorer.
>
> You should reconsider that approach.  There should be an event for the
> successfully loaded ActiveX control which you can add an event listener for,
> or the control can execute code itself.

Hm, interesting. If you have any links that can explain more about that 
then I would be glad to get them. In the meantime I will check what 
Google returns about that.

-- 
Cezary Tomczyk
http://www.ctomczyk.pl/

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#17396

Cezary Tomczyk wrote:

> W dniu 2012-11-29 23:20, Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn pisze:
>> Cezary Tomczyk wrote:
>>> Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn pisze:
>>>> Cezary Tomczyk wrote:
>>>>> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or
>>>>> probably any browser that support ActiveX).
>>>> Several.  Depends on what *exactly* you are looking for.
>>> I'll try do describe it how it works in steps:
>>>
>>> 1. The user goes to the requested page. Let's say http://www.test.com/
>> There is a real test.com.  For examples, please use the .example TLD […]
>> If you have a problem with a Web site, however, it is of course best to
>> post the real URI.
> 
> Actually I can not post a real URL, but I am not sure if this could help
> anything. The main point of the problem is elsewhere.

It would help as you do not say which ActiveX control you are trying to 
load/install, and one would have a test case this way.
 
>>> 2. I check if user has already installed required external software.
>>> This software has a specified "ProgID" and ActiveX Class ID.
>>>
>>> Short code:
>>>
>>> var found, obj;
>>>
>>> if (typeof window.ActiveXObject !== 'undefined') {
>>>       try {
>>>           obj = new window.ActiveXObject('here is full ProgID');
>>>           found = typeof obj !== 'undefined';
>>
>> I do not think `obj' is ever going to be `undefined' at this line.  You
>> can just as well assign `true', or skip `found' and only work with `obj'
>> (which you might want to initialize with `null').
> 
> Not really. I tested in IE9:
> 
> var obj = new window.ActiveXObject('NonExistsProgID');
> window.console.log(typeof obj);
> 
> The result is: undefined.

I cannot reproduce that:

,----
| >> var x = 42; x = new ActiveXObject("foo"); console.log(x) 
| "Automatisierungsserver kann Objekt nicht erstellen." 

(That is German for "Automation server can't create object.")

| >> navigator.userAgent 
| "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MSIE 9.0; Windows NT 6.0; Trident/5.0; SLCC1;
| .NET CLR 2.0.50727; eSobiSubscriber 2.0.4.16; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET
| CLR 3.0.30729; .NET4.0C; .NET4.0E)" 
`----

That is Internet Explorer 9.0.8112.16421 on Windows Vista Business 32 bit 
Service Pack 2.

I think you are mistaken here:

,----
| >> var y = new ActiveXObject("foo"); 
| "Automatisierungsserver kann Objekt nicht erstellen." 
| >> console.log(y) 
| PROTOKOLL: undefined 
| >> try { var z = new ActiveXObject("foo"); console.log(z); } catch (e) {
| >>  console.log(42); } 
| PROTOKOLL: 42 
`----

(`console' is not supposed to be a property of the object referred to by 
`window'.)

If you enter those two lines separately into the script console, each will 
be executed in different /Program/s sharing the same lexical environment 
(like eval code in non-strict mode).

The first line contains a /VariableStatement/ with an /Initialiser/.  If the 
automation object cannot be created by `ActiveXObject', it will throw an 
exception (whose `message' property value you can see displayed).  So the 
variable is declared, but it is not initialized later.  As a result, it 
keeps its original value, in this case the implicit `undefined', whose 
string representation is displayed.

But as you can see in the final try-catch statement, if `ActiveXObject' 
throws an exception, execution never reaches the following `console.log(z);' 
statement in the *same* /Program/, and continues at the `console.log(42);' 
statement if the exception is handled (as it is here).  This is consistent 
with ECMAScript Ed. 5.1, section "12.14  The `try' Statement", and 
corresponding sections back to Ed. 3 when exceptions were introduced.

>> See also jsx.net.http.Request.prototype._getXHR() in
>> 
<http://pointedears.de/websvn/filedetails.php?repname=JSX&path=%2Ftrunk%2Fhttp.js>
>> (a bit slow currently).
> 
> I know that file and I even studied more closely not so long time ago :-)
> 
> I see your part of initializing XHR object, but there is also some weird
> parts for me. You define:
> 
> x = null;
> 
> and later in part between /*@if (@_jscript_version >= 5) and @end @*/ in
> catch(e){} you sets x = null, which I do not know why. It is defined x =
> null at the beginning.

`x = null' in the `catch' branch is probably not necessary now, but maybe 
later.  I would rather be explicit there.

> Not sure if part for /* IceBrowser */ is still necessary.

I am not sure either.  But it is only a small piece of compatibility code 
with no noticeable performance impact in case it is not needed, so it is 
going to stay there for the time being.

> However, generally speaking code could inspire many coders.

Thank you.  As you can read there, it is based on an XHR tutorial by 
Jim Ley.

>>>       } catch (e) {
>>>       }
>>> }
>>>
>>> 3. If "found" is true then this means that required external software is
>>> installed and user will be moved to the next step. If not then I
>>> triggering download process and must wait for end of installation.
>>> External software will do all necessary changes inside ActiveX after
>>> installation is complete.
>>>
>>> Now, I check every n seconds (using setTimeout instead of setInterval)
>>> if required software is already installed. I can not check required
>>> "ProgID" until I restart manually Internet Explorer. That's the problem.
>>>
>>> All I want is to refresh ActiveX list of all Controls and read required
>>> data from ActiveX (check if required "control" is already installed)
>>> without restart Internet Explorer.
>>
>> You should reconsider that approach.  There should be an event for the
>> successfully loaded ActiveX control which you can add an event listener
>> for, or the control can execute code itself.
> 
> Hm, interesting. If you have any links that can explain more about that
> then I would be glad to get them. In the meantime I will check what
> Google returns about that.

I have not tried, but

<http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms535859(VS.85).aspx#events>

looks promising with regard to the former approach [apparently, `object' 
elements do support the `(on)load' event].

As for the latter, it depends on the control.  For example, I know that 
Flash movies can cause HTML navigation.


PointedEars
-- 
Sometimes, what you learn is wrong. If those wrong ideas are close to the 
root of the knowledge tree you build on a particular subject, pruning the 
bad branches can sometimes cause the whole tree to collapse.
  -- Mike Duffy in cljs, <news:Xns9FB6521286DB8invalidcom@94.75.214.39>

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#17382

Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> wrote:
> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or 
> probably any browser that support ActiveX).
> 
> I was thinking about something similar to refresh method 
> (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/PluginArray), but for
> ActiveX. 

I assume you want to refresh the ActiveX installation? If so, then the 
answer is no. Simply because no client side scripts are able to uninstall 
any ActiveX, so it's impossible to reinstall it. While ActiveX installation 
can be done automatically via script, the uninstallation process must be 
done manually by the user. Same goes for Netscape-based plugins.

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#17383

W dniu 2012-11-30 00:37, JJ pisze:
> Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Any idea how to refresh ActiveX controls without restarting IE? (or
>> probably any browser that support ActiveX).
>>
>> I was thinking about something similar to refresh method
>> (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/PluginArray), but for
>> ActiveX.
>
> I assume you want to refresh the ActiveX installation? If so, then the

[...]

Not exactly refreshing the ActiveX installation. Just want to know when 
ActiveX installation is complete.

-- 
Cezary Tomczyk
http://www.ctomczyk.pl/

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#17390

Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> wrote:
> Not exactly refreshing the ActiveX installation. Just want to know when 
> ActiveX installation is complete.

That's same as checking whether the ActiveX control is fully loaded, 
running, and ready.

Since OBJECT tag doesn't support ONLOAD attribute, you'll have to poll 
one of the control's property. For example, periodically check the 
"color" property until it's in the form of a string. With error handlings 
of course, in case that property doesn't exist yet. Meaning that the 
control isn't running yet.

//setup the monitor
var monitor = setInterval(
  function() {
    var err, ele = document.getElementById('TheActiveX');
    if (ele) {
      if (typeof ele.color === 'string') {
        try {
          //check property value
          if (ele.color !== '') {
            //stop monitoring
            clearInterval(monitor);
            monitor = 0;
          }
        } catch(err) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
,500); //check every 500ms
//optionally, add a timeout while waiting for it to load
var waiter = setTimeout(
  function() {
    if (monitor>0) {
      //stop the monitor
      clearInterval(monitor);
      alert('Timeout while waiting for ActiveX control.');
    }
  }
,60*1000); //60*1000ms = 60secs

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#17398

JJ wrote:
^^
Who?

> Cezary Tomczyk <cezary.tomczyk@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Not exactly refreshing the ActiveX installation. Just want to know when
>> ActiveX installation is complete.
> 
> That's same as checking whether the ActiveX control is fully loaded,
> running, and ready.
> 
> Since OBJECT tag doesn't support ONLOAD attribute,

s/tag/element type/.  It may not support the `onload' *attribute* (HTML5 WD 
and ED beg to differ [1, 2], and so do even non-HTML5 browsers even though 
it would be invalid markup then), but the element objects have supported the 
`onload' *property* for a long time (even before the W3C DOM [3]), and as a 
result the `load' event applies to it [4].

[1] <http://www.w3.org/TR/2012/WD-html5-20121025/
     the-object-element.html#the-object-element>
[2] <http://dev.w3.org/html5/spec/single-page.html#the-object-element>
[3] <http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19957-01/816-6408-10/handlers.htm#1120545>
[4] <http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-DOM-Level-2-Events-20001113/events.html
     #Events-eventgroupings-htmlevents>

> you'll have to poll one of the control's property.

If possible, don't.

> For example, periodically check the "color" property until it's in the
> form of a string. With error handlings of course, in case that property
> doesn't exist yet. Meaning that the control isn't running yet.

The API of plugins triggered by ActiveX controls/COM objects usually is 
encapsulated in another object accessible through a single property of the 
element object, so what you suggest is not likely.  It might be possible to 
feature-test deep property access, but it is certainly better to let the 
control tell the embedding context when it is ready.
 

PointedEars
-- 
Prototype.js was written by people who don't know javascript for people
who don't know javascript. People who don't know javascript are not
the best source of advice on designing systems that use javascript.
  -- Richard Cornford, cljs, <f806at$ail$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk>

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