265955 - Firefox installed after RealPlayer: No JavaScript scriptability of plugin

Status: RESOLVED INCOMPLETE

(Firefox :: General, defect)

Description

[Martin Danielsson]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20041001 Firefox/0.10.1
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; rv:1.7.3) Gecko/20041001 Firefox/0.10.1

If FireFox (or Mozilla) is installed after installing the RealPlayer (e.g. the
RealPlayer 10), then the RealPlayer plugin is displayed on web pages, but the
plugin is not scriptable. Installing the RealPlayer after Firefox helps, but it
would be nice if Firefox (and Mozilla) would allow RealPlayer scripting without
having to reinstall the RealPlayer.

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
(0. Uninstall Firefox)
1. Install RealPlayer
2. Install Firefox (or Mozilla, doesn't matter)
3. Call the above page which contains a scripted RealPlayer control
Actual Results:  
In the JavaScript console you can see an error message: "masterPlayer.GetVolume
is not a function" which is issued if the control could be instanciated, but is
not scriptable.

Expected Results:  
It should behave as it does it you install the RealPlayer after instaling
FireFox. In those cases, e.g. "GetVolume" certainly is a function of the
RealPlayer plugin.

Comment 1

[OstGote!]

That is so because for scripting you need a xpt file from Real in your
Firefox/Mozilla program directory under the components (and plugins)
subdirectory. This is only copied on the Real setup. You find that file
"nppl3260.xpt" in your Real program dir under ...\Real\RealOne Player\Netscape6.
If not, see http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/windows3.html#RealPlayer for help.

Comment 2

[Martin Danielsson]

But simply copying that file into the "plugins" and "components" directory does
not do the trick. What else has to be done? Reinstalling the RealPlayer each
time I install a new browser (which happens quite often nowadays) is quite tedious.

So, could this be called a bug of Mozilla/Firefox, or is this something else?
Couldn't Mozilla/Firefox check if the RealPlayer is installed and then copy the
needed files? Or is this not possible?

Comment 3

[Paul Hammond]

Attachment: Simplified testcase

This is also affecting functionality on the BBC Radio Player.  We've created a
simple test case to demonstrate the problem (attached)

If Firefox was installed after RealPlayer the onload alert shows that
document.RP.GetPlayState is not a function, as the realplayer plugin is not
scriptable.  

If RealPlayer was installed after Firefox the plugin is scriptable,
document.RP.GetPlayState is a function, and our site works fine.

Copying the xpt files across seems to fix the problem (as suggested at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/audiohelp.shtml#mozilla), but this is a workaround
not a solution and causes further user experience problems.

Comment 4

[Robert Strong (they/them - no direct email)]

This is caused by the XPTPath added to the windows registry not being used (see bug 226053)

Comment 5

[Johnny Stenback (:jst)]

This is no longer valid, we don't use xpt files for plugin scriptability any more. Marking fixed.