61025 - How to Register Helper Application

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Developer Documentation Graveyard :: General, defect, P3)

Description

[Peter Jensen]

Is there ANY OFFICIAL available documentation for software companies on how to 
properly register their software application as a 'Helper Application' in the 
new Netscape 6 browser?

The registration method that works on earlier versions (e.g. NS4.7) of the 
Netscape Browser, does no longer apply. This methods is:
- Creating the following registry entries:
  Key:        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\Suffixes
  Value:      application/abc
  Value Data: abc

  Key:        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\User 
Trusted External Applications
  Value:      C:\PROGRA~1\DANISH~1\ABCSTU~1\Student.exe
  Value Data: Yes

  Key:        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\Viewers
  Value:      application/abc
  Value Data: C:\PROGRA~1\DANISH~1\ABCSTU~1\Student.exe

  Key:        HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\Viewers
  Value:      TYPEXX
  Value Data: application/abc

These registrations enables hyperlink activation of the helper application, as 
well as detection access through the navigator.mimeTypes javascript object.

We have identified that the 'Helper Application' informations in the New 
Netscape 6 are stored in the 'mimeTypes.rdf', from the publication at 
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/l10n/mlp_what2.html

I hope you can advise us and thereby enabling us to promote the new Netscape 6 
browser as well.

Comment 1

[Doron Rosenberg (IBM)]

--> networking per timeless

Comment 2

[Doron Rosenberg (IBM)]

really over.

Comment 3

[buster]

confirming bug to get it into the developer's queue

Comment 4

[timeless]

Ack, did i mention that HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape
Navigator\Suffixes is depricated. You're supposed to use the windows system mime
types and associations.

This might be a wontfix. I'll see if i can find the documentation about this.
This would only be wontfix if the correct system [systemwide mimetypes and
associations] works in mozilla and someone can explain or post a url to document it.

Comment 5

[Scott MacGregor]

Just use the standard windows registry keys for mime types and application
associations. Netscape 6 sucks up all of that information up when determining
mime type information.

as timeless suggested I think this should be marked wontfix. 

Comment 6

[Dawn Endico]

What do you mean, 'wontfix'? This guy asked for documentation.
Clearly this needs to be documented. What do people on mac and
unix need to know about helper apps? What else do you need to
know about helper apps on windows besides how to register them?
Move this to the documentation product if you don't like it.

Comment 7

[timeless]

http://search.microsoft.com/us/Default.asp?so=RECCNT&qu=registry+mime+types+settings&boolean=ALL&btnsearch=Search&i=02&i=08&i=07&p=1&nq=NEW

How IE treats http: vs file:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q216/8/42.ASP

This is an important reference, although I don't guarantee it is 100% accurate
wrt netscape [it's form microsoft]
http://www.microsoft.com/Mind/0197/Geek0197.htm
read the paragraph: GEEK Ahhhh, ... The MIME registration information is not a
browser feature, but a system feature. ...

The argument is simple and correct, mime types are system wide. AFAIK BeOS was
always mime based, windows 9x introduced (I presume nt didn't have it first) a
system structure for mime types (windows*4+ share a common system as it is part
of win32).  MacOS Internet Config controls protocols but not mime types as of
probably system8.

How ie determines mappings:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/networking/moniker/overview/appendix_a.asp

--End Microsoft Results--
http://help.netscape.com/search?NS-query=mime+types&NS-search-page=results&NS-collection=corporate&NS-collection=consumer


Adding helper applications (MIME types) types via the Windows Registry
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19980424-2.html
Communicator 4.x (Navigator 3.x method will work as well)

Modify the registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\MIME\Database\Content Type to
hold the sub-key of the new mime type.  Look at the other mime type
entries for clues on what to do, like adding the default file extension
for the MIME type.

How do you configure helper application associations by hand?
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970825-17.html

<ignore content-type="text/plain" value="Netscape 3 Reference">
Registry Entries for MIME Types
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970620-24.html
</ignore>

Again, for netscape >3 or mozilla on windows * 4+ DO NOT put entries into
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\Viewers.
[the Netscape help site supports nt3.51 and netscape3 among other platforms, and
as such it has to include information that is relevant for older browsers]

If we write any new help documentation we have to include something like this:
Warning about application/octet-stream mime type
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19990107-2.html

When viewing your email you may run across an attachment with the mime type
application/octet-stream. These are .exe or executable files. These files should
always be saved to your hard drive first and then run from within Windows.

If you do run into an error message within Netscape it is best to set up a
Helper Application to handle the octet/stream file type. By setting up a Helper
Application inside of Netscape you are also setting one up inside of Windows.

Do not ever attempt to set up a mime type to view these files in another
program. By creating a mime type for octet/stream and telling it to be handled
by another program you will cause Windows to attempt to load all .exe files in
whatever program you have set up. This change will result in Windows not being
able to launch any .exe files.

v-- Mac stuff --v
Handling of MIME types in the Mac version of Communicator
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19971115-1.html
^Too vague to be useful^

v-- Unix stuff--v
UNIX version Mime Types Listing for Navigator
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19961206-10.html
^Netscape 1-3, NOT 4+ ^
<http://help.netscape.com/search-ui/icons/star4.gif>

<http://help.netscape.com/search-ui/icons/gethtml.gif>
How do I make mailcap file or MIME files for the X Window version of Netscape
Navigator?
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19960514-72.html
This document explains all there is to know about mailcap files.
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SDG/Software/Mosaic/Docs/mailcap.html On a related
subject, check out our documentation on MIME Types.
http://home.netscape.com/assist/helper_apps/mime.html Our list of default MIME
types built into the Navigator.
http://home.netscape.com/assist/helper_apps/mimedefault.html


--Plugin Stuff--
How do you enable a plug-in when you have two or more that handle the same file
type?
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19990126-2.html

How to uninstall or remove a plug-in from Netscape
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19981202-2.html

Communicator's built-in capabilities for plug-ins and helper applications
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970621-22.html
Is inaccurate, as netscape6/mozilla do not currently support xbm (see bug xxx)

Helper Applications vs. Plug-ins
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970621-24.html

Configuring Helper Applications for Communicator
http://help.netscape.com/kb/consumer/19970626-1.html

I only went through hits 1-120.

-- Apple Stuff from TIL
http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/797a936e79d3ea86862567d90053e336?CreateDocument

Mac OS 8.5: Internet Control Panel Or Internet Config?
http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n24679
Internet Config was replaced by Apple's compatible version "Internet Control
Panel". I will still call it Internet Config, according to this doc, mac
help/dialogs in 8.5 still did.

Web Sharing MIME Types: More examples
http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n30728
Related MIME type informational sites:
http://www.starnine.com/support/technotes/servingmacfiles.html
http://www.starnine.com/support/technotes/suffixmapping.html
ftp://ftp.isi.edu/in-notes/iana/assignments/media-types/media-types

http://search03.apple.com/s97is.vts?Action=FilterSearch&ResultTemplate=webx11.hts&collname=Developer&ServerKey=Primary&filter=nullflt.hts&SourceQueryMode=simple&SearchPage=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch03.apple.com%2Findex.html&SourceQueryText=&queryText=internet+config
Carbon Spec for Internet Config [this is for our backend developers, but i'm
sure they already have it]
http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/carbon/CarbonSpecification/Internet_Config.html
For X
http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/macosx/Carbon/CarbonSpecification/Internet_Config.html

Unfortunately macos doesn't really do mime typings :-( there are a few apps that
do it independently: <apple> QuickTime Sherlock <microsoft> IE. presumably iCab,
OMNIWeb, Opera.

Comment 8

[timeless]

->Documentation

Comment 9

[Dawn Endico]

peter, was your original question answered sufficiently?

Comment 10

[James Salsman]

I'm guessing the question was about how to add it so that it shows up in 
the preferences panel, too, which is something I would sure like to know
(see bug 61408).

Comment 11

[Peter Jensen]

Dawn, as I see it, the new information added about this problem has only 
investigated it, but haven't answered the problem's three core questions, which 
are:
1) Does there exist an URL which describe a method for programmatic 
registration of an 'Helper Application' in NS6?
2) Does this method also add the Helper Application's file extension/mimeType 
information to the 'navigator.mimeTypes' javascript object/collection?
3) If not, how are software development companies to register, their products 
as a 'Helper Application' in the new NS6 browser and thereby promote it?

Comment 12

[timeless]

I don't think it makes much sense for mozilla/netscape to help apps register
platform specific features. If you build a helper application for most os's then
you also package some installation mechanism.  On windows that probably means an
msi file (which you might send via a smartupdate jar) the msi installer will
register the correct mime settings with windows.

I realize this is a mess.

wrt adding stuff to the preferences panel, if you >register with the os< we
should show it.  If you want your own preferences pane then you're writing a
plugin which is outside the scope of this bug.

Comment 13

[Peter Jensen]

What we are trying to accomplish is the following: The functionality we 
required is similiar to e.g. the RealAudio Player integration with the NS 
browser. Our application is installed using e.g. the msi installer, however 
during this installation we need to register the application to be startable 
through the NS browser. Our application can be started from the desktop as 
well, however starting it through a web browser by clicking a specific file 
type (like RP files: .rpm) is also required. And currently, as far as I see it, 
documentation is only available for doing this is NS1 - NS4?

Comment 14

[Dawn Endico]

there doesn't seem to be documentation on this yet. If we can collect the
info someone would need to write such a document (or at least the questions
such a document should answer) that would help someone write it. I've posted
to the documentation newsgroup to see if someone would like to help write one.

Comment 15

[James Salsman]

Dawn:  Have you been able to get any documentation from Scott M.?

Eric K.:  You have a mandate from Adobe, Macromedia, and all of 
their peers for this, right?  I hope you and Scott understand the 
comments here, especially those of timeless dated "2000-12-14 21:00" 
for the cross-platform cannon on type registration.

This must have a lot to do with the interface implied by bug 58811.

Comment 16

[James Cox]

accepting QA for mozilla developer docs.

some of these bugs have been around for a _long_ time. Reporters, would you
please review the bugs, see if the issues have been resolved, and close bugs
appropriately.

I will do a full review of all bugs not touched in one week (8th April). 

Thanks.

</spam>

Comment 17

[Jayesh Sheth]

Could these documents at Mozilla.org be applicable to this bug?

Test Documentation for Helper Application UI
http://www.mozilla.org/quality/browser/front-end/testcases/file-handling/helper-apps.html

 Test Documentation for Downloading & Saving UI
http://www.mozilla.org/quality/browser/front-end/testcases/file-handling/downloading.html

Feature Test Spec
MachV
Mail and News Component
Helper Applications

http://www.mozilla.org/quality/mailnews/tests/sea-mn-helperapps.html

Improve Helper Application Management
Detailed Description

This set of features relate to the "Helper Applications" preference panel. 

http://www.mozilla.org/xpapps/MachVPlan/HelperAppMgt.html

Attachments in an Open Msg
http://www.mozilla.org/mailnews/specs/threepane/Attachments1.html

Let Google search Mozilla.org for relevant info:
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Amozilla.org+%22helper+application%22&sourceid=mozilla-search

Comment 18

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

So... I'm trying to figure out what this bug is asking for.  To add helper
applications to the system so that Mozilla will detect them, you just add them
in the standard way (registry on Windows, under the corresponding extension, IC
on mac, mailcap on Linux).  This standard way should be covered by the OS
documentation.  Is this bug a request for us to basically point to copies of
that documentation (or write our own versions)?  If not, what is the request?

(Note that the issue with navigator.mimeTypes is separate from whether we detect
the helper application; there bug 58811 for that.)

Comment 19

[Travis Chase]

Based on comment #18 resolving as invalid, Reopen if you disagree

Comment 20

[James Salsman]

Whatever it is, this probably depends on bug 57420.    

Comment 21

[Nickolay_Ponomarev]

[e-mail]: you're supposed to answer the question in comment 18 when reopening. I don't see an answer anywhere and happen to think the bug is invalid, as it indeed belongs in OS documentation, not our. I also don't see how does this depend on bug 57420 - it is not related at all.