Browser Plugin Group Forms

[Brett_Tabke]

The Mozilla Foundation, Opera Software and Apple Computer--all browser makers--said on Wednesday that they have teamed up with plug-in vendors Sun Microsystems, Adobe Systems and Macromedia to revise the way plug-ins run in non-Microsoft browsers.

[news.com.com...]

[iamlost]

For some of the nitty-gritty:

This document describes the new cross-browser NPAPI extensions that has been developed by a group of browser and plugin vendors, ...

[mozilla.org ]

[jpalmer]

>Scripting aficionados hailed the partnership

You say partnership, I say cabal ;) <ducks for cover>

Good news if it works and not before time.

[werty]

Here is a link to the Official Opera press Release [opera.com].

[Andy_Abbott]

I think these browser makers are going down the wrong path.

Ultimately, plug-in depends on trust and it has long been proven that you can't trust a plug-in.

The issue simply isn't the technology.

[iamlost]

Ultimately, plug-in depends on trust and it has long been proven that you can't trust a plug-in.

"Plug-in" and "ActiveX" are not synonymous.

When Microsoft replaced the Netscape JVI (Java Runtime Interface) in IE 5.5 SP2 and IE 6.0 with the ActiveX Java/COM Interface (instead of the proposed Java Native Interface) security went the MS way (can you say "swiss cheese"?):

• advanced garbage collection algorithmns are (almost) impossible to include. (sounds like Windows clutter, doesn't it?)
  
• native code has access to public methods and fields.
  
• inability to access private fields.
  
• inability to raise general exceptions.
  
• unable to deal with overloaded methods.
  
• case insensitive in matching method names.
  
• all classes and all low-level native methods treated as software components.
  

So we are returning to "plug-ins" and leaving "ActiveX". About time. Stated goals are great. Hope they turn out as good.