download and run exe from chrome browser using c++ plugin - c++

I have a webpage where when I click a button, it should download an exe from a url and the exe should get automatically invoked without user intervention.
In Internet Explorer I achieved this through activex control ( .ocx ) deployed as a .cab file.
I am planning to extend this to chrome and firefox platform too. ( atleast chrome for the first step ).
I don't want to use Java applet ( need to remove java dependency ). I know I could achieve this through Firebreath plugin but clearly this is not a good time to dive into NPAPI plugin ( since NPAPI is already being fading out. Chrome has begun phasing out NPAPI ).
When I looked into alternative Plugin technologies to NPAPI, I stumbled upon Google Native Client. On further reading I got to know Nacl too won't fit my needs since os calls api will not work in nacl ( I hope URLDownloadToFile api or createprocess or shellexecute wouldn't work. Correct me if I am wrong ).
Should I go for Native Messaging? Is there anyother alternative technology am missing ? Guide me Please .

NPAPI until it goes away will let you do what you want; other than that Native Messaging is the only option.
As others have mentioned, this is a Really Bad Idea(tm).

Thanks all the people . I finally settled with Launch Application Using Custom Protocol Handler . http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/aa767914(v=vs.85).aspx . This fitted my needs .

As suggested above, Chrome's native messaging appears to be the way to go - on Chrome.
First, have a look here: This blog entry shows that native messaging can be used to launch "calc.exe". I've yet to try it myself - but it looks promising:
https://plus.google.com/+FrancoisBeaufort/posts/jdTrmmZL9Xh
One thing to keep in mind is that the Native Messaging technique will only work from a Chrome Extension, which opens up an entire set of related questions.
(1) Can Chrome extensions be installed for all users using group policy? or via the registry?
-Yes, according to http://www.chromium.org/administrators/pre-installed-extensions
Later edit: only "published" extensions can be added via the registry. see - https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/external_extensions
(2) Can you detect whether an extension is already installed?
-Yes, Chrome Extension: How to detect if an extension is installed using Content Scripts
So maybe its possible to have a two-phase process:
-Your users will head to the web page, which will test for the extension (using #1 above)
-If its not there, have the users download and install the .exe (this will require interaction).
-The .exe will deploy the extension files and register it for Chrome (using #2 above)
-On subsequent visits, the already-installed extension can be used to launch/communicate with the now-already-installed .exe (using Native Messaging)

Related

WSO2 ESB Tutorial Issue

I just want know if somebody here already tried this tutorial:
https://docs.wso2.com/display/ESB490/Sending+a+Simple+Message+Through+the+ESB
I followed the instructions strictly but after I deployed my SampleCApp Composite Application project to carbon 4.4 based server(wso2esb-5.0.0), the SimpleStockQuoteProxy is nowhere to be located in the management console.
I hope you can help me with this especially those who have encountered this issue. I want to know, how did you fix this?
Thank you in advance.
What kind of OS are you using? If you are using Windows, unfortunately, it doesn't work. At least I haven't found a way to make it work through the Developer Studio.
But you can login into the management console, then in the Main tab, Carbon Applications, Add and upload your exported .car file. Refresh the List of Carbon Applications a few times until you see it there or until it shows the red message that the uploaded Carbon Application is faulty. You can click on the message and remove the faulty application, if this happens.
You can export the file by right-clicking on the Composite Application Project in the Developer studio and selecting Export Composite Application Project.

Embed specific Web Browser in C++ application

my question might be crazy, I know it has to be something like COM, but I need to include and COM a specific version of Web browser in my application no matter what version of the browser the computer currently is using, say to include IE7(dll file or whatever) in the project and COM programming it as a window in C++ application to surf web pages on internet although the default browser in client machine is IE9. And deploy the compiled project with IE7 file(s) to client machines. If IE/COM won't work that way, any other browsers can do the tricks?
Many Thanks!
CanadaYong
No, you cannot "embed" a specific version of Internet Explorer in your application. But you probably don't need to: when you use the IE COM WebBrowser Control in your application, by default it runs in IE7 Compatibility mode. Later modes are only used if you explicitly set the FEATURE_BROWSER_EMULATION registry key listing your executable name.

Is it possible to build offline app with Appcelerator and Rhomobile?

I have recently found those two look-alike solutions/IDE for cross-mobile development: Appcelerator and Rhomobile (I know there are more) and I have questions regarding those two platform:
1) I believe the only way to build the view is using HTML, which I like alot the ideas. But, does that mean the application itself isn't available if the mobile is offline?
2) Do you guys know if it's possible to publish the application to the App Store and Google Store?
3) Are there any simulator for different mobile and do they support all those slide/tab events?
4) And finally, are there a way to transfert the App on your mobile phone without having to publish it anywhere.
Please note that I have no knowledge at all about mobile app dev and those two solutions (Appcelerator, Rhomobile) would be perfect for me as I am familiar with Javascript and HTML.
Thank you!
Ok I have only used appcelerator but:
1) a webview is like a browser without the address bar, it simply parses HTML, where it gets it from is up to you. If you write the HTML and pass in a file well then yes it can be offline, if it is used to parse a response from a webpage well then no as it needs to send a http request to the webpage.
As many people seem to mistake (for a reason unknown to me as all the documentation states other wise), appcelerator is not the same as phonegap, appcelerator uses its own javascript based API to allow developers to make native apps, it is NOT a webview wrapper. It is offline by default and allows you to send http requests if you need something online.
2) yes you can publish to the app store and the google store from appcelerator, the documentation walks you through the process.
3) Appcelerator requires you to download either the IOS sdk or Android SDK which come with simulators, appcelerator / the emulators support the standard events found on these devices.
4) With Android to can build a .apk file and distribute however you wish, with IOS the only way is to publish to the app store. the only other way is to make a mobile website instead of an application

Deploying a Firebreath plugin on a webpage without manual installation

Recently I have been experimenting with Firebreath and developed a plugin in order to showcase my c++ projects on my portfolio website. I would like to make it easy for users to look at the projects without downloading files if they are new on my website.
The only issue I have at this point is that when users visit my page, they will receive a message indicating the plugin is missing. I would like to have an option for the users to automatically install my plugin without having to manually download and run it.
The plugin is mainly targetted at Windows users, since the applications are as well. I intend to support Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer. Currently I am using a MSI installer to install the plugin.
I have found a question similar to this, but I still needed to save the MSI installer and run it.
My question is: What would be the best way to implement this?
There isn't any way to "automatically" do what you want to do. The closest that I have heard of would be to use a java applet that would download and install the plugin for them. This can be pretty reliable on Mac but far less reliable on windows (for a number of reasons, among which the fact that many windows users don't have java installed and that Chrome blocks java applets by default without intervention by the user).
Other options include:
Creating a CAB file installer (only works on IE)
Creating a XPI firefox extension that packages the plugin (requires restarting the browser, only works on firefox)
Creating a CRX chrome extension that packages the plugin (only works on Chrome)
Microsoft ClickOnce used to work pretty well for one click installs of MSI files from a web page, but recently I think it doesn't work on many (if any) browsers; haven't seen it used in awhile, anyway.
There is no "automatic" way to install plugins; that would be considered a severe security issue. This is probably the #1 reason that plugins are as uncommon as they are.
do what adobe does,
create a tiny activeX application downloader, sign the activeX from with cheap SSL
when a user, enters your site, he will automatically be downloading this tiny ActiveX, after installation complete, inside the tiny ActiveX, have some type of batch script to download the EXE from remote server and silently install it.
adobe does this, on every reboot in boot.ini or startups
very easy

Host a c++ desktop application on a webpage

I am having a desktop application which having a UI interface made in Qt linked with a library which is doing all the calculation stuff. Values from UI is taken and pass to the API's in the DLL to get the output which is shown on Screen.
Now i want to do the same thing by transferring my application UI to a web page so that people can access the tool from anywhere without any installation process.
I want to retain my c++ DLL code so i don't have to do a lot of work. I am thinking of just converting this DLL to a C++ server by any communication Process(Sockets). I want to host this application on my company's website. (We have to make the website also so we are open to any set of tools).
I want to know what will be the best set of tools to do this stuff. Also there will be lot of data exchange between the webpage and server so the wholething should be optimized also. I goggled a bit and find stuff like silverlight and ASP.NET, But i am still not very clear which option will be more suitable.
I am a c++ programmer with no web application development experience. I am open to learn any new technology.
Thanks
Why not use Qt on the web directly? There are several projects like this one: http://qtwui.sourceforge.net/
There is a netscape plugin that will host a QT application and an ActiveX control wrapper on the QT website. You could use one of those to wrap your application. Note that this approach would require the user (or their administrator) to download and install the plugin.
An alternative approach might be to run your application through a remote desktop such as XVNC, NX or an RDP based layer. IIRC browser based remote desktop clients are available for most such protocols.
A few options:
pick a messaging/queue implementation (like http://www.zeromq.org/) and provide a service
implement a Windows Web Service if you want to be more enterprise friendly: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/ee335693.aspx
I would not expose the implementation on the internet. Enough to have a simple buffer overflow and the machine can be taken over quickly. Adding a layer between the app and the web provides an easy way to validate input, access, stats ...
You should be able to use your DLL from an wt or cppcms application. Then you do not have to learn something new and can just use C++.
The way I'm currently doing this is with Boost.Python + django