Making a browser toolbar?

Question

I would like to make a browser toolbar like google toolbar for my website. It should be compatible with all popular browsers.

Which language should I use to make it? Is there any examples/guides I could use?

Answer 1

For Firefox, start here: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Extensions

Internet Explorer, here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb250489%28VS.85%29.aspx

You can use Javascript and Xml (XUL) to write Firefox extensions and any language that can generate a COM component implementing the IObjectWithSite interface (VB, C++, C#...) for IE.

IE Examples:

• https://web.archive.org/web/1/http://articles.techrepublic%2ecom%2ecom/5100-22_11-5078098.html (VB)
• http://www.codeproject.com/kb/cs/attach_bho_with_c_.aspx (C#)

Firefox:

• http://www.rietta.com/firefox/Tutorial/overview.html
• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Getting_started_with_extension_development

Answer 2

You CANT make a single toolbar that is compatible with both IE and Firefox. You need to create two toolbars.

For IE you need to create a Deskband (http://www.codeproject.com/KB/shell/ietoolbartutorial.aspx), a kind of plugin that interfaces with IE via COM. You need to know C++ and COM to do this.

For Firefox, you need to create a Firefox Extension. https://developer.mozilla.org/en/Extensions is a good place to start. You need to know JavaScript and XUL (XML User Interface Language, what Mozilla uses to create user interfaces)