If you are not aware of this Microsoft change to Internet Explorer then you should be since FLASH is an ActiveX implementation in IE.  The result of this change will require some human interaction (clicking the spacebar or enter key) before the FLASH object will be invoked inside IE.  I don’t know whether RuMBA will be directly affected by this, but thought you might like to know.

 

Subject:  Internet Explorer ActiveX Update

 

Important Note: 

 

Please consider this version to supersede any previous version you may have received.*

 

Summary


Microsoft will be making some necessary changes to Microsoft Windows desktop operating system software related to the way in which Internet Explorer handles some web pages.  The purpose of this communication is to provide additional information on the planned IE Active X update for Windows® client and server, and to point organizations and website developers to technical information. These changes are related to Internet Explorer and the Eolas Technologies and the Regents of the University of California v. Microsoft patent case (Eolas v. Microsoft).  The IE Active X update will be rolled-up and included in the next available Internet Explorer security update, which could come as soon as the April 2006 Bulletin release. This update will be required via Windows Update and Automatic Update. 

 

Recommended Action


Microsoft recommends that organizations evaluate their internal applications with this update.  Testing can be done by installing the update on a client machine and navigating to web pages/applications in IE.  Application owners can update their web pages using the techniques suggested on MSDN at http://msdn.microsoft.com/ieupdate, to ensure controls will function without user interaction. 

 

Customers who do not deploy the next available Internet Explorer security update, which includes the IE Active X update, will not receive the most current security patches and may put their environment at risk.

 

Scope of Release

 

·        The IE Active X Update will affect Windows® XP SP2, Windows® Server 2003 SP1 and Windows® Server 2003 R2 Products (including versions of those products for Embedded Systems). 

o        Client SKUs including Starter Edition, Home Edition, Professional, Tablet PC Edition, Media Center Edition and Professional for Embedded Systems will be updated. 

o        Updates to Windows Server include  Windows Server 2003 SP1, Windows Server 2003 R2 (CD1), and Small Business Server.

·         Additionally, MS plans to re-release full versions of Windows Client XP SP2, Windows Server 2003 SP1, and Windows Server 2003 R2 (including versions for Embedded Systems) to all channels (OEM, Retail, Volume Licensing) in a phased approach during the February – June 2006 timeframe.

·         At this time we are not releasing other downlevel versions of IE or Windows, however we may do so in the future. .

 

Described Functionality

 

MSDN Article:  http://msdn.microsoft.com/ieupdate

Knowledge Base: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912945/en-us

 

·          Users cannot directly interact with Microsoft ActiveX controls loaded by the APPLET, EMBED, or OBJECT elements. Users can interact with such controls after activating their user interfaces.  To activate an interactive control, either click it or use the TAB key to set focus on it and then press the SPACEBAR or the ENTER key.

 

·          Certain Windowed ActiveX controls still receive mouse and keyboard messages when they are disabled because they use the Windows APIs GetKeyState and GetCursorPos to obtain the system keyboard and cursor messages.  For these controls only, a prompt will be shown before the control is loaded and once loaded the control will be interactive.  The following CLSIDs will show a prompt.

 

o        Virtools: {C4925E65-7A1E-11D2-8BB4-00A0C9CC72C3}

o        Shockwave: {166B1BCA-3F9C-11CF-8075-444553540000}

o        Quicktime: {02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B}

 

Note: We are working with the companies that provide these Active X controls, to provide technical guidance, on future versions that will be able to be activated in the page rather than prompting.

·         Web developers should test the code posted on MSDN and update their web pages using the techniques Microsoft suggests on MSDN at http://msdn.microsoft.com/ieupdate, to ensure controls will function without user interaction.

 

Known Issues

 

Please see compete list of known issues - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/912945/en-us

The IE Active-X update will affect all Siebel 7 High Interactive clients. After you apply this security update, you will have to click several times to interact with the Siebel program, one time for each ActiveX control in the program. Siebel is working with Microsoft to identify a solution. A Siebel product update is expected to release in the spring of 2006. For more information about Siebel product updates, visit the following Siebel Support Web site: https://ebusiness.siebel.com/supportweb/

 

Key Date Summary:

 

December 2, 2005

Microsoft held a meeting at the Silicon Valley campus to describe the upcoming changes to key External Partners, (ISVs, OEMs, Content Providers).

January 9, 2005

Microsoft posted a pre-release IE Active X update for Windows XP SP2 to MSDN subscribers.

February 9, 2006

Completion of Microsoft’s internal software testing.

February 9, 2006

Microsoft posted a pre-release IE Active X update for Windows XP SP2 (all languages) to the public MSDN site.

February 28, 2006

Release of IE Active X update to Windows Update as an optional download (all languages).

 

Technical Support

 

In order to ensure that your technical issues are resolved in a timely manner, we request that you engage the Microsoft Product Support Services team for further assistance.  Microsoft Premier customers may engage their Technical Account Manager directly or call the Microsoft Support Customer Care center.  If you are not a Microsoft Premier customer you may call the Microsoft Support Customer Care center for assistance.  Visit http://support.microsoft.com for more information.

We value your business and are committed to customer care.  Please contact us if we can assist or answer any questions.

 

*This letter has been revised to remove references to specific dates for the security update it discusses. The previous version of this letter disclosed a proposed date for a security release. While we are confident that everything is being done to ensure the update ships, there remains a small chance that an unforeseen issue could cause a delay. This is the reason we do not provide advance notification of specific update release dates.  Please consider this version to supersede any previous version you may have received.

 

--Mark

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Rogers
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 10:10 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Wtr-general] [ANN] RuMBA

 

Im pleased to announce Ive started work on RuMBA - Ruby Multiple Browser Accessor.

 

 

What Is It?

 

RuMBA will allow a watir like script to access muliple browser types - IE, FireFox etc. It will work cross platform, allowing linux and mac to be supported.

 

Ive done enough work to think that it will work the way I expect. There is no code currently checked in.

 

How Does It Work?

 

At the Canada On Rails Conference in Vancouver on April 12, David HH ( the creator of rails) demonstrated some technology called Armageddon. While this is not currently available in Rails, Ive found a similar library that will allow me to do the same thing. I expect to move to Armageddon when it becomes available.

 

Argageddon and Aflax( the library Im currently using ) use FLASH to access the dom of a web page. This is typically used to provide push functionality - ie the server is able to send data to a browser without the browser continually polling the server.

 

We can utilise this to set fields and click buttons. The advantage is that it is cross browser, rather than being limited to Internet Explorer. ( its also fast - this being the biggest downside Ive seen to FireWatir)

 

The DownSide

 

to make this work cross browser, the html must contain the flash object and some _javascript_. The easy way is to have the server do this for you. If you are using rails, its easy. Other server technologies may be harder to have it work in test and easily switch off for a production environment.

The other alternative is to do it client side, using a proxy that alters the HTML that is delivered to the browser.

 

What Can you expect, and When.

 

I expect the initial release will only allow finding elements using :id. Constructs like

table(:id, 'xx).button(:id,'yy')

are unlikely to be supported any time soon. Handling of _javascript_ popups like alerts and file requesters is unlikely to be in anytime soon ( I have no idea how to handle this on linux or mac)

The first release will be a simple demo of the technology, allowing field sets and button clicks, as well as retreiving some info about the page ( url, title etc)

Im unlikely to have anything soon. Its summer, and Im generally very busy, which leaves me little time to work on this. However I know there is significant interest in the community and my various clients are also interested in having support for firefox too.

 

Help Wanted.

If you have some specific knowledge, particularly in linux or mac areas I would be interested in hearing from you. If you are able to test this on OS other than windows, I would also like to hear from you.

If you have some spare time and have ruby and _javascript_ knowledge, Ive got a big list of things that need to be done. If you can write documentation I REALLY need you! If you cant do any of the above, but know you want to do cross browser testing, please also get in contact, as just knowing what you want to do will be a big help. For now, please contact me at [EMAIL PROTECTED] - please put rumba in the subject.

 

 

How this might work.

This may change, its just here to show you how this thing may work.

 

If I have 2 browsers, one IE and 1 FF:

 

I might type ( at IRB, ignoring all the set up )

irb> rumba.clients

1...  FF http://localhost:8080/test1.html

2...  IE http://localhost:8080/test2.html

 

irb> ff=rumba.attach(:instance,1)

irb> ff.title

A Test Page

irb> ff.goto('http://localhost:8080/test3.html')

ok

irb> ff.button(:id , 'abutton').click

 

you get idea I hope

 

Paul

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