Writing IE add-on in C#, VB.NET, C++.
Tips for Internet Explorer 6 and IE 7.
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Add-in Express Home > Add-in Express for Internet Explorer > Online Guide > Tips on Internet Explorer add-ons
IE add-ons tips
- Version-neutral IE add-ons
- What are PIAs?
- How to get access to Internet Explorer
- Deploying – shadow copy
- How do I find the PublicKeyToken of my IE add-on?
Version-neutral IE add-ons
The most important option on the project wizard is the Use IE6 Compatible Interop Assembly checkbox. The following table illustrates this option in more detail:
|
The Use IE6 Compatible Interop Assembly checkbox is checked |
IE version installed on the development PC |
IE versions supported by the add-on |
|
Yes |
IE 6 or IE 7 |
IE6 and IE7 |
|
No |
IE 6 |
IE6 and IE7 |
|
No |
IE 7 |
IE 7 |
What are PIAs?
PIAs (Primary Interop Assemblies) provide the compiler with early-binding information on the host application objects, their properties, and methods. In Visual Basic 6 terms, PIAs correspond to references you set using the Project / References dialog. IE 6 and IE 7 are almost 100% backward compatible and you can use PIAs from IE 6 to work with IE 7. Note, in this case, you can access Internet Explorer 7 features using late binding (see the InvokeMember method in MSDN). Obviously, you cannot expect an add-on developed with IE 7 PIA to work with Internet Explorer 6: say, IE 6 does not have some events and properties specified in Internet Explorer 7 PIA.
How to get access to Internet Explorer
The IE module provides the IEObj property that returns the IE object (of the Object type). To get the current HTML document, you use the HTMLDocumentObj property.
Deploying – shadow copy
The Add-in Express Loader uses the ShadowCopy-related properties and methods of the AppDomain class. When you run your add-on, Internet Explorer loads the Add-in Express loader DLL referenced in the registry. The loader DLL is used to:
- Find your IE add-on DLLs in the DLL Cache. If no add-on DLLs are in the cache, it copies all assemblies to the cache (including dependencies). The cache folder is located in C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\Application Data\assembly\dl<number>. If all add-on DLLs (including dependencies) already exist in the cache, it compares their versions. If the versions are different, it copies new DLLs to the cache.
- Load the add-on DLLs from the cache.
How do I find the PublicKeyToken of my IE add-on?
You can find it in the setup project (that must be already built). Click on your add-on primary output in the setup project and, in the Properties window, expand the KeyOutput property and see the PublicKeyToken property value.
Final note
If your questions are not answered here, please see the HOWTOs pages. We update these pages regularly.
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