Maxthon Plugins HowTo
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1. COM Object

   COM object must implement IMyIEClient interface. Please refer to IMyIE.h

2. Exe File:

   Any win32 exe file can be used as a plugin. Maxthon will send different parameters under different circumstance.
   General parameter:
   a. "-h=handle" : handle is the Wnd handle of the Maxthon main window, decimalist.

3. Script File:

   Script File must be written in the following format:

   Example:
   <script language="Javascript">
   alert(document.lastModified);
   </script>

   The 'language' can be any valid language that Internet Explorer supports.

There is a 'Config' button in the 'Maxthon Plugin' option page. Maxthon will call the corresponding 'Config' function of a plugin, when user clicks the 'Config' button.

1. COM Object:

   The COM's IMyIEClient::Config will be call with the parameter of the config dialog's hWnd handle.

2. Exe File:

   The file will be called with a parameter of "-setup". For example, if the filename is "abc.exe", then Maxthon will call "abc.exe -setup ..." .

3. Script File: (Available for Maxthon version 1.1.067 and higher)

   When the user clicks on the 'config' button in the plugin config dialog, Maxthon will try to open the 'config.html' inside your plugin's folder. And a 'max.src' file will be created to let your plugin gets the security_id, in order to call some maxthon functions. You can use following meta settings to specify the dialog's size.
   <meta name="Dialog-Width" content="110">
   <meta name="Dialog-Height" content="120">

With Maxthon, the plugin could establish a new protocol, such as book://, or override an existing protocol, such as ftp:// .When the user inputs the protocol in the address bar or clicks the protocol on webpage, Maxthon will call the plugin.

1. COM Object:

   Currently not supported...

2. Exe File:

   The file will be called with the parameter "-u=url", in which the url is the address that the user wants to visit, such as book://www.mysite.com/abc.pdf, or ftp://www.google.com .

3. Script File:

   Currently not supported...
   

Maxthon supports "Button" type plugins, which will be placed on "Ext Button" toolbar. The plugin is called when the user clicks on the corresponding button. The 'Button' plugin could be implemented using the following methods.

1. COM Object:
   
   When the user clicks on the button, Maxthon will query the Com's IOleCommandTarget interface and IObjectWithSite interface, passing the IWebBrowser2 pointer of the current page to its IObjectWithSite::SetSite function, then call its IOleCommandTarget::Exec function. It's similar to IE's implementation of button. Please refer to the MSDN for more information.

   Sample Plugin.ini:
   
   [General]
   Name=ComButton
   Author=bloodchen
   Version=1.0
   ModuleType=COM
   FileName=ComButton.dll
   CLSID={96E78121-9FF2-466D-B6CD-4038CAC1BB79}
   Comments=Com type 'Button'
   Type=M2Plugin_BUTTON
   HotIcon=hot.ico
   Icon=cold.ico




2. Exe File:
   
   When the user clicks on the button, Maxthon will call the file with the parameters of the current address and the handle of the main Maxthon window. For example, if the file is abc.exe, then Maxthon will call abc.exe -h=23424 -u=http://www.yahoo.com, in which 23424 is the handle of the main Maxthon window and http://www.yahoo.com is the URL of the current page.

   Sample Plugin.ini:
   
   [General]
   Name=ExeButton
   Author=BloodChen
   Version=1.0
   ModuleType=EXE
   FileName=abc.exe
   Comments=Exe type Button
   Type=M2Plugin_BUTTON
   Icon=p.ico
   

3. Script:
   
   When the user clicks on the button, Maxthon will run the script on the current web page.

   Sample Plugin.ini:
   [General]
   Name=LastModified
   Author=bloodchen
   Version=1.0
   ModuleType=SCRIPT
   FileName=LastModified.htm
   Comments=See last modified date of current page
   Type=M2Plugin_BUTTON
   HotIcon=hot.ico
   Icon=cold.ico

Maxthon supports 'SideBar' plugins, this kind of plugin will appear on Maxthon's sidebar, implemented using a html file.

1. HTML:
   
   When the user clicks on the button, Maxthon will load the html file into the side bar , which is assigned in plugin.ini.

   Example Plugin.ini:
   
   [General]
   Name=Calculator++ 1.2
   Author=SiC
   Version=1.2
   ModuleType=SCRIPT
   FileName=calculator.htm
   Comments=Scientific programmable calculator.
   Type=M2Plugin_Sidebar
   HotIcon=cpp.ico
   Icon=cpp.ico

2. COM

   When the user clicks on the button, Maxthon will load the COM control into the sidebar, which is assigned in the plugin.ini.

   Example Plugin.ini:
   
   [General]
   Name=AXSidebar sample
   Author=bloodchen
   Version=1.0
   ModuleType=COM
   Comments=Simple activex side bar control
   Type=M2Plugin_SideBar
   FileName=AXSidebar.dll
   CLSID={108C8E56-90AF-408B-873F-8AE3480BE090}
   HotIcon=ax.ico
   Icon=ax.ico

   The COM plugin can be implemented in two ways:

   1. A COM object similar to IE's browser band implementation. It must implement the IObjectWithSite interface,
      IDeskBand interface and optionally the IInputObject interface. An example is the Net Snippet sidebar plugin.

   2. An activex control. Any valid activex control can be used, providing the correct CLSID. The activex control can optionally implement the IObjectWithSite interface, from which Maxthon will pass the active tab's IWebBrowser2 interface. If the activex control is not registered in user's system and the FileName is not empty, Maxthon will try to register the file and load the control again. An example is the AXSidebar plugin (with source code).

Maxthon has extended the DHTML support by adding several new commands which could be called from the script language. The HTML or script writer can call the functions through the 'window.external' object. The functions can be called from the script in a HTML page or from a script plugin.

Please notice: Some function will require a security_id as first parameter which was not needed in old versions of MyIE2/Maxthon. Plugins that use these command must be changed to use security_id .

How to get the security_id
1. For script plugins, you need a %max_security_id in your script file, such as 'var security_id=%max_security_id', then you can use 'security_id' in your script.
2. For sidebar plugins, a file named "max.src" will be created in your plugin's folder with content "max_security_id=id". You can include this file into your html page to get the id.

1. addFavorite( url , title ) , addFavorite( url )
   
   This function will ask the user to add the 'url' into favorites, using 'title' for the name of the url.
   
   Example 1: external.addFavorite( "http://www.google.com" ); Demo
   Example 2: external.addFavorite( "http://www.google.com","This is google"); Demo
   


2. addProxy (name, address, speed, is_web_proxy)
   
   This function will call Maxthon's add proxy dialog to add the proxy named as 'name' at address 'address', giving the initial speed 'speed'. The is_web_proxy indicates whether the proxy is a web proxy or a normal proxy.
   
   Example: external.addProxy("My proxy","192.168.1.0:8080",1,0); Demo
   


3. addFilter( address ) , addFilter( address, is_pop_filter )
   
   This function will call Maxthon's add filter dialog, setting the address to be filtered as 'address'. 'is_pop_filter' indicates whether the default filter type is 'pop filter'.
   
   Example 1: external.addFilter("http://www.yahoo.com/ad*"); Demo
   Example 2: external.addFilter("http://www.yahoo.com/img/*", 0); Demo
   


4. readFile( security_id, plugin_name, file_name)
   
   This function can only be used in a script plugin, for security reasons. The 'plugin_name' refers to the plugin name defined in plugin.ini and the 'file_name' indicates which file it wants to read. The function will return the file contents. If the plugin is not enabled or the 'plugin_name' is wrong or not found, the function will fail and return null.
   
   Example: var text = external.readFile(%max_security_id,"Test plugin","plugin.ini");
   


5. writeFile( security_id, plugin_name, file_name, content )
   
   This function can only be used in a script plugin, for the security reasons. The 'plugin_name' refers to the plugin name defined in plugin.ini and the 'file_name' indicates the file name which will be written. The 'content' is the content that will be written to the file. If the plugin is not enabled or the 'plugin_name' is wrong or not found, the function will fail and return null.
   Please note: The file will be overwritten from the beginning.
   
   Example: external.writeFile(%max_security_id,"Test plugin","setting.ini","username=abc\npass=qwrxcv");
   


6. tab_count
   
   This command will return the total number of tabs as an integer.
   
   Example: var total_tab = external.tab_count ; Demo
   


7. activate_tab( security_id , index )
   
   This function will activate tab number 'index' in Maxthon.
   
   Example: external.activate_tab(%max_security_id,2)
   


8. get_tab( security_id , index )
   
   This function will return a web page object of tab number 'index'.
   
   Example: external.get_tab(%max_security_id,2)
   


9. cur_sel
   
   This function will return the number of current active tabs as an integer.
   
   Example: var cur_tab = external.cur_sel; Demo
   


10. close_tab( security_id , index )
    
    This function will close tab number 'index' in Maxthon.
    
    Example: external.close_tab(%max_security_id,2)
    


11. m2_readIni( security_id, plugin_name , file_name , section_name , key , default_value)
    
    This function will read the key using the default_value in the ini file specified by file_name in the plugin folder.
    
    Example: path = external.m2_readIni(%max_security_id,"testplugin","settings.ini","general","save","0");
    


12. m2_writeIni( security_id , plugin_name , file_name , section_name , key , value )
    
    This function will write the key with 'value' to the ini file specified by file_name.
    
    Example: external.m2_writeIni(%max_security_id,"testplugin","settings.ini","general","save","true");
    


13. m2_search_text( security_id )
    
    This property will return the text in Maxthon's search bar.
    
    Example: var text = external.m2_search_text(%max_security_id)
    


14. m2_run_cmd( security_id , id )
    
    This function will call a Maxthon command with the specified ID. The id of every command can be found in the language file.
    
    Example: external.m2_run_cmd(%max_security_id,32772); //This will open a blank page.
    


15. m2_plugin_folder( security_id , plugin_name )
    
    This function will return the local path of the plugin.
    
    Example: var folder = external.m2_plugin_folder(%max_security_id,"ViewSource!");
    This will return for example: "C:\Program Files\Maxthon\Plugin\ViewSource!\"
    


16. max_actSideBarItem( plugin_name )
    
    This function will activate the sidebar plugin named as 'plugin_name'.
    
    Example: external.max_actSideBarItem("Calculator++");
    


17. max_modelessDialog( security_id , url , option , attr , window )
    
    This function will open a modelessDialog. It's same as window.ShowModelessDialog function. The last parameter 'window' is the window object of the web page.
    
    Example: external.max_modelessDialog(%max_security_id,'example.htm',window,'status:no;help:no;resizable:yes;scroll:yes;',window)
    


18. m2_callerName( security_id, plugin_name)
    
    This function tells Maxthon the call is made from a Plugin. It's usually used before a 'window.open' call to let maxthon bypass the popup window that the plugin opened.
    
    Example: external.m2_callerName(%max_security_id,"ViewSource!")
    


19. max_showConfig( security_id, plugin_name)
    
    This function will show the plugin's config dialog.
    
    Example: external.max_showConfig(%max_security_id,"ViewSource!")
    


20. max_activex(security_id, prog_id)
    
    This function will create the ActiveX control with the prog_id.
    
    Example: var XML=external.max_activex(%max_security_id,"Microsoft.XMLDOM")
    


21. max_language_id
    
    This property is the user's current selected language.
    You can view all the languages here
    
    Example: var language=external.max_language_id
    

In a sidebar plugin you can implement a script function called max_callback(status).

1. When the plugin is created the URL will be filename?maxcmd=init
   
2. When the plugin is activated, max_callback('sidebar_activate') will be called
   
3. When the plugin is deactivated, max_callback('sidebar_deactivate') will be called
   
4. When the active tab is changed, max_callback('sidebar_tab_change') will be called
   
5. When the plugin is unload, max_callback('sidebar_unload') will be called.