[Wtr-general] [ANN] RuMBA

Mon May 1 10:13:22 EDT 2006

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(r) 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(r) XP SP2,
Windows(r) Server 2003 SP1 and Windows(r) 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
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/objects/apple
t.asp> , EMBED
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/objects/embed
.asp> , or OBJECT
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/objects/objec
t.asp>  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
<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: wtr-general-bounces at rubyforge.org
[mailto:wtr-general-bounces at rubyforge.org] On Behalf Of Paul Rogers
Sent: Saturday, April 29, 2006 10:10 PM
To: wtr-general at rubyforge.org
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 paul.rogers at shaw.ca - 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

_______________________________________________

Wtr-general mailing list

Wtr-general at rubyforge.org

http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/wtr-general

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://rubyforge.org/pipermail/wtr-general/attachments/20060501/0db7c716/attachment.html 