cross-browser sidebar component

Question

I want to create a cross-browser sidebar for a website. With the following features

• needs to be able to grab URL of main page - ok if only works for the current site
• hosted on the main website domain
• require no change to the main website pages themselves (but code could in added to a globally loaded .js file)
• work in major browsers (eg firefox has a few ways). and target=_search has been largely deprecated - which worked quite well.
• ideally require no downloads (eg not a firefox extension or BHO)
• ideally not get reloaded on each page load (ie not injecting a iframe in every page - flickers)
• ideally not a frameset - url browser address bar doesnt change.

Can't think of a nice simple way to do this. Any suggestions? (I think I have ruled out the main ways with the requirements - but in case something missed)

(Its to display related information to the current page, as an optional addon, for people who want it)

Thanks for any ideas!

Answer 1

you may consider using one of the cross-browser extensions (google-gears/silverlight/adobe-air/jnext) to render this bar. I mean, instead of implementing a "real" sidebar which varies between browser, you can add your UI to any existing DOM and have one this platforms to add capabilities to your "side-bar"