Javascript way to list available plugins for IE

Question

Is there a quick way to get a list in JavaScript of the available Active X plugins?

I need to do a test to see if a plugin has been installed before I actually try to run it.

In effect I want to create a page that says 'Plugin Installed and properly Working' or have it fail gracefully.

I'm not sure how to have it fail gracefully if the plugin is not available.

Answer 1

Just try it.

try {
  var plugin = new ActiveXObject('SomeActiveX');
} catch (e) {
  alert("Error"); // Or some other error code
}

Answer 2

Maybe this script can help

function detectPlugin() {
// allow for multiple checks in a single pass
var daPlugins = detectPlugin.arguments;

// consider pluginFound to be false until proven true
var pluginFound = false;

// if plugins array is there and not fake
if (navigator.plugins && navigator.plugins.length > 0) {
var pluginsArrayLength = navigator.plugins.length;

// for each plugin...
for (pluginsArrayCounter=0; pluginsArrayCounter < pluginsArrayLength; pluginsArrayCounter++ ) {

    // loop through all desired names and check each against the current plugin name
    var numFound = 0;
    for(namesCounter=0; namesCounter < daPlugins.length; namesCounter++) {

 // if desired plugin name is found in either plugin name or description
 if( (navigator.plugins[pluginsArrayCounter].name.indexOf(daPlugins[namesCounter]) >= 0) || 
     (navigator.plugins[pluginsArrayCounter].description.indexOf(daPlugins[namesCounter]) >= 0) ) {
     // this name was found
     numFound++;
 }   
    }
    // now that we have checked all the required names against this one plugin,
    // if the number we found matches the total number provided then we were successful
    if(numFound == daPlugins.length) {
 pluginFound = true;
 // if we've found the plugin, we can stop looking through at the rest of the plugins
 break;
    }
}
}
return pluginFound;} // detectPlugin

Call it using this for exemple

pluginFound = detectPlugin('Shockwave','Flash');

Answer 3

The object tag will display whatever is inside it if the object cannot be instantiated:

<object ...>
 <p>
 So sorry, you need to install the object.  Get it <a href="...">here</a>.
 </p>
</object>

So, graceful failure is built-in and you don't need to use script at all.