How Can I Build Browser Plugins Using NPAPI?

Creating Browser Plugins: A Step-by-Step Guide

While browser extensions offer limited functionality, plugins possess the ability to handle specific content types, similar to Flash and Adobe Reader. Crafting such plugins for Chrome, Safari, and Opera isn't complex but requires the understanding of the underlying technology.

NPAPI: The Foundation of Browser Plugins

Plugins for the mentioned browsers leverage NPAPI (Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface). Despite its potential phasing out, NPAPI remains the cornerstone of plugin development.

Resources for NPAPI Plugins

• MDC plugin section: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla_plugin_API
• Three-part NPAPI tutorial:
  https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla_plugin_API
• Memory management in NPAPI: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla_plugin_API#/reference/NP_Plugin/memNpapiMalloc
• npsimple: https://github.com/npsimple/npsimple
• npapi-sdk: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla_plugin_API/NPAPI_Source
• Mozilla test plugin: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla_plugin_API/TestPlugIn

Simplifying Plugin Development

Although NPAPI offers low-level capabilities, frameworks and tools can streamline the process:

• FireBreath: https://www.firebreath.org/
• Nixysa: https://github.com/nixysa/nixysa
• JUCE: https://juce.com/
• QtBrowserPlugin: https://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qtwebengine-plugins.html

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