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From: David Mark on 30 May 2010 17:19
On May 30, 4:05 pm, Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedE...(a)web.de>
wrote:
> David Mark wrote:
> > Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:
> >> David Mark wrote:
> >> > Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:
> >> >> David Mark wrote:
> >> >> > Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn wrote:
> >> >> >> However, plugin detection appears to be rather easy to do in the
> >> >> >> targeted environments using navigator.plugins.
> >> >> > Yes, but what would you do differently if the plug-in was detected
> >> >> > (or not).
> >> >> There are several possibilities.
> >> > I realize that, but where PDF's are concerned (as opposed to Flash), I
> >> > can't think of a single good one.
> >> For a simple example, you could use DOM scripting to remove the link to
> >> the Adobe Reader download then.
>
> > The downside is that detecting the PDF plug-ins (and their versions),
> > even in non-IE browsers appears to be non-trivial (if not impossible),
>
> ACK, see below.
>
> > so you may remove a useful link.  The upside would seem to be nil
> > (what harm can a link do?)
>
> It was an *example*.

Yes, I was looking for a more pressing need to delve into this
problem.

>
> >> Then the Reader plugin is scriptable, of course.
>
> > As is Flash.  Of course, it's a complete nightmare.  I wonder if
> > Acrobat plug-ins are any different.
>
> Judging from their bogus introduction ("JavaScript 1.5, ... formerly known
> as ECMAScript") I am inclined to say No, but that a thing can be labeled a
> nightmare has not yet prevented anyone from using it when that was required.

No kidding. In just the last month I've had to deal with text ranges,
HTML5 audio, as well as Flash; all at the behest of clients. I'm
often called upon to make it all better (and I virtually always do
just that). ;)

>
> >> And the Acrobat/Adobe Reader API supports scripting of PDF
> >> documents with an ECMAScript implementation (called "JavaScript for
> >> Acrobat")¹, so you could serve an enhanced document that makes use of
> >> that.
>
> > And what would you look at in the navigator object to determine
> > whether such an enhanced document is feasible?
>
> Perhaps navigator.plugins[n][m].type.  You are right that this particular
> plugin is apparently, unfortunately, silent about its version, so even
> navigator.plugins[n].version is not useful here.
>
> I had overlooked the version part in the original question and responded
> only to whether it was possible to detect the plugin.  However, once you
> have detected the plugin, you could use feature-testing and maybe you can
> access the object in the document to retrieve the plugin version.

Perhaps.

>
> > Assuming there is answer to that, how about IE? [...]
>
> IE/MSHTML is not among the target environments in this thread.

Fair enough. I forgot that was the case.

> Stop trying
> to raise the bar, please, you are preaching to the choir.

Yes. I know you know. But without further explanation, the casual
reader may have been left wondering whether this was something they
should attempt or avoid.
From: Beline on 31 May 2010 15:35

"David Mark" <dmark.cinsoft(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7b865c20-450c-44c5-8b6f-1bbda203a9ca(a)t14g2000prm.googlegroups.com...
On May 30, 11:58 am, "Beline" <Bel...(a)somenewsgroup.com> wrote:
> "David Mark" <dmark.cins...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:ae447836-a21b-4d4f-a2fe-91f4ab51ce6a(a)c22g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...
> On May 28, 5:56 am, Joe Nine <j...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > Beline wrote:
> > > how to programmatically determine Adobe Acrobat PDF plug-in version
> > > installed in Firefox and Opera?
> > > Is it possible with Javascript?
>
> > > Thanks.
>
> > Surely the FAQ at adobe.com would explain that.
>
> I wouldn't count on it (at least not to explain it well). For
> example, their Flash version detection is all tangled up in UA-based
> browser sniffing.
> ----------
>
> already find solution
here:http://www.pinlady.net/PluginDetect/AdobeReaderDetect.htm
>

That's not a solution. It's a pile of dated delusions.

function(){var $=this,nav=navigator,userAgent=
$.isString(nav.userAgent)?nav.userAgent:"",vendor=
$.isString(nav.vendor)?nav.vendor:"",platform=$.isString(nav.platform)?
nav.platform:"";$.OS=(/win/i).test(platform)?1:((/mac/
i).test(platform)?2:((/linux/i).test(platform)?3:4));$.convertFuncs($);
$.isIE=/*@cc_on!@*/false;$.IEver=$.isIE&&((/MSIE\s*(\d\.?\d*)/
i).exec(userAgent))?parseFloat(RegExp.
$1,10):-1;$.ActiveXEnabled=false;if($.isIE){ ...

"Note to users: I need some information from Macintosh users to
improve Adobe Reader detection. If you have a Macintosh with Adobe
Reader 8 installed, then with your Safari (and/or Firefox) browser, go
to this page. Select all the text on that page, copy, and paste into a
text file. Then email that text file to Eric Gerds . That would be a
big help to me. Please also mention the exact version of Adobe Reader
you have installed when you email me. BTW, I already have info on Mac/
Adobe Reader 7 & 9."

Another "test swarm". :)

From glancing at the rest of the article, the problem they are
attempting to solve (one observed browser at a time) may well be
impossible. In such a case, the only course of action is avoidance
(not continuing down the endless road they are on).

And if you think about it, you really can't know what sort of Acrobat
reader the end-user might have installed. Link to the PDF with a
disclaimer that links to Adobe's download page. Problem solved
(forever).
--------

Have you better ideas than these
http://www.pinlady.net/PluginDetect/AdobeReaderDetect.htm ?
It would be enough if script can detect version in 98-99%..

From: David Mark on 31 May 2010 16:02
On May 31, 3:35 pm, "Beline" <Bel...(a)somenewsgroup.com> wrote:
> "David Mark" <dmark.cins...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:7b865c20-450c-44c5-8b6f-1bbda203a9ca(a)t14g2000prm.googlegroups.com...
> On May 30, 11:58 am, "Beline" <Bel...(a)somenewsgroup.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > "David Mark" <dmark.cins...(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> >news:ae447836-a21b-4d4f-a2fe-91f4ab51ce6a(a)c22g2000vbb.googlegroups.com....
> > On May 28, 5:56 am, Joe Nine <j...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > Beline wrote:
> > > > how to programmatically determine Adobe Acrobat PDF plug-in version
> > > > installed in Firefox and Opera?
> > > > Is it possible with Javascript?
>
> > > > Thanks.
>
> > > Surely the FAQ at adobe.com would explain that.
>
> > I wouldn't count on it (at least not to explain it well). For
> > example, their Flash version detection is all tangled up in UA-based
> > browser sniffing.
> > ----------
>
> > already find solution
>
> here:http://www.pinlady.net/PluginDetect/AdobeReaderDetect.htm
>
>
>
> That's not a solution.  It's a pile of dated delusions.
>
> function(){var $=this,nav=navigator,userAgent=
> $.isString(nav.userAgent)?nav.userAgent:"",vendor=
> $.isString(nav.vendor)?nav.vendor:"",platform=$.isString(nav.platform)?
> nav.platform:"";$.OS=(/win/i).test(platform)?1:((/mac/
> i).test(platform)?2:((/linux/i).test(platform)?3:4));$.convertFuncs($);
> $.isIE=/*@cc_on!@*/false;$.IEver=$.isIE&&((/MSIE\s*(\d\.?\d*)/
> i).exec(userAgent))?parseFloat(RegExp.
> $1,10):-1;$.ActiveXEnabled=false;if($.isIE){ ...
>
> "Note to users: I need some information from Macintosh users to
> improve Adobe Reader detection. If you have a Macintosh with Adobe
> Reader 8 installed, then with your Safari (and/or Firefox) browser, go
> to this page. Select all the text on that page, copy, and paste into a
> text file. Then email that text file to Eric Gerds . That would be a
> big help to me. Please also mention the exact version of Adobe Reader
> you have installed when you email me. BTW, I already have info on Mac/
> Adobe Reader 7 & 9."
>
> Another "test swarm".  :)
>
> From glancing at the rest of the article, the problem they are
> attempting to solve (one observed browser at a time) may well be
> impossible.  In such a case, the only course of action is avoidance
> (not continuing down the endless road they are on).
>
> And if you think about it, you really can't know what sort of Acrobat
> reader the end-user might have installed.  Link to the PDF with a
> disclaimer that links to Adobe's download page.  Problem solved
> (forever).
> --------
>
> Have you better ideas than thesehttp://www.pinlady.net/PluginDetect/AdobeReaderDetect.htm?

Yes. See above.

> It would be enough if script can detect version in 98-99%..

Well, as one noted industry "luminary" declared in a book, 1% of the
market is "infinitesimally small". Call it nothing. And two times
nothing is nothing, so you the chances of failure are virtually nil.
Of course, that's assuming you could measure such things, neither
browsers nor their plug-ins will ever change and that the
aforementioned book is a reliable source.

So you might want to reconsider your position. ;)
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