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Quick Start

How do you create an extension with Appxweb Meta?

To create an extension with Appxweb Meta you simply describe it using script code and markup. When it comes time to create your extension the Meta runtime, which integrates with Internet Explorer, retrieves this description from your web site and dynamically creates the extension for the end user.

Show Me

Let's see this in action. We will create a simple RSS subscriber extension for Google Reader called GRS. The extension is shown below.

Here is the package link to Run the GRS extension.

As an example of its use, Run the extension and go to http://www.apple.com/rss/. Click on one of the feeds that interests you. To subscribe to the feed simple click the Google Reader image.

Make It

To start with open your text editor such as Notepad. Copy the declaration below and paste it into the editor. Save the file as "grs.xml". Note the file extension is ".xml".

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<aml:meta xmlns:aml="http://www.appxweb.com/aml1/core">
	<aml:package>
		<aml:information>
			<aml:name>GRS</aml:name>
			<aml:version>Beta 1.0</aml:version>
			<aml:publisher>Appxweb</aml:publisher>
			<aml:web>http://www.yourwebsite.com/quickstart/grs/</aml:web>
			<aml:id>http://www.yourwebsite.com/quickstart/grs</aml:id>
		</aml:information>
		<aml:registry>
			<aml:root>http://www.yourwebsite.com/quickstart/grs/</aml:root>
			<aml:extension_file>grs.xml</aml:extension_file>
		</aml:registry>
	</aml:package>
	<aml:extension>
		<aml:view>
			<aml:window view_id="vid_wnd_web">
				<aml:html_file>*.*</aml:html_file>
				<aml:data_transfer>push</aml:data_transfer>
				<aml:toolbar_id>vid_toolbar_grs</aml:toolbar_id>
			</aml:window>
			<aml:toolbar view_id="vid_toolbar_grs">
				<aml:control>
					<aml:image>
						<aml:width>104</aml:width>
						<aml:tooltip>Add to Google Reader</aml:tooltip>
						<aml:function_id>fid_google_subscribe</aml:function_id>
						<aml:image_file>google_subscribe.gif</aml:image_file>
					</aml:image>
				</aml:control>
			</aml:toolbar>
		</aml:view>
		<aml:function>
			<aml:script function_id="fid_google_subscribe">
				<aml:function_name>google_subscribe</aml:function_name>
				<aml:code>
					<![CDATA[ 
			function google_subscribe()
			{
        google_subscribe_str = "http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl=" + AM_data._did_url;
				AM_browser.navigate(google_subscribe_str);				
			}				
			]]>
				</aml:code>
			</aml:script>
		</aml:function>
	</aml:extension>
</aml:meta>

Next create a directory on your website where you will upload the grs.xml file to. Change Line 9 of the declaration to reflect this location. e.g "http://www.yourwebsite.com/quickstart/grs/". Important note that this needs to end in a forward slash "/". Alternatively if you don't have a website create a directory on your computer. The path needs to be specified in URI format. To convert a windows directory path into URI format 1) precede the path with file:/// 2) change all back slashes to forward slashes and 3) replace spaces with %20. e.g "file:///C:/quickstart/grs/"

Nearly finished. Save the changes to "gre.xml" file and upload/copy it to the website/computer directory you created. Also copy the image google_subscribe.gif, used by the toolbar control to this directory.

Now finally create a html link to the grs.xml file, which is referred to as a package link. For example here the package link from before without the image.http://www.appxweb.com/developer/quick_start/grs/grs.xml. That's it you are done, run the extension.