
This section describes the elements and associated attributes used to create Channel Definition Format (CDF) and Open Software Description (OSD) files for Software Distribution Channels. This new technology allows users to automatically have new versions of software downloaded and installed from the Web. More information on CDF files is available in the CDF Reference for Active Channels.
The reference for each Software Distribution Channel element defined below includes an "Applies To" section indicating which type of file (OSD or CDF) uses the element.
| CLASS | CODE | CODEBASE | DELETEONINSTALL |
| DEPENDENCY | ICON | IMPLEMENTATION | ISBEAN |
| JAVA | LANGUAGE | NAMESPACE | NATIVECODE |
| NEEDSTRUSTEDSOURCE | OS | OSVERSION | PACKAGE |
| PROCESSOR | SOFTPKG | SYSTEM | TYPELIB |
<CLASS
CLASSID="{id}"
NAME="classname"
>
Specifies a class within a Java package.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| PACKAGE | ICON |
| ISBEAN | |
| TYPELIB |
Example:
<CLASS NAME="Browserbean" CLASSID="{01234567-89AB-CDEF-0123-456789ABCDEF}">
<ISBEAN />
<ICON FILENAME="Browser.ico" />
<TYPELIB CLASSID="{01234567-89AB-CDEF-0123-456789ABCDEF}" />
</CLASS>
The end tag </CLASS> is required.
Applies To
OSD
<CODE
CLASSID="{id}"
NAME="classname"
VERSION="a,b,c,d"
>
Describes a specific instance of platform native code.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| NATIVECODE | IMPLEMENTATION |
Example:
<CODE NAME="mycontrol.ocx"
CLASSID="{01234567-89AB-CDEF-0123-456789ABCDEF}"
VERSION="1,1,1,0">
.
.
.
</CODE>
The end tag </CODE> is required.
Applies To
OSD
<CODEBASE
FILENAME="file"
HREF="url"
SIZE="n"
STYLE="ActiveSetup" | "MSICD"
/>
Specifies the location of the file or distribution unit to be installed.
| "ActiveSetup" | Uses the ActiveX "Active Setup" engine. |
| "MSICD" | Uses the Microsoft Internet Component Download (MSICD) to download distribution units and look at the Open Software Description (.osd) file for processing instructions. To use Internet Explorer 3.0 processing procedures, the distribution unit can contain an *.inf file. |
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| IMPLEMENTATION | None |
When contained within a DEPENDENCY block, only the HREF attribute is used. If no CODEBASE is specified, Internet Explorer checks the object store for the distribution unit. When used as a child element of a NATIVECODE or JAVA block and no CODEBASE is specified, Internet Explorer checks the current distribution unit for the files to be installed.
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<DELETEONINSTALL />
Indicates that the software subscription should unregister itself once the software it describes has been successfully downloaded and installed, either through AUTOINSTALL or manually by the user. Therefore, DELETEONINSTALL subscriptions are not permanent.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| SOFTPKG | None |
Applies To
CDF
<DEPENDENCY
ACTION="Assert" | "Install"
>
Specifies an additional distribution unit that needs to be present in order for the software distribution (SOFTPKG) to function correctly.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| SOFTPKG | SOFTPKG |
The end tag </DEPENDENCY> is required.
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<ICON
FILENAME="file"
/>
Specifies an icon to be associated with a particular JavaBean.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| CLASS | None |
Example:
<ICON FILENAME="Browser.ico"/>
Applies To
OSD
<IMPLEMENTATION>
Specifies the configuration required by the current software distribution. If the configuration parameters are not met, the SOFTPKG element is not processed.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| CODE | CODEBASE |
| PACKAGE | LANGUAGE |
| SOFTPKG | OS |
| PROCESSOR |
The end tag </IMPLEMENTATION> is required.
Example:
<SOFTPKG
HREF="http://www.bar.edu/launch-page.htm"
NAME="The Second Sample"
AUTOINSTALL="Yes"
VERSION="2,1,0,0"
STYLE="MSICD">
<TITLE>A second sample software distribution</TITLE>
<ABSTRACT>This software distribution will be auto-installed on your computer by default. The user can override the default settings in the subscription wizard. Needs "The First Sample" already installed to work.
</ABSTRACT>
<LOGO HREF="ielogo.gif" STYLE="image" / >
<LANGUAGE VALUE = "en;de" / >
<USAGE VALUE="email"></USAGE>
<IMPLEMENTATION>
<OS VALUE="winnt" />
<CODEBASE VALUE="http://www.bar.edu/bar/bar-nt.cab" / >
</IMPLEMENTATION>
<IMPLEMENTATION>
<OS VALUE="win95" />
<CODEBASE VALUE="http://www.bar.edu/bar/bar-95.cab" / >
</IMPLEMENTATION>
<DEPENDENCY>
<SOFTPKG NAME="The First Sample" VERSION="2,1,0,0" / >
</DEPENDENCY>
</SOFTPKG>
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<ISBEAN/>
Indicates that a particular class is a JavaBean rather than a regular Java class.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| CLASS | None |
Example:
<ISBEAN />
Applies To
OSD
<JAVA>
Specifies either a Java PACKAGE or application.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| SOFTPKG | PACKAGE |
The end tag </JAVA> is required.
Applies To
OSD
<LANGUAGE
VALUE="language"
/>
Specifies a semicolon-delimited list of RFC 1766 language codes used for international distribution.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| IMPLEMENTATION | None |
| DEPENDENCY | |
| SOFTPKG |
Example:
<LANGUAGE VALUE="en"/>
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<NAMESPACE>
Defines a private namespace for standalone Java applications.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| JAVA | None |
Example:
<NAMESPACE>string</NAMESPACE>
The end tag </NAMESPACE> is required.
Applies To
OSD
<NATIVECODE>
Specifies one or more platform native code distributions.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| SOFTPKG | CODE |
The end tag </NATIVECODE> is required.
Applies To
OSD
<NEEDSTRUSTEDSOURCE/ >
Indicates that the immediate caller of classes in this package needs to be fully trusted.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| PACKAGE | None |
Applies To
OSD
<OS
VALUE="Mac" | "Win95" | "Winnt"
/>
Specifies the operating system the software supports.
| "Mac" | Macintosh® (MacOS) |
| "Win95" | Microsoft® Windows® 95 |
| "Winnt" | Microsoft® Windows NT® |
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number (per parent element)
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| IMPLEMENTATION | OSVERSION |
Example:
<OS VALUE="Win95"/>
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<OSVERSION
VALUE="a,b,c,d"
/>
Specifies the version of the operating system the software supports. This element assumes that the software can run on all versions of the OS greater than or equal to the one specified.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number (per parent element)
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| OS | None |
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<PACKAGE
NAME="name"
VERSION="a,b,c,d"
>
Specifies a Java package or Java application.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| JAVA | IMPLEMENTATION |
| CLASS |
The end tag </PACKAGE> is required.
Applies To
OSD
<PROCESSOR
VALUE="Alpha" | "MIPS" | "PPC" | "x86"
/>
Specifies the type of processor the software will run on.
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number (per parent element)
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| IMPLEMENTATION | None |
Example:
<PROCESSOR VALUE="x86"/>
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<SOFTPKG
AUTOINSTALL="No" | "Yes"
HREF="url"
NAME="string"
PRECACHE="No" | "Yes"
STYLE="ActiveSetup" | "MSICD"
VERSION="a,b,c,d"
>
Defines a software distribution.
| "ActiveSetup" | Use the ActiveX "Active Setup" engine. |
| "MSICD" | Use the Microsoft Internet Component Download (MSICD) to download distribution units and look at the Open Software Description (.osd) file for processing instructions. |
Number of allowed occurrences: Any number (One or none per CDF or OSD file is recommended)
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| CHANNEL | ABSTRACT |
| IMPLEMENTATION | |
| LANGUAGE | |
| LOGO | |
| TITLE | |
| USAGE |
The end tag </SOFTPKG> is required.
Example:
<SOFTPKG
HREF="http://www.foo.edu/launch-page.htm"
NAME="The First Sample"
PRECACHE="Yes"
VERSION="2,1,0,0"
STYLE="MSICD">
<TITLE>This is a sample software distribution</TITLE>
<ABSTRACT>Put a useful description here. The user will benefit from it.</ABSTRACT>
<LOGO HREF="ielogo.ico" STYLE="icon" / >
<LANGUAGE VALUE="en;de"/ >
<USAGE VALUE="email"></USAGE>
<IMPLEMENTATION>
<CODEBASE VALUE="http://www.microsoft.com/foo/foo.cab" / >
</IMPLEMENTATION>
</SOFTPKG>
Note For more information about software distribution and the Open Software Description format, see Creating Software Channels for Internet Explorer 4.0.
Applies To
CDF, OSD
<SYSTEM />
When used as a child element of PACKAGE, this element indicates that the package contains system classes. System classes are fully trusted and have a single global instance per Java VM. Nonsystem classes have applet-level sandboxed security but may request other permissions if the distribution unit is signed.
When used as a child element of CODE, the SYSTEM element indicates that all files described by the CODE section should be installed in the designated system directory.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| CODE | None |
| PACKAGE |
Applies To
OSD
<TYPELIB
CLASSID="{id}"
/>
Specifies the type library file (*.tlb) for a particular JavaBean.
Number of allowed occurrences: None or one
| Parent elements | Child elements |
| CLASS | None |
Example:
<TYPELIB CLASSID="{01234567-89AB-CDEF-0123-456789ABCDEF}" />
Applies To
OSD
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