About the Pop-up Blocker

The Pop-up Blocker feature in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 for Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) protects users from malicious activity that is often hidden behind or initiated by pop-up windows. Designed to give users more control over their Web browsing experience, this feature is on by default, and blocks script-initiated pop-up and pop-under windows that launch automatically from a Web site. By understanding how the Pop-up Blocker works, you can ensure that important information on your Web site gets noticed, and you can provide your users with a better Web-browsing experience.

This document assumes that you are familiar with Dynamic HTML (DHTML) and scripting.

This topic contains the following sections.

• Why Do We Need a Pop-up Blocker?
• What Does the Pop-up Blocker Block?
• What Doesn't Get Blocked by the Pop-up Blocker?
• How Can You Ensure That Your Web Site Works With the Pop-up Blocker?
• What Else Do You Need to Know About the Pop-up Blocker?
• Related Topics

Why Do We Need a Pop-up Blocker?

There are many ways in which pop-up windows have been used either to annoy users or to hide malicious activity. Some of the most annoying pop-up window actions include windows that continually reopen when the user closes them, pop-ups that blanket the desktop with banner ads and cover the entire usable space, or pop-ups that keep reappearing, spawned from an offscreen or hidden window. Probably one of the most annoying actions is the pop-up window that appears suddenly and blocks the user's screen, with no visible way to close the window.

Malicious scripts carry out disruptive activities, such as creating pop-up windows that attempt to imitate a user's desktop and then remain in focus, creating pop-up windows that cannot be closed, or creating pop-ups that appear offscreen where they go unnoticed. These activities often hide malicious activity running behind the pop-up window.

What Does the Pop-up Blocker Block?

The Pop-up Blocker blocks script-initiated pop-up windows that are created by the following methods, without the user clicking a link. If users enable the most restrictive setting in the Pop-up Blocker Settings, the Pop-up Blocker blocks windows that are opened by these methods from a user-initiated action, such as clicking a page element or tabbing to a link and then pressing ENTER.

• window.open
• window.showHelp
• window.showModalDialog
• window.showModelessDialog
• window.external.NavigateAndFind

In addition to blocking script-initiated pop-up windows, the Pop-up Blocker also blocks

• setHomePage() from launching automatically. This function can be launched only from a user-initiated action, such as clicking a page element or tabbing to a link and then pressing ENTER.
• Scripts from automatically targeting the search pane.
• Windows that are opened automatically from DHTML elements that overlap content on the same page.
• Scripts from calling window.open on an onunload event in an attempt to get the user to stay on a site, or to serve the user one more ad.
• Scripts from targeting and then navigating to a named frame that doesn't exist.

When the Pop-up Blocker prevents pop-up windows from appearing, the action triggers the Information Bar. Users can decide if they want to see the blocked window by clicking on the Information Bar.

For More information..
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/methods/open_0.asp

Suresh Behera

Office Development Resource

Good document resource for Mcirosoft Office development

http://www.only4gurus.com/v3/ShowCat.asp?Cat=Office%20Development&PP=14

Microsoft Office and OLE Automation Documentation Links

Automation, program-to-program control, is our favorite programming technique.  Below are a number of useful links to information regarding this technology.  Almost all links are to articles on msdn.microsoft.com.  While edited here to remove some lesser used sections and to add the General Info section, the vast majority of this material can be found, in its original form, at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/techart/vsofficedev.asp.

Suresh Behera

Server-Side Automation of Office

It was bit difficult to create a server side office automation and now it is easy in VSTO 2.0.Here is nice article from MSDN.

Overview of Server Capabilities in Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office

Introduction
Architectural Considerations when Using Server Data Capabilities
Deployment and Security Considerations
Sample Solution Development Steps
Code Security
Conclusion
Additional Resources
About the Author

Cheers..

Suresh Behera

Excel .Net Technical Articles

Recently Published

• Part 1: Basics of Office Interoperability

  Explore managed interop assemblies for Office XP and Office 2003, and set up some basic interop projects with Excel, Office 97, Office 2000, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint.   

• Part 2: Basics of Office Interoperability

  Learn about Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Office interop wizards, interface/class ambiguity, and how to release COM objects.   

• Part 3: Basics of Office Interoperability

  Read a comparison of Visual Basic .NET and C#, and learn about debugging interop solutions.   

Excel 2003

• Access Web Services in Excel Using Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System

  Geoff Hill demonstrates how to integrate a stock information Web service into an Excel 2003 worksheet using Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System.   

• Add XML Functionality in Excel 2003 from Visual Basic .NET

  Discover how to generate XML from a dataset, format the XML using a Stylesheet, and then use code to open the transformed XML.   

• Build a Professional Stock Allocation System Using Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2003

  Learn how to work more efficiently by merging the rich user experience provided by Office 2003 with the enterprise-level development tools provided by Visual Studio 2003 and the .NET Framework 1.1.   

• Call Visual Basic for Applications Code from Visual Basic .NET

  Learn how to run VBA procedures in key Microsoft Office programs directly from Visual Basic .NET.   

• Convert VBA Code to Visual Basic .NET

  Read this article for a review of the major code conversion issues and the benefits of migrating your VBA code to Visual Basic .NET and Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office.   

• Create an End-to-End XML Solution with Word 2003 and Excel 2003

  Frank Rice and Paul Cornell walk you through a simple end-to-end solution that demonstrates how XML has made it simple to move data from one Microsoft Office application to another.   

• Create an Estimate Solution Using Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005

  Learn how a basic order entry system can use Excel 2003 for data entry, calculation, and charting capabilities and Word 2003 for the generation of a report. The download contains both a Visual Basic .NET and C# project.   

• Create Charts in Excel 2003 Using Visual Basic for Applications Code

  Frank Rice details methods of creating charts though the macro recorder, using Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications, and by using automation.   

• Create Excel Solutions for Users in More than One Country or Region

  Learn which issues you should consider when using Visual Studio Tools for Office to create Excel 2003 solutions for end users in more than one country or region.   

• Create Smart Tags And Event-Code For AutoFilter Results

  Learn how to use smart tags in an innovative way by making them respond to user filtering or sorting in worksheet.   

• Create XML Mappings in Excel 2003

  Walk through common XML tasks in Excel 2003 to learn more about the new XML functionality in Office 2003 Editions. Learn how to add custom schemas, work with XML maps in Excel, and create a series of mappings based on various schemas.   

• Different Ways of Using Web Queries in Excel 2003

  Frank Rice shows various ways to use Web queries to retrieve data from a Web page, including using static and dynamic queries as well as the Add and Find methods.   

• Different Ways to Take Advantage of the E-mail Features of Excel

  Excel MVP Ron de Bruin provides a number of samples and a handy add-in that enhances your experience when working with e-mail from Excel.   

• Dynamic Managed Controls and Views in an Excel Solution

  Use the .NET Framework in Visual Studio 2005 Beta 1 to utilize managed controls that present and navigate data in ways that Excel does not support out-of-the-box. (   

• Edit XML Data with Word 2003 and Excel 2003

  Mary Chipman shows how users can create and edit documents containing information marked by XML tags in a completely intuitive fashion without needing to learn or understand XML.   

• Generate Excel Workbooks with Visual Basic and ASP

  Learn different ways to use XML files and XML style sheets to create formatted Excel workbooks, such as using either ASP or Visual Basic to create Excel workbooks.   

• Handy Tips for Working with Excel 2003

  Make your applications more robust and provide more options for your users when you use and modify these tips from the Excel newsgroups. (   

• How Excel 2003 Infers XSDs when Importing XML Data

  Review the rules and instances where Excel 2003 infers schema from XML data during import and export. Understand why Excel creates the schemas it does and then learn to modify your own XML data.   

• Import XML Maps, XML Lists, and Dynamic Chart Sources in Excel 2003

  See how Microsoft Office Excel 2003 makes use of XML maps, XML lists, and new routines for importing XML to create a solution that enables a spreadsheet and chart to adapt to a user's data selection criteria.   

• Integrate Word, Excel, and InfoPath with SQL Server 2000

  Discover how new capabilities in Excel 2003, Word 2003, and InfoPath 2003 provide a variety of ways to connect to and interact with SQL Server data.   

• Overview of Server Capabilities in Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005

  Learn about the powerful new server capabilities of Visual Studio Tools for Office, Version 2005 as you create a solution that uses Word 2003 and Excel 2003 on the server. (   

• Part 1: Automating the XML Data Mapping Process in Excel 2003

  Learn how to use XML maps to customize Excel as a data input and display system.   

• Part 2: Mapping XML from SQL Server to a Single Cell in Excel 2003

  In the second of this three-part series, learn how to map well-formed XML from a standard SQL Server query to a single cell in a worksheet. The resulting output is an XML tree with non-repeating elements.   

• Part 3: Replicating Excel 2003 Formulas to SQL Server

  In the third of a three-part series, learn how to use XML maps to automate a process for storing Excel 2003 formulas in a SQL Server database.   

• Super-Easy Guide to the Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Object Model

  Frank Rice shows how easy it is to use the Excel object model to customize the way you work with Excel. Lessons include creating subroutines, the basics of objects, methods, and properties, and using dialog boxes.   

• Transfer XML Data to Excel 2003 with Visual Basic .NET

  Learn different ways to transfer data from an Access database to Excel 2003. These include using the user-interface, programmatically creating an XML file, transforming the data and reading it into Excel, and automating Excel and programmatically reading the data file.   

• Understanding the Excel Object Model from a .NET Developer's Perspective

  Ken Getz discusses some of the objects provided by Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and explains how you can use them to create managed code solutions with Microsoft "Visual Studio Tools for Office."   

• Unlocking Information in Microsoft Office 2003 Using XML

  Explore a sample Web application built using ASP.NET that demonstrates how Microsoft Office documents can be processed and used external to the application that created them. (   

• Use Smart Tags to Enable Data Drill-Down in Excel

  You can use smart tags to reestablish the connection between data stored in spreadsheets with other data in your enterprise. Here's how.   

• Use the Excel 2003 Object Model to Add XML Data Integration

  Peter Vogel demonstrates using the Excel object model to take advantage of the XML support in Excel including namespaces, XML Lists, XML Maps, data binding and more.   

• Using Schemas with Word 2003 and Excel 2003

  Mary Chipman provides an easy to follow introduction for working with the new XML functionality in the Microsoft Office System by walking through common XML tasks in Word 2003 and Excel 2003.   

• Using the Excel 2003 XML Tools Add-in

  James Rivera and Frank Rice show how this new add-in makes working with XML maps, cells, and ranges much easier for developers.   

• VBA Samples for Working with Excel 2003 Worksheets

  Discover macros that you can use to add additional functionality to your Excel worksheets. With a little practice, you can extend these procedures to fit your own applications.   

• Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Hands-on Labs for Excel 2003

  Use these hands-on labs to gain experience in building an asset allocation application and a debt consolidation application using Visual Studio 2005 Tools for Office Beta 2 and Excel 2003.   

• XML and Microsoft Office Excel 2003: Creating an Expense Report Template

  Frank Rice explains how to reuse legacy forms and documents by taking advantage of some of the new features of Excel. This document discusses repeating and non-repeating XML data, creating Data Maps, and exporting data as XML.   

Office Shared Services

• Add a Bilingual Translation Dictionary Service to Microsoft Office System

  Translate words and phrases in any of several different language pairs using the content of bilingual dictionaries and the Research task pane.   

• Consuming ADO.NET DataSets in the Microsoft Office System

  Create a vital link between Office solutions and ADO.NET using COM interoperability and some of the new XML features of applications in the Microsoft Office System.   

• Customizing Office 2003 Research Services Q&A

  Read answers to common issues facing developers when customizing the Office 2003 Research Services including tips about formatting data, scaling images, and encoding data.   

• Enhance Office 2003 Research Services with Graphics and Fancy Fonts

  Angela Wong demonstrates how to jazz up a Microsoft Office 2003 research service by displaying results using graphics and special fonts.   

• Get into XML with the Microsoft Office System

  With great wit and enthusiasm, Bill Coan provides a beginner’s walk through of XML and reviews the benefits of XML across all XML-enabled Microsoft Office 2003 programs.   

• Microsoft Office System and XML: Bringing XML to the Desktop

  Discover how the Microsoft Office System brings XML to the desktop through support for custom schemas in Word 2003 and Excel 2003, to FrontPage 2003 as an authoring environment for XML-based sites, and XML as the native file format for InfoPath 2003.   

• Migrate Your VBA Solutions to Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System

  Are the demands placed on your solutions exceeding the abilities of VBA? Chris Kunicki explores the process of migrating an existing solution to managed code in Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System.   

• Regular Expression Support in Microsoft Office System Smart Tags

  Find out how to use regular expressions to analyze strings within Microsoft Office smart tag list files to identify meaningful sections and words in Office documents.   

• Tips on Working with Files and Folders in Office 2003 Editions

  Frank Rice provides tips on how to use the Office object model to enhance your custom solutions.

Suresh Behera

Super-Easy Guide to the Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Object Model

Contents

Introduction
Why Should I Learn How to Use the Excel Object Model?
Using This Guide
What You Need to Know Before You Get Started
What You'll Know When You Finish the Lessons
Setting Up
Lesson 1: Getting Started
Lesson 2:Programming Concepts: Sub. . . End Sub and Procedures
Lesson 3: Programming Concepts: Objects, Methods, and Properties
Lesson 4: Real-World Example #1
Lesson 5: Creating Your Own Dialog Boxes
Lesson 6: Programming Concept: Collections
Lesson 7: Programming Concept: If This, Then That
Lesson 8: Real World Example #2
Where to Go from Here
Appendix A: Hands-on Challenge Answers

Suresh Behera

How to force User to Enable POPUP

I was writing some popup enable script which looks as follows.

Create three HTML page such as login.html, dummy.html and Youhavetoenable.html

1.  Write following JavaScript code in login.html page

<script type="text/javascript">
 function showMessage ( sURL )
 {
  var w = "top=20,left=30,width=840,height=800,status=yes,scrollbars=yes,resizable=1";
  void window.open ( sURL,"_top",w )
 }
 result = window.open("dummy.html", "popped", "width=10, height=10, location=no, menubar=no, status=no, toolbar=no, scrollbars=no, resizable=no");
 if (result != null)
 {
  // Not blocking
 }
 else
 {
  //blocking
  showMessage ( 'Youhavetoenable.html' );
 }

</script>

2. Create dummy.html .This is page do nothing other than just to test the window.open.You can write following code on it.

<html>
<head>
<title>Suresh Behera</title>
</head>
<body>
<script language=javascript>
 window.close();
</script>
</body>
</html>

3.Create Youhavetoenable.html  page.This page give message to enable the popup

The above tips tested on IE and it works fine for me.If you have any other idea please let me know.Yes,this will not work if scripting is disabled.

For more about popup.Please have a look on following URL

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx
http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/topic.py?topic=116&hl=en

Cheers.

Suresh Behera

Update Database on browser close

I was trying to figure to solve the above problem. I tried following way but did not suite perfectly to my requirement and at last I stick to AJAX which is really fun and interesting to implement it.

1. Tried JavaScript onUnload/Onbeforeunload event
                    Problem 
                         - It does not work properly
                         - Do not have control of current browser
                         - Does note work on Netscape

2. Calling web service from JavaScript
3. Remote Scripting from Java Script.
4. XML Activex Object
5. Using AJAX (For More http://weblogs.asp.net/mschwarz)
         Tips:   
          - For this make sure you disable the Google Popup for JavaScript onunload.
          - Debuge Java Script error on AJAX.

I will try to write more about this issue later some free time.If you have any question send me a mail.

Cheers.

Suresh Behera

Office 2003 Smart Document Software Development Kit (SDK)

This download is for developers who are interested in developing custom solutions that use the smart document functionality introduced in the Microsoft® Office System.

The Microsoft® Office 2003 Smart Document SDK contains documentation, tools, sample code, and XML schemas.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=24A557F7-EB06-4A2C-8F6C-2767B174126F&displaylang=en

Suresh Behera

Department @ Microsoft

Search Jobs or learn more about this department:

Games
Develops and improves Microsoft's cutting-edge games software for the PC and for the Xbox games console.

Hardware
Designs and builds Microsoft hardware peripherals, from ergonomic keyboards and mice to cutting-edge joysticks and game accessories, as well as the Xbox games console.

Information Security
Oversees and devises electronic security solutions for Microsoft products, Internet services, and internal systems.

IT Operations
Manages and maintains Microsoft's corporate IT infrastructure, from networks to intranets to prototype IT technology.

Localization
Translates and adapts Microsoft software to other languages and cultures.

Product Design
Designs the visual and functional front-end user experience for Microsoft products.

Program Management
Defines a new product's technical aspects and oversees its hands-on development.

Software Development
Writes the code that drives Microsoft products and upgrades.

Software Testing
Responsible for maintaining high quality-assurance standards for all Microsoft products.

Usability
Researches and analyzes how customers use Microsoft products, and oversees the usability of products in development.

User Assistance & Education
Plans and delivers assistance—including UI text, Web articles, training, templates, columns, books, quizzes, and Help files — to help customers get the most from Microsoft products.

More
http://members.microsoft.com/careers/careerpath/technical/default.mspx

Suresh Behera

What is it like to interview at Microsoft?

A interview from Zoe Goldring and Gretchen Ledgard

More

http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=18472

Suresh Behera