Managing other add-ons
ActiveX is just one method by which Internet Explorer for the
desktop can be extended. A number of other add-ons are available in the
Internet Explorer add-on area, including:
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Toolbars and extensions
These are add-ons that generally add visible elements to the Internet Explorer interface, including add-ons such as the Bing toolbar and weather information.
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ActiveX control You’ve already learned about ActiveX controls and
how to install new ones. An ActiveX control is a method by which
developers enable Internet Explorer to handle new content types such as
Flash video.
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Browser helper object Browser
helper objects are a second method developers use to enable new
content-type handling in Internet Explorer. For example, if you install
the Adobe Reader product, a new browser helper object is created that enables PDF files to be displayed in Internet Explorer by using Adobe Reader.
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Browser extension A browser extension imbues Internet Explorer with new capabilities. For example, ieSpell (http://www.iespell.com/) is a spell-checker extension for Internet Explorer.
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Search providers
Although Bing is
the default search engine in Internet Explorer 10, some users prefer to
use a different search engine as their default or want to have the
option to use a different search engine on demand. These preferences
are satisfied through the installation of additional search providers in Internet Explorer, which appear as add-ons.
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Accelerators
An accelerator is an add-on that enables you to perform a specific function more quickly than would otherwise be possible. In Figure 4,
you can see the Translate With Bing add-on in action. To use an
accelerator, you just right-click or tap and hold somewhere on the
page. When the shortcut menu appears, choose the desired accelerator
action.
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Tracking Protection
Although tracking
protection is displayed along with add-ons, it’s really not an add-on.
Rather, this is a security feature included in Internet Explorer that
enables users to subscribe to protection lists, which include content
that, if encountered, Internet Explorer blocks.
These kinds of additions can open Internet Explorer users
to new vulnerabilities if the add-on is malicious or poorly written. In
addition, having too many or using poorly developed add-ons
can result in a degraded browsing experience for users. By
understanding how to manage add-ons in Internet Explorer,
administrators have at their disposal a method by which to troubleshoot
security and performance issues related to web browsing.
