Internet Browsers and Add-ons

Popular browsersBrowser stats (shown in

talk)What a browser doesJavascript (shown in talk) *Add-ons

* Also see an explanation and examples of HTML code in Past Meeting Notes for 2010_02

Popular Browsers

Firefox – from Mozilla Chrome – from Google Internet Explorer – from Microsoft Safari – from Apple Opera – from Opera Software

Firefox and Chrome are rapidly becoming more popular than IE

What does an Internet Browser do?

1. It goes to a computer at an address that you specify and retrieves a particular file of text

You provide the address, e.g. www.google.co.uk, and the filename is often assumed, e.g. index.html

The addressed computer is a Web Server2. Displays the contents of this text file; this is a Web Page3. Executes the embedded commands4. Some common commands are:

1. Enhance the text, e.g. bold, italics2. Display a picture3. Give the user a place to select an alternative file to display,

replacing the current one; this is a Hyperlink4. Execute a Javascript program

Browser Add-ons These are small programs that you choose to

install inside your browser (therefore making it bigger)

Similar to Apps on smartphones They add useful automation to some of the

interactive work you do with a browser, e.g. shopping

For example: Fill in a form with your name & address Check your spelling Translate from a foreign language Provide control over Javascript programs

Some useful add-ons

Firefox Autofill Forms British English Dictionary ImTranslator NoScript

Go to 'Tools/Add-ons' and Search for the above

Internet Explorer Google Toolbar

Browse to: toolbar.google.com (this takes you to: www.google.com/intl/en-GB/toolbar/ie/index.html)

Advice from Microsoft

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/How-do-browser-add-ons-affect-my-computer

windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/How-do-browser-add-ons-affect-my-computer