FAQ

Does the toolbar allows users to customize their own toolbar? For example, we will offer a menu of buttons (contents), and users can choose which ones to add to their version of the toolbar?
Yes this feature is supported in our toolbars. To control the visibility of individual buttons HTML options.html page can be used. To disable some buttons by default (so they will not be visible on the toolbar start and can only be made visible from options.html). Please add the attribute visibility="0" to the button definition like below:
<BUTTON id="any_id" caption="any_caption" img="7" hint="any_hint" command="any_command" visibility="0"/>
You can also check our developers corner http://dev.besttoolbars.net/ where we show examples of more advanced customizations that you can make available to your customers using CUSTOM_XML feature.

How else can users customize a toolbar?
You define what your users can do with your toolbar. The trivial example is that your users can define what buttons to show/hide on their toolbar. The advanced example can involve server side integration so the toolbar of your user will show the money earned by him or the points he won. Toolbar can store UserID and your site can feed back specific content to be shown in the user is toolbar basing on his UserID. Please also take a look to samples provide in our developers corner: http://dev.besttoolbars.net/

Is it possible to start an windows application directly from the toolbars?
Yes, please read our advanced manual section related to SHELLEXECUTE command.

How can I include a .DLL into my toolbar's .CAB and make this .DLL registered when installing my toolbar?
Please open ToolbarStudio and go 'Toolbar->Bundle files with the toolbar'. You may also download the CABARC.exe (a part of CAB SDK) from Microsoft Website and use it to package your DLL. Please make an adjust .inf file to contain the definition for your .DLL.

Your documentation references a toolbar.dll, yet I have been unable to find it on the PC where the toolbar is installed.
The toolbar.dll is used only as an example. The DLL is named exactly as the .cab file that you've created.

Is it possible to change height of toolbar ?
You need to change the Height of both the toolbar (via going to Tools->Edit RAW XML and adding height="" to <TOOLBAR> tag) and of the icon files used by the toolbar (please change the height of the icons using Toolbar->Icons menu in ToolbarStudio).

Is there a way to install two of our toolbars on the same system? If we make 2 toolbars for our site can they have them both installed ?
You can make toolbars for your site, but they can not be installed on the same machine if they are under the same license. To make independent toolbars you'll need to purchase the Unlimited License.

How to change toolbar language 'on the fly'?
You can implement different .XML files and switch between them when the user presses a button on the toolbar using <CHANGE LAYOUT> command. Please see a sample in our Developer's section: http://dev.besttoolbars.net/

Can the toolbar be fully dynamic?
Yes, it is possible. The toolbar can get all the information directly from your website so that you can display the most up-to date links, images and banners to your customers.

Does your toolbar support https? Does it support server side PUSH operations?
Yes, it supports https redirects and https calls in DYNAMIC mode - INCLUDE_XML. Server side push can only be simulated by explicitly calling .reload() method for the toolbar from Javascript. All those advanced customization techniques are explained in this manual.

Toolbar Uninstall. This doesn't fully cleanup the machine if done from the toolbar menu options. Is there a way to configure it to clean up all the files in the toolbar folder and delete the folder. Uninstalling from control panel seems to do the clean up, but doesn't remove the folder.
There is no way to uninstall the toolbar completely from Internet Explorer (because IE locks the Toolbar files). Complete uninstall is only possible from the Control Panel. Please make your uninstall button to display a HTML page telling the user to go to the Control panel to uninstall the toolbar.

Please tell me whether everyone who installs the same toolbar will be given a unique toolbar id or is there a chance of two or more installations getting the same toolbar id.
ToolbarID is unique per installation and will remain the same if the toolbar is updated.

How can I change the icon used for "word-find" toolbar buttons
Word find buttons always use the icon number 1 from icons.bmp file. So if you wish to change this icon, just change the icon number 1.

How will the INCLUDE_XML feature behave when users go offline?
Our toolbar uses cache to store the retrieved .XML files. And if for whatever reason the connection fails it will use cached .XML file. You can turn caching off using nocache=" 1" attribute of INCLUDE_XML. If no cached version exists the .XML file specified by local= attribute of the INLCUDE_XML tag will be used.

Does the toolbar update automatically or will I be prompted?
It will prompt for updates if you use:
<RADIO id="UpdateAutomatically" default="1"/>
Or will update silently if you have:
<RADIO id="UpdateAutomatically" default="2"/>
Or will update only when user clicks update.
<RADIO id="UpdateAutomatically" default="0"/>

How does the Toolbar know in general to update?
When automatic updates are turned on, the toolbar pulls version.txt file from the server each X hours (where X is defined using the scope attribute of the SETTINGS tag). And if it find that the version number has changed it performs an upgrade.

How to use Automatic Upgrade feature?
From time to time you may want to distribute new Toolbar versions to your toolbar users. If you enable auto updates, you will just need to upload the new version.txt and .cab file on your site and all your users' toolbars will be upgraded automatically.

We would like to have silent updates. Is it possible?
Silent updates are possible by choosing 'Toolbar->Settings->Features->Silent updating' option or by setting:
<CHECKBOX id="UpdateAutomatically" default="2"/>

When installing the toolbar, it shows the error message: "Could not extract the current file.The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process." And the only way to fix it is to restart the computer. What can I do to fix it?
Normally the toolbar.DLL file is placed into C:/Program Files/IEtoolbar/ folder. This file is being used (and locked) by Internet Explorer and can not be replaced unless you restart the computer.
The most simplistic way to install the toolbar is to provide a different path during the installation. (When the message with C:/Program Files/IEtoolbar/ as path will come up) please enter something like:
C:/Program Files/IEtoolbar_1/ and then it will work .

I have some problem to run this program: when I try to build a toolbar an error occurs. Error message is "Unable to locate file .dll" but I can see toolbar.dll same directory so. How can I fix this problem?
That is because something is wrong with your XML file. Please try to open it in your browser (just by double clicking on basis.xml) and your browser will point out the place in your XML that contains the error. Also you can use any other program which points to errors in XML files.

Is it possible to change the default install directory in the .exe installer?
Yes, that is possible. You need to get into ToolbarStudio install directory [e.g. c:/Program Files/Softomate/ToolbarStudio/] and edit templ.txt file in the folder .../ToolbarStudio/bin/cab2nsis/. In particular, you need to change the line:

!define ZIP2EXE_INSTALLDIR `$PROGRAMFILES\IEToolbar' to e.g.
!define ZIP2EXE_INSTALLDIR `$PROGRAMFILES\YourToolbarName'

While you are there, you can also change the name of the software which is being installed. It is defined in a following line:

!define ZIP2EXE_NAME `Toolbar`

Is there any ways to add or edit something in the installer? I want to add "Terms of use" of the toolbar, and let users choose to "Accept" or "Do not Accept" before they continue installation.
Yes, that is possible using CAB2NSIS utility we have. You'll find a couple of .nsh files right after you've unzipped cab2nsis. You can modify those .NSH files as it is explained here: http://nsis.sourceforge.net/home/ to achieve what you require.
As an alternative (if you do not have time to do this yourself), you can explain to us what exactly you are looking for. And we'll have one of our support guys to do this for you.

When I'll create the EXE file and someone will double clicks on it, it'll brings up a little installation window. Is there anyway to modify the text in that first Install window? If yes, how ?
Sure. If you use ToolbarStudio you can modify texts in the dialog for .EXE installer creation. If you are using CAB2NSIS utility to create your .exe file please modify text strings in toolbar .nsi/.nsh files (The manuals for nsi/nsh files are found here: http://nsis.sourceforge.net/home/)

I have a little gripe regarding the Mozilla Conversion. It works fine, HOWEVER, the toolbar privacy function does not work. Functions such as clear cache, cookeis do not appear to work.
Only limited feature set is supported for Mozilla. We suggest that you design a lightweight version of your toolbar specially for Mozilla. We are constantly adding new features to our converter utility, but it still lacks some features. (Please see the version history in the Readme file for converter.)