Table of Contents | Previous | Next | Index

# navigator

Contains information about the version of Navigator in use.

Client-side object |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.0 JavaScript 1.1: added `mimeTypes` and `plugins` properties; added `javaEnabled` and `taintEnabled` methods. JavaScript 1.2: added `language` and `platform` properties; added `preference` and `savePreferences` methods.

#### Created by

The JavaScript runtime engine on the client automatically creates the `navigator` object.

#### Description

Use the `navigator` object to determine which version of the Navigator your users have, what MIME types the user's Navigator can handle, and what plug-ins the user has installed. All of the properties of the `navigator` object are read-only.

#### Property Summary

Property | Description
--- | ---

    appCodeName

Specifies the code name of the browser.

    appName

Specifies the name of the browser.

    appVersion

Specifies version information for the Navigator.

    language

Indicates the translation of the Navigator being used.

    mimeTypes

An array of all MIME types supported by the client.

    platform

Indicates the machine type for which the Navigator was compiled.

    plugins

An array of all plug-ins currently installed on the client.

    userAgent

Specifies the user-agent header.

#### Method Summary

Method | Description
--- | ---

    javaEnabled

Tests whether Java is enabled.

    plugins.refresh

Makes newly installed plug-ins available and optionally reloads open documents that contain plug-ins.

    preference

Allows a signed script to get and set certain Navigator preferences.

    savePreferences

Saves the Navigator preferences to the local file `prefs.js`.

    taintEnabled

Specifies whether data tainting is enabled.

In addition, this object inherits the `watch` and `unwatch` methods from `Object`.

## appCodeName

A string specifying the code name of the browser.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.0

#### Examples

The following example displays the value of the `appCodeName` property:

    document.write("The value of navigator.appCodeName is " +
       navigator.appCodeName)

For Navigator 2.0 and later, this displays the following:

    The value of navigator.appCodeName is Mozilla

## appName

A string specifying the name of the browser.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.0

#### Examples

The following example displays the value of the `appName` property:

    document.write("The value of navigator.appName is " +
       navigator.appName)

For Navigator 2.0 and 3.0, this displays the following:

    The value of navigator.appName is Netscape

## appVersion

A string specifying version information for the Navigator.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.0

#### Description

The `appVersion` property specifies version information in the following format: `releaseNumber` (`platform`; `country`) The values contained in this format are the following:

- `releaseNumber` is the version number of the Navigator. For example, `"2.0b4"` specifies Navigator 2.0, beta 4.

- `platform` is the platform upon which the Navigator is running. For example, `"Win16"` specifies a 16-bit version of Windows such as Windows 3.1.

- `country` is either `"I"` for the international release, or `"U"` for the domestic U.S. release. The domestic release has a stronger encryption feature than the international release.

#### Examples

Example 1. The following example displays version information for the Navigator:

    document.write("The value of navigator.appVersion is " +
       navigator.appVersion)

For Navigator 2.0 on Windows 95, this displays the following:

    The value of navigator.appVersion is 2.0 (Win95, I)

For Navigator 3.0 on Windows NT, this displays the following:

    The value of navigator.appVersion is 3.0 (WinNT, I)

Example 2. The following example populates a `Textarea` object with newline characters separating each line. Because the newline character varies from platform to platform, the example tests the `appVersion` property to determine whether the user is running Windows (`appVersion` contains `"Win"` for all versions of Windows). If the user is running Windows, the newline character is set to \r\n; otherwise, it's set to \n, which is the newline character for Unix and Macintosh.

> NOTE: This code is needed only for JavaScript 1.0. JavaScript versions 1.1 and later check for all newline characters before setting a string-valued property and translate them as needed for the user's platform.

    <SCRIPT>
    var newline=null
    function populate(textareaObject){
       if (navigator.appVersion.lastIndexOf('Win') != -1)
          newline="\r\n"
          else newline="\n"
       textareaObject.value="line 1" + newline + "line 2" + newline
       + "line 3"
    }
    </SCRIPT>
    <FORM NAME="form1">
    <BR><TEXTAREA NAME="testLines" ROWS=8 COLS=55></TEXTAREA>
    <P><INPUT TYPE="button" VALUE="Populate the Textarea object"
       onClick="populate(document.form1.testLines)">
    </TEXTAREA>
    </FORM>

## javaEnabled

Tests whether Java is enabled.

Method of | `navigator`
Static |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.1

#### Syntax

    javaEnabled()

#### Parameters

None.

#### Description

`javaEnabled` returns true if Java is enabled; otherwise, false. The user can enable or disable Java by through user preferences.

#### Examples

The following code executes `function1` if Java is enabled; otherwise, it executes `function2`.

    if (navigator.javaEnabled()) {
       function1()
    }
    else function2()

#### See also

`navigator.appCodeName`, `navigator.appName`, `navigator.userAgent`

## language

Indicates the translation of the Navigator being used.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.2

#### Description

The value for language is usually a 2-letter code, such as "en" and occasionally a five-character code to indicate a language subtype, such as "zh_CN". Use this property to determine the language of the Navigator client software being used. For example you might want to display translated text for the user.

## mimeTypes

An array of all MIME types supported by the client.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.1

The `mimeTypes` array contains an entry for each MIME type supported by the client (either internally, via helper applications, or by plug-ins). For example, if a client supports three MIME types, these MIME types are reflected as `navigator.mimeTypes[0]`, `navigator.mimeTypes[1]`, and `navigator.mimeTypes[2]`. Each element of the `mimeTypes` array is a `MimeType` object. To obtain the number of supported mime types, use the `length` property: `navigator.mimeTypes.length`.

#### See also

`MimeType`

## platform

Indicates the machine type for which the Navigator was compiled.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.2

#### Description

Platform values are Win32, Win16, Mac68k, MacPPC and various Unix. The machine type the Navigator was compiled for may differ from the actual machine type due to version differences, emulators, or other reasons. If you use SmartUpdate to download software to a user's machine, you can use this property to ensure that the trigger downloads the appropriate JAR files. The triggering page checks the Navigator version before checking the platform property. For information on using SmartUpdate, see Using JAR Installation Manager for SmartUpdate.

## plugins

An array of all plug-ins currently installed on the client.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.1

You can refer to the `Plugin` objects installed on the client by using this array. Each element of the `plugins` array is a `Plugin` object. For example, if three plug-ins are installed on the client, these plug-ins are reflected as `navigator.plugins[0]`, `navigator.plugins[1]`, and `navigator.plugins[2]`. To use the `plugins` array:

    1. navigator.plugins[index]
    2. navigator.plugins[index][mimeTypeIndex]

`index` is an integer representing a plug-in installed on the client or a string containing the name of a `Plugin` object (from the `name` property). The first form returns the `Plugin` object stored at the specified location in the plugins array. The second form returns the `MimeType` object at the specified index in that `Plugin` object. To obtain the number of plug-ins installed on the client, use the `length` property: `navigator.plugins.length`. plugins.refresh. The `plugins` array has its own method, `refresh`. This method makes newly installed plug-ins available, updates related arrays such as the `plugins` array, and optionally reloads open documents that contain plug-ins. You call this method with one of the following statements:

    navigator.plugins.refresh(true)
    navigator.plugins.refresh(false)

If you supply true, `refresh` refreshes the `plugins` array to make newly installed plug-ins available and reloads all open documents that contain embedded objects (`EMBED` tag). If you supply false, it refreshes the `plugins` array, but does not reload open documents. When the user installs a plug-in, that plug-in is not available until `refresh` is called or the user closes and restarts Navigator.

#### Examples

The following code refreshes arrays and reloads open documents containing embedded objects:

    navigator.plugins.refresh(true)

See also the examples for the `Plugin` object.

## preference

Allows a signed script to get and set certain Navigator preferences.

Method of | `navigator`
Static |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.2

#### Syntax

    preference(prefName[, setValue])

#### Parameters

    prefName

A string representing the name of the preference you want to get or set. Allowed preferences are listed below.

    setValue

The value you want to assign to the preference. This can be a string, number, or Boolean.

#### Description

This method returns the value of the preference. If you use the method to set the value, it returns the new value. With permission, you can get and set the preferences shown in the following table.

Table 1.2 Preferences.

To do this... | Set this preference... | To this value...
--- | --- | ---

Automatically load images

    general.always_load_images

true or false

Enable Java

    security.enable_java

true or false

Enable JavaScript

    javascript.enabled

true or false

Enable style sheets

    browser.enable_style_sheets

true or false

Enable SmartUpdate

    autoupdate.enabled

true or false

Accept all cookies

    network.cookie.cookieBehavior

0

Accept only cookies that get sent back to the originating server

    network.cookie.cookieBehavior

1

Disable cookies

    network.cookie.cookieBehavior

2

Warn before accepting cookie

    network.cookie.warnAboutCookies

true or false

#### Security

Reading a preference with the `preference` method requires the `UniversalPreferencesRead` privilege. Setting a preference with this method requires the `UniversalPreferencesWrite` privilege. For information on security, see the Client-Side JavaScript Guide.

#### See also

`savePreferences`

## savePreferences

Saves the Navigator preferences to the local file `prefs.js`.

Method of | `navigator`
Static |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.2

#### Security

Saving user preferences requires the `UniversalPreferencesWrite` privilege. For information on security, see the Client-Side JavaScript Guide.

#### Syntax

    SavePreferences()

#### Description

This method immediately saves the current Navigator preferences to the user's `prefs.js` settings file. Navigator also saves preferences automatically when it exits.

#### See also

`preference`

## taintEnabled

Specifies whether data tainting is enabled.

Method of | `navigator`
Static |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.1 JavaScript 1.2: removed

#### Syntax

    navigator.taintEnabled()

#### Description

Tainting prevents other scripts from passing information that should be secure and private, such as directory structures or user session history. JavaScript cannot pass tainted values on to any server without the end user's permission. Use `taintEnabled` to determine if data tainting is enabled. `taintEnabled` returns true if data tainting is enabled, false otherwise. The user enables or disables data tainting by using the environment variable `NS_ENABLE_TAINT`.

#### Examples

The following code executes function1 if data tainting is enabled; otherwise it executes function2.

    if (navigator.taintEnabled()) {
       function1()
       }
    else function2()

#### See also

`taint`, `untaint`

## userAgent

A string representing the value of the user-agent header sent in the HTTP protocol from client to server.

Property of | `navigator`
Read-only |
Implemented in | JavaScript 1.0

#### Description

Servers use the value sent in the user-agent header to identify the client.

#### Examples

The following example displays `userAgent` information for the Navigator:

    document.write("The value of navigator.userAgent is " +
       navigator.userAgent)

For Navigator 2.0, this displays the following:

    The value of navigator.userAgent is Mozilla/2.0 (Win16; I)

Table of Contents | Previous | Next | Index

Last Updated: 05/28/99 11:59:59

Copyright (c) 1999 Netscape Communications Corporation