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=====================
Building NSIS Plugins
=====================
.. note::
This guide assumes that you have a Firefox build environment set up as well as a recent version of Visual Studio. The steps here use Visual Studio 2022.
Instructions
------------
1. Make sure you are configured to build DLLs. Follow this `guide <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/build/walkthrough-creating-and-using-a-dynamic-link-library-cpp>`_.
2. NSIS plugins are not integrated with the build system pending `bug 1771192 <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1771192>`_. You will need to build them manually by creating a new Visual Studio project in the ``$SRCDIR/other-licenses/nsis/Contrib/`` directory with the following settings.
.. image:: newProjectDllVS.png
.. image:: projectSettingsDllVS.png
3. Once the project has been created, right click on it in the sidebar and go to ``Configuration Properties -> C/C++ -> Precompiled Header`` and set ``Precompiled Header`` to "Not Using Precompiled Headers".
.. image:: projectPropertyPageVS.png
4. For easier testing set the output directory in ``Configuration Properties -> General`` to ``$SRCDIR/other-licenses/nsis/Plugins``.
5. Delete any files generated when you created the Visual Studio project such as ``pch.h`` or ``framework.h`` and any related include statements.
6. Download the source code for `NSIS version 3.07 <https://sourceforge.net/projects/nsis/files/NSIS%203/3.07/>`_. (current at the time of writing although possibly subject to change) and extract the source files. Navigate to ``Contrib/ExDLL`` and copy ``pluginapi.h``, ``pluginapi.c`` and ``nsis_tchar.h`` to where header files for your Visual Studio project live. Add them to your project.
7. You can use the following template to get started with your own plugin:
.. code:: cpp
/* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
* License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
// Put a brief description of your NSIS plugin here.
// Put your include statements here.
#include <sysheader>
#include "pluginapi.h" // This is taken from the NSIS plugin page
#include "myheader.h"
// A struct used for reading the stack passed in to the function
struct stack_t {
stack_t* next;
TCHAR text[MAX_PATH];
};
/**
*
*
* Put any additional functions you write here.
*
*
*/
// I use popstringn and pushstringn from the NSIS pluginapi.h file.
// This is the function I want to call from within NSIS
extern "C" void __declspec(dllexport)
MyNSISFunction(HWND, int string_size, TCHAR* variables, stack_t** stacktop, void*) {
wchar_t getArg[MAX_PATH+1];
EXDLL_INIT();
bool rv = false;
int popRet = popstringn(getArg, MAX_PATH+1);
if (popRet == 0) {
rv = FunctionThatTakesAnArgument(getArg);
}
pushstring(rv ? L"1" : L"0");
}
BOOL APIENTRY
DllMain(HMODULE, DWORD, LPVOID) {
return TRUE;
}
8. Modify ``$SRCDIR/toolkit/mozapps/installer/windows/nsis/makensis.mk`` as follows:
.. code:: text
CUSTOM_NSIS_PLUGINS = \
... \
MyPlugin.dll \
... \
$(NULL)
9. **NSIS only works with 32-bit plugins so ensure your Visual Studio build configuration is set to x86.** Compile your new plugin. ``exp`` and ``lib`` files will also be generated but they can safely be deleted.
10. The plugin can now be called from within NSIS as follows:
.. code:: text
MyPlugin::MyNSISFunc "$myNSISarg"
.. note::
- You may need to run ``./mach clobber`` for your DLL to be recognized.
- You can compile your plugin in debug mode and step through it with a debugger by attaching to the installer/uninstall process.
- If libraries are needed, files in the ``$SRCDIR/mfbt/`` and ``$SRCDIR/toolkit/`` directories are usually okay although there may be exceptions.
- The best way to access headers is usually to simply copy them into the project given how disconnected this is from the rest of the build system.