Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI)

E82962
browser plugin framework software API web browser extension architecture

The Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) is an old browser plugin framework that enabled third-party extensions like media players and Java applets to run inside web browsers before being largely deprecated for security and compatibility reasons.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form Occurrences
NPAPI 1
Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface 1
Netscape Plug-in API 1

Statements (52)

Predicate Object
instanceOf browser plugin framework ⓘ
software API ⓘ
web browser extension architecture ⓘ
abbreviation Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: NPAPI
category application programming interface ⓘ
web technology ⓘ
component NPAPI plugin ⓘ
defines interfaces for drawing into browser windows ⓘ
interfaces for scripting from JavaScript ⓘ
interfaces for streaming data ⓘ
plugin lifecycle callbacks ⓘ
deprecatedFor compatibility with modern web standards ⓘ
performance reasons ⓘ
security reasons ⓘ
stability reasons ⓘ
designGoal browser-independent plugin model ⓘ
cross-platform plugin interface ⓘ
developedBy Netscape Communications Corporation ⓘ
fullName Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface
influenced ActiveX ⓘ
surface form: ActiveX browser plugins

Pepper Plugin API ⓘ
browser extension architectures ⓘ
introducedIn mid-1990s ⓘ
limitation limited support for mobile browsers ⓘ
poor compatibility with multi-process browser architectures ⓘ
notablePluginType Flash (software) ⓘ
surface form: Adobe Flash Player plugin

Oracle Java plugin ⓘ
Silverlight plugin ⓘ
originatedIn Netscape Navigator ⓘ
surface form: Netscape Navigator 2
platform web browser ⓘ
purpose to allow third-party plugins to run inside web pages ⓘ
replacedBy HTML5 ⓘ
surface form: HTML5 web technologies

JavaScript APIs ⓘ
Pepper Plugin API ⓘ
WebAssembly specification ⓘ
surface form: WebAssembly
securityIssue arbitrary native code execution in browser process ⓘ
frequent remote code execution vulnerabilities ⓘ
sandboxing limitations ⓘ
status deprecated ⓘ
largely unsupported in modern browsers ⓘ
supportEndedIn Google Chrome 45 ⓘ
Mozilla Firefox 52 ESR for most users ⓘ
supports Java applet plugins ⓘ
PDF viewer plugins ⓘ
binary native code plugins ⓘ
media player plugins ⓘ
proprietary streaming plugins ⓘ
usedBy Google Chrome ⓘ
Mozilla Firefox ⓘ
Netscape Navigator ⓘ
Opera ⓘ
Safari ⓘ

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) → abbreviation → Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) self-linksurface differs ⓘ
subject surface form: Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface
this entity surface form: NPAPI
Netscape Communications Corporation → developed → Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) ⓘ
Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) → fullName → Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) self-linksurface differs ⓘ
subject surface form: NPAPI
this entity surface form: Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface
Netscape Navigator → supportsTechnology → Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI) ⓘ
this entity surface form: Netscape Plug-in API