Launching an EXE from a URL.........

[TomKane]

Hi,

I have a query in relation to launching an EXE from a URL and would be grateful for any advice that you might have.

What I want to do is find out if it is possible to launch an application say, Notepad from a URL link on a web page - has anybody tried to do that?

And if there was a particular document I wanted to launch in Notepad - say Readme.txt can the URL support command line arguments?

Thanks a million,
Tom

 

[Gatorajc]

I looked for help on this very thing and was not able to because of security issues this is not possible. I was told think about the trouble that could develop if you could launch any executable (virus). I hope the information I was given was wrong and we both find the answer. AJ
I would lose my head if it wasn't attached.

 

[zumie]

If you just want to display a readme.txt file from a URL you only need to href the readme.txt file i.e. <a href= &quot;readme.txt&quot;></a>. Of coarse in this example the readme.txt file would need to be in the same directory as the URL. If the readme.txt file was in another directory you would have to path the href.

If the visitor has MS Word you can do the same with a &quot;readme.rtf&quot; or &quot;readme.doc&quot; file and the file will also be displayed. This works with both i.e. and n.s..

Hope this helps. MSB

webdev@cox.net

Visualize whorld peas.

 

[mThomas]

The application that will open a given file is set by the client. By default, Windows will first attempt to use NotePad and then use WordPad if the file is to big for Notepad. So if you just use an anchor tag to open a text file on a windows box, either NotePad or WordPad will be used.

mike

 

[Wullie]

Mike,

If a text file is called by a browser it opens in the browser, not in notepad.

To open text files in an application then you need to have some kind of control that the user has downloaded and accepted.

Hope this helps Wullie

sales@freshlookdesign.co.uk

http://www.freshlookdesign.co.uk

http://www.searchit-now.co.uk

 

[mThomas]

OPPS... wullie, your are correct. *g* I guess it pays to double check before one posts.

mike

 

[TomKane]

Thanks for that everyone. I used the example of Notepad, but it isn't really notepad that I want to launch but a site specific app that we have. Am I right in thinking that it is not possible?

Thanks,
Tom