Starting a program from a website

[Marco]

Hi there,
I'd like to start a program from a html-page. The programs (like for example
Outlook 2003) are on the same computer as the html-page.
So it's only for use on a local computer. The program is on C:\Program
Files, but what is the syntax i have to put in the hyperlink <a href="????">
And is it possible at all? Can someone help me out here?
Thanks in advance.
Marco

 

[joecool2000]

Hi there,
I'd like to start a program from a html-page. The programs (like for example
Outlook 2003) are on the same computer as the html-page.
So it's only for use on a local computer. The program is on C:\Program
Files, but what is the syntax i have to put in the hyperlink <a href="????">
And is it possible at all? Can someone help me out here?
Thanks in advance.
Marco

If it were possible to do this, don't you think it would be a bit of big
security risk? How about:

<a href="c:\windows\system32\format.com c:">Click here for free money!!</a>

joecool

 

[Tips]

Hi there,
I'd like to start a program from a html-page. The programs (like for
example Outlook 2003) are on the same computer as the html-page.
So it's only for use on a local computer. The program is on C:\Program
Files, but what is the syntax i have to put in the hyperlink <a
href="????"> And is it possible at all? Can someone help me out here?
Thanks in advance.
Marco

If you want to start their mail program to send an email, use a link like
this:

<a href="mailto:[email protected]">

Replace that fake email address with your email.

Clicking on that link would open the user's email client.

The only drawback to putting your email on a web page is that it would
expose your email address to email harvesting programs.

You generally can't count on starting other programs on their computer,
unless the computer is configured to open certain links with certain
programs. Another example would be "webcal" links.

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

I'd like to start a program from a html-page.

Any web browser that allowed you to do that would be off the market in
about 60 seconds because it would be an unacceptable security risk. It
would, for example, allow a remote web page to erase every file on your
hard drive. Nope. Bad thing. Very very bad.

Browsers will, however, request your o/s to start a file that has a
mime-type, such as your default email program, if you use the right kind
of link (e.g. <a href="mailto:[email protected]">).

That might be convenient for you, but what if your computer doesn't have
an email program? Or the person visiting your web site? She might be
using a cell phone to view your page.

 

[Blinky the Shark]

Any web browser that allowed you to do that would be off the market in
about 60 seconds because it would be an unacceptable security risk. It

It would be eternal and ubiquitous if Microsoft made it.

 

[Jonathan N. Little]

It would be eternal and ubiquitous if Microsoft made it.

And they did and they first called it IE4! :-O

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

It would be eternal and ubiquitous if Microsoft made it.

Nope. Even MS is sensitive to security needs. Everyone someone points
out a security error they send a patch to fix it pretty promptly. Of
course they often botch it, but even MS is not going to do that in a
browser on purpose. They've been losing market share recently and they
don't like that.

 

[Marco]

Nope. Even MS is sensitive to security needs. Everyone someone points
out a security error they send a patch to fix it pretty promptly. Of
course they often botch it, but even MS is not going to do that in a
browser on purpose. They've been losing market share recently and they
don't like that.

Thanks everyone for the replies.
However, everyone seems to worry about security risks.

So i wasn't asking about security since it's not an issue, i was asking
about a way to do it.
But thanks anyway.

 

[mbstevens]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
However, everyone seems to worry about security risks.

Not really an HTML question, is it?

But it can be done.
You can run, for instance, the Apache server on your local
computer and let it serve CGI programs through links
and forms on a page running in a browser on that
same machine.

I've done this to test programs before uploading them
to a public server. You might want also to google
L.A.M.P. (Linux, Apache, SQL, and PHP) servers for your
local machine.

Can you tell us why you would want to do such a thing,
if it is other than for testing programs before moving them to
a public server?

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

Thanks everyone for the replies.
However, everyone seems to worry about security risks.
But i wrote:

Well then, write your own web browser that can do that.

So i wasn't asking about security since it's not an issue, i was asking
about a way to do it.

You won't find any commercial browser that can, for the reasons I gave
previously. For some reason people who write web browsers write them
for browsing the web and strangely they hope they will be used all over
the place.

Anything that a local web page can do a remote page can do, period.
That's the way the web is designed.

You want to run a program? That's what your operating system is there
for!

 

[Marco]

Well then, write your own web browser that can do that.


You won't find any commercial browser that can, for the reasons I gave
previously. For some reason people who write web browsers write them
for browsing the web and strangely they hope they will be used all over
the place.

Anything that a local web page can do a remote page can do, period.
That's the way the web is designed.

You want to run a program? That's what your operating system is there
for!

My final reaction:
I said i want to START it from a webbrowser, not RUN. Of course the OS does
that.
You really don't get it, do you.?
Goodbye,
Marco

 

[Jonathan N. Little]

My final reaction:
I said i want to START it from a webbrowser, not RUN. Of course the OS does
that.
You really don't get it, do you.?

No it is *you* who really does not get it, STARTing an application is
RUNning an application! What you want is a shell application not a web
page. Get it now?

 

[nice.guy.nige]

While the city slept, joecool2000 ([email protected])
feverishly typed...

<a href="c:\windows\system32\format.com c:">Click here for free
money!!</a>

I tried clicking for my free money, but nothing happen......

 

[Blinky the Shark]

While the city slept, joecool2000 ([email protected])
feverishly typed...


I tried clicking for my free money, but nothing happen......

Press the physical button on your Dollar Value Dispenser tray -- the
device marked "DVD" on your computer.

 

[Travis Newbury]

Any web browser that allowed you to do that would be off the market in
about 60 seconds because it would be an unacceptable security risk.

IE does this. It is not off the market...

 

[Jonathan N. Little]

IE does this. It is not off the market...

Precisely why I do not use it!

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

IE does this. It is not off the market..

I don't believe it does.

 

[Ed Mullen]

I don't believe it does.

It can run an executable from both a local and remote Web page. You
should get a prompt to choose saving the file or running it. If you
choose run, it will. Try it:

<http://mozilla.edmullen.net/moz_filetest.html>

Just press ESC after you run that file. ;-)

--
Ed Mullen
http://edmullen.net
http://mozilla.edmullen.net
http://abington.edmullen.net
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. - Isaac Asimov

 

[Marco]

No it is *you* who really does not get it, STARTing an application is
RUNning an application! What you want is a shell application not a web
page. Get it now?

Ok, one more time....
If i want to drive in my car I start the engine but the motor RUNS the car.
See the difference?
All i wanted was an answer to the question if there is or isn't a way to
make a hyperlink which starts an application just like a desktop-icon does.
Get it now?

Take care,
Marco

 

[Ed Seedhouse]

Ed Seedhouse wrote:

It can run an executable from both a local and remote Web page. You
should get a prompt to choose saving the file or running it. If you
choose run, it will. Try it:

That's not the same thing at all. That's using the mime type of a
downloaded file to request the o/s to load the file into it's default
program for that mime type.

But it's not going to let you run any program not associated with files
that have a mime-type, such as, say "format.com". While this may itself
be dubious, the user at least has an option not to have a program that
will run those files or to delete that program from the list of programs
that are associated with certain file types. And normally the browser
will also ask him if he wants to run or download the file.

The OP wanted to run any executable file directly and with no
intermediary control method right from the web browser with a link. That
would allow any web page, anywhere, to delete all the files from your
computer hard drive and no browser that I am aware of will do that,
thank goodness! Even Microsoft isn't that stupid.