edit hosts file

[ober0330]

I want to be able to apply a "patch" to a users computer to change their hosts file so that they can put in a keyword to access my server on our local intranet.

Is this possible with Javascript?

Also, could I tell which version of windows is being used and possibly the Windows directory?

[Acidic]

JavaScript can definately not detect what version of windows in running and what folder it is in. but surely in an intranet, it would be the same on every pc.

JavaScript cannot edit/move/create/delete files either

[ober0330]

>>but surely in an intranet, it would be the same on every pc.

Surely you're joking, right? I'm talking about several hundred PCs all at different levels of upgrades.

And if I can't edit files using Javascript, what should I use?

[Acidic]

PHP, or Java could maybe do it. ActiveX can, I think. I'd think VB would be the best app to run though. I'd ask this question in the VB forum, being more specific with what you want the "patch" to do.

[ober0330]

PHP is server side only! How would it get the browser to access the file?

[Acidic]

OK, my mistake, maybe PHP won't do it. VB and ActiveX should though.

[ober0330]

Do you really think I'd ask this here if I wanted a VB solution? I want to make it so that they can go to a website, click a button and .... "wa la" all is fine and dandy.

[Acidic]

try ActiveX then

[crptcblade]

Java and PHP are server-side only. And only a fool would give ActiveX the authority to have file access. This is something that just isn't feasible from a web app, unless it's in an intranet setting where the software can be trusted.

[Acidic]

so really it should be VB or C?

[ober0330]

Originally posted by crptcblade
This is something that just isn't feasible from a web app, unless it's in an intranet setting where the software can be trusted.

Exactly. It is on our intranet. Neither the database or this patch would be accessible to outside users. SOO... the software can be trusted.

So do you know of a way to get this done?

[crptcblade]

As was said before, use ActiveX. Read up on File Scripting Objects.

[ober0330]

OK, I have to be honest. I don't know is meant when someone says "use ActiveX". Does that mean create a DLL, or does that mean I have to create some kind of control like in VB?

And how is that deployed?

-lost, confused, in need of help.

[crptcblade]

I've never used ActiveX on a website before, but there should be no need to deploy anything as long as you are not doing anything fancy.

Just use VBScript to run the FSO...

Sub UpdateFile
Dim fso
 
    Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
 
    'run your update code
 
    Set fso = Nothing
End Sub

And you should be able to call the sub just as you would call a javascript function.

[ober0330]

Do I need to have anything special setup on the server to handle vbscript? (I'm assuming you might not know this if you've never used it in a web arena).

[Acidic]

no, VbScript should work straight away, though only in IE. on an intranet I don't think that matters though,

[ober0330]

I'm getting errors that it cannot create the FSO

[Acidic]

sorry, but I don't know how to use ActiveX in web pages, try google.