invoke application in user's desktop

[pardede]

I need to implement a button on my web page that fires up an application on the user's desktop, say Notepad, when clicked. Anyone know how to do this?

[monte96]

You would have to write an ActiveX dll that is downloaded and registered on the client side. As a user, I would have to be smoking crack to allow you to do that. (i.e. if you can open notepad, you can also run Format, or FDisk, Del etc..)

[pardede]

hmm.. yea i was affraid that this might be the case.. is there no other way?

actually i am trying to create an intranet application, with shortcuts to other tools that a user would need to use, problem is, some of these tools are desktop installations and i need to be able to launch it from within the web page...

what are my options?

[monte96]

Um... I told ya already :c)

You have to write an ActiveX dll that invokes the apps on the client side. The users will get a security warning though because there is no way you can mark something like that as safe. Unless their security settings were set to allow unsafe activeX on the Intranet only.

[pardede]

if i wrote an ActiveX component, with say one one-liner sub for each tool i need to start up, say like

sub LaunchTool1

   Shell "C:\path1\tool1.exe")

end sub

sub LaunchTool2

   Shell "C:\path2\tool2.exe")

end sub

would I be able to distribute this marked as save?

[monte96]

No in order for an activeX control to be marked as safe, it can not have even a chance of doing damage to the client system. Launching external programs inherently breaks that rule because nothing would stop you from launching say a virus or a program to delete files or format the drive.

[Mark Sreeves]

Hve a look at this thread:
http://forums.vb-world.net/showthrea...threadid=61690


Another option would be an ActiveX Doc


If it is only for use on an intranet you don't really need to worry about signing and stuff

[pardede]

thanks, the code in that thread can be an option...

also, you mention ActiveX Doc, can you elaborate more on this?

[pardede]

is there a way to make this work in netscape as well??