How to start an executable from a web page running on localhost?

Question

I have an application that hosts a webcontrol (IE) and runs on localhost using Casini. I use it to run CruiseControl.NET (See http://www.codeplex.com/ccnetbuildstation for the app).

Within custom CruiseControl.NET reports I would like to start other applications like Visual Studio.

Any idea how I can launch an executable from a web page without having to install an extra application? I currently have no requirement to install anything to use my application which consists of a custom forms app, CruiseControl.NET and Cassini 3.5

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with CruiseControl.NET, but if it's just some kind of webserver/application running in a webserver returning websites, it can't (and shouldn't) run executables directly, however, I can think of 3 ways of doing this nevertheless:

1. Write a small launcher application that gets downloaded when the application should be run, but you have to click on "Open", "I'm sure", "Yeah, I know, not a safe zone, run it anyway". It isn't comfortable, but it works in all Browsers.
2. Write a program that registers a protocol handler like run://something.exe and executes the specified file.
3. Get a browser plugin that executes the executable, the first thing I found is LaunchInIE, the configuration looks a bit messy but it seems to do what you want.