Launch application from a browser

Question

Hello,

Is it possible to launch an application from a browser? I am not talking about opening a file from a browser (like open a PDF with Adobe Reader), but rather opening a new (blank) instance of an application that is installed on the user's machine.

Hypothetical situation: User browses a website that lists computers that can be managed via RDP. He clicks on a link to 192.168.1.10, that link opens Microsoft RDP client (mstsc.exe) with that ip address already filled out.

I am talking strictly about Windows universe.

Is that thing even doable outside of ActiveX and IE?

Is it wise to attempt this in IE with ActiveX ?

Thanks a lot,

Answer 1

We use a sonicwall vpn. It launches a java applet that launches mstc with all the credentials setup. You really can't do this without a java applet or activex plugin.

Microsoft uses this technique itself on their small business server for getting inside the network. I wouldn't say it is a terrible idea, as long as platform independence isn't important.

Answer 2

Some applications launches themselves by protocols. like itunes with "itms://" links. I don't know however how you can register that with windows.

Answer 3

You can't really "launch an application" in the true sense. You can as you indicated ask the user to open a document (ie a PDF) and windows will attempt to use the default app for that file type. Many applications have a way to do this.

For example you can save RDP connections as a .rdp file. Putting a link on your site to something like this should allow the user to launch right into an RDP session:

<a href="MyServer1.rdp">Server 1</a>

Answer 4

I achieved the same thing using a local web server and PHP. I used a script containing shell_exec to launch an application locally.

Alternatively, you could do something like this:

<a href="file://C:/Windows/notepad.exe">Notepad</a>

Answer 5

You want to create an Asynchronous Pluggable Protocol Handler.

Here is a guide to registering an Application Protocol.