Launching application via HTML?

[Charles F. Bearden]

Is it possible to write an HTML link in a document that will invoke a program other than the web browser through which the link is chosen?  And would it be possible then for that second program to pass ALT+F4 to the web browser to shut it down?  

Background: at Houston Public Library we are running Mosaic in kiosk mode in Windows 95.  Unfortunately, there is no obvious way to exit kiosk mode: the control box in the upper left-hand corner and the sizing and exit boxes in the upper right-hand corner don't appear.  ALT+F4 still works, but even stickers on the PCs instructing users to ALT+F4 to exit don't work very well.  This wouldn't be a problem except that we are running Mosaic as a 3rd party application started by our OPAC GUI.  As long as Mosaic is running, you can't get to the catalog.  We would like a link on our homepage that would shut down Mosaic when clicked.  Our hope is that one could link to a program on the PC that would shut down Mosaic and then shut itself down, leaving the OPAC visible.  

I suspect that the answer is either an obvious "no" or an obvious "yes, don't you know about...".  

Thanks for any help.

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Chuck Bearden			email: cbearden at hpl.lib.tx.us
Catalog Department		voice: 713/247-3499
Houston Public Library		fax:   713/247-3158
500 McKinney Ave.
Houston, TX  77002		NOT SPEAKING FOR HPL 
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