ilaunch.zip - Allows a web page to execute local programs (fwd)

[Alejandro Garza Gonzalez]

If you want something simple you can install in your Win95 machines, make 
a .BAT file somewhere in you hard drive, say C:\launch.bat::

   @echo off
   call %1
   exit

Then, if you have Netscape, make up a new MIME-Type in the Helper 
Application list::  (IE runs BAT files automatically)

      MIME Type: application
        subtype: x-msdos-batch

   The 'extensions' input field should read:

      bat,BAT

   select 'launch application' and make it read 'c:\launch.bat'. 

Now, put commands you want to run locally in your machine when a user 
clicks on a link on a BAT file... say 'notepad.bat' reads:

   c:\windows\notepad.exe

so when the user clicks on a hyperlink that goes 

  <a href="notepad.bat">Execute notepad</a>

the server will feed the BAT file to the browser, thus launching 
'LAUNCH.BAT', which will, in turn, launch NOTEPAD.BAT which runs the 
notepad...

Remember, you can also make the BAT files reside on the local disk, or a 
Netware disc, or CD-ROM, etc, by specifying exactly where the BAT files 
are in the anchor::

  <a href="file:///C|/Program Files/Intranet Menu/notepad.bat">launch 
     notepad</a>

would get the Batch file 'notepad.bat' from the local C drive, 
subdirectory "Progam Files/Intranet Menu"... C could be 'D', 'F' or 'J', 
which could point to a Netware Volume, CD-ROM drive etc...

This may be a bit convoluted, but it works and it's free =) Not much 
security, though, but we manage by limiting the feeding of BATs from our 
servers to only computers with certain IP addresses; outside petitions 
never see those links, so they won't get error messages. 

BTW, if you want to run Win3.1 programs from within a DOS shell, you 
should get WinStart-- ask me for details.

_ alejandro garza _________________ __ _ _  _    _
  ITESM Centro de Informacion-Biblioteca Monterrey
  agarza at campus.mty.itesm.mx
_ http://www-cib.mty.itesm.mx/ ____ __ _ _  _    _