Run program from IE

Question

Is it possible to run a program from a binding in IE? For example, iTunes had links like itms: blahblah, which would open iTunes and go directly to the corresponding page. If so, what is the best way to do this?

Answer 1

If you speak exclusively from a browser, you cannot register your own “protocol” ... the fact is that when installing iTunes, it registered the itms protocol itms that any link that looks like this:

 <a href="itms://something.mp3">click me</a> 

It will open the iTunes application. You cannot do this (without starting your own executable file that registers your own protocol with the computer), but what you can do is make a link to the file on our local computer ... example:

 <a href="file://c:/windows/notepad.exe">Launch Notepad</a> 

Of course, I assume that you are creating a simple HTML page intended for your own internal use (or the internal network of your companies) to run well-known programs from your computer.

Answer 2

Yes, but not without help. Your protocol must be registered on the user's computer, which can be executed using ftype . I would suggest that what you see is a product of the iTunes installer registering itms . If you type ftype itms at the command line, you will probably get something like itms=C:\Program Files\iTunes\iTunes.exe /url "%1" .

That is, no, you cannot do this only from within the browser, it will be a terrible, terrible, bad, very bad security hole.