onpostback: calling command-line programs?

matt

hello,

i work on a private enterprise intranet. we now have a business need
for opening other desktop applications, from my web app's click events.
(my application is not entirely complete, so when user's click some of
the absent-functionality, we need the desktop app to fire up). some of
these apps are started via the command-line.

is this possible? i imagine so, even if it meant working w/ ActiveX
controls or whatnot.

can anyone point me in the proper direction?
thanks,
matt

Jul 24 '06 #1

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP]

Hi Matt,

With the proper permissions, a Web page can run an application using

Process.Start(myFavoritesPath)
Process.Start("execpgm.exe", "param")

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/53ezey2s.aspx

Beware that a program that launches a GUI is going to get you into trouble
because there's nobody around to provide user input such as text and clicks.

If your Winapp exposes an object model via COM, you'd be better to call
those methods programmatically.

Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

<ma**@mailinator.comwrote in message
news:11**********************@75g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...

hello,

i work on a private enterprise intranet. we now have a business need
for opening other desktop applications, from my web app's click events.
(my application is not entirely complete, so when user's click some of
the absent-functionality, we need the desktop app to fire up). some of
these apps are started via the command-line.

is this possible? i imagine so, even if it meant working w/ ActiveX
controls or whatnot.

can anyone point me in the proper direction?
thanks,
matt

Jul 24 '06 #2

matt

excellent.

as for the user and clicking, it should be fine. the web app is mostly
finished, but where it isnt we want to open up the proper standalone
apps. so say they click on a link for an unfinished webpage, the link's
click code-behind will open the corresponding desktop app.
thanks,
matt
Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP] wrote:

Hi Matt,

With the proper permissions, a Web page can run an application using

Process.Start(myFavoritesPath)
Process.Start("execpgm.exe", "param")

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/53ezey2s.aspx

Beware that a program that launches a GUI is going to get you into trouble
because there's nobody around to provide user input such as text and clicks.

If your Winapp exposes an object model via COM, you'd be better to call
those methods programmatically.

Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

<ma**@mailinator.comwrote in message
news:11**********************@75g2000cwc.googlegro ups.com...

hello,

i work on a private enterprise intranet. we now have a business need
for opening other desktop applications, from my web app's click events.
(my application is not entirely complete, so when user's click some of
the absent-functionality, we need the desktop app to fire up). some of
these apps are started via the command-line.

is this possible? i imagine so, even if it meant working w/ ActiveX
controls or whatnot.

can anyone point me in the proper direction?
thanks,
matt

Jul 24 '06 #3

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP]

Hi Matt,

I was referring to running a desktop app only on the Web server, not the
client.

You'll have a ton of problems trying to open a Windows app on each user's
desktop from a browser link - if that's what you meant.

Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

<ma**@mailinator.comwrote in message
news:11**********************@s13g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

excellent.

as for the user and clicking, it should be fine. the web app is mostly
finished, but where it isnt we want to open up the proper standalone
apps. so say they click on a link for an unfinished webpage, the link's
click code-behind will open the corresponding desktop app.
thanks,
matt
Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP] wrote:

>Hi Matt,

With the proper permissions, a Web page can run an application using

Process.Start(myFavoritesPath)
Process.Start("execpgm.exe", "param")

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/53ezey2s.aspx

Beware that a program that launches a GUI is going to get you into
trouble
because there's nobody around to provide user input such as text and
clicks.

If your Winapp exposes an object model via COM, you'd be better to call
those methods programmatically.

Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

<ma**@mailinator.comwrote in message
news:11**********************@75g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...

hello,

i work on a private enterprise intranet. we now have a business need
for opening other desktop applications, from my web app's click events.
(my application is not entirely complete, so when user's click some of
the absent-functionality, we need the desktop app to fire up). some of
these apps are started via the command-line.

is this possible? i imagine so, even if it meant working w/ ActiveX
controls or whatnot.

can anyone point me in the proper direction?
thanks,
matt

Jul 24 '06 #4

matt

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP] wrote:

You'll have a ton of problems trying to open a Windows app on each user's
desktop from a browser link - if that's what you meant.

it is. what sort of problems are there? i know where each desktop app
lives on the file structure of every client machine; these are
scripted-installs on unflexible office machines.

isnt this what activeX is for -- to run local (client) programs? i cant
imagine it being that difficult...

do you know which libraries will help me accomplish this?
thanks,
matt

Jul 25 '06 #5

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP]

Hi Matt,

Yes, ActiveX will do that, but users need to handle the warning dialogue
boxes that IE throws up.

If you're working in the .NET world, you'd want to explore ClickOnce too.

Ken
Microsoft MVP [ASP.NET]

<ma**@mailinator.comwrote in message
news:11**********************@m73g2000cwd.googlegr oups.com...

>
Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP] wrote:

>You'll have a ton of problems trying to open a Windows app on each user's
desktop from a browser link - if that's what you meant.

it is. what sort of problems are there? i know where each desktop app
lives on the file structure of every client machine; these are
scripted-installs on unflexible office machines.

isnt this what activeX is for -- to run local (client) programs? i cant
imagine it being that difficult...

do you know which libraries will help me accomplish this?
thanks,
matt

Jul 25 '06 #6

matt

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP] wrote:

Yes, ActiveX will do that, but users need to handle the warning dialogue
boxes that IE throws up.

not a problem. in fact, i realized that the most lo-tech solution would
do the same: <a href="file://PATH">. w/ that i can load up the other
apps.. works so far in my limited tests. just gotta figure out if i can
add command-line switches w/ that.

If you're working in the .NET world, you'd want to explore ClickOnce too.

i looked up ClickOnce, but it appears to be a type of .NET 2.0
application -- self-contained desktop winapps? on the surface i dont
see how that will help me get ASP.NET 1.1 pages to fire up client
desktop apps..?
thanks,
matt

Jul 25 '06 #7

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP]

i looked up ClickOnce, but it appears to be a type of .NET 2.0

application -- self-contained desktop winapps? on the surface i dont
see how that will help me get ASP.NET 1.1 pages to fire up client
desktop apps..?

You can push the latest versions of apps out to them. Probably not worth it
in your case.

Jul 25 '06 #8

matt

Ken Cox [Microsoft MVP] wrote:

i looked up ClickOnce, but it appears to be a type of .NET 2.0
application -- self-contained desktop winapps? on the surface i dont
see how that will help me get ASP.NET 1.1 pages to fire up client
desktop apps..?

You can push the latest versions of apps out to them. Probably not worth it
in your case.

yeah i still dont follow there. the applications are legacy and already
exist, re-writing them in .NET isnt an option at the moment (otherwise,
i wouldnt need the links to fire them up!).
thanks,
matt

Jul 26 '06 #9