PHP-generated link to local file doesn't work when clicked on. Why?

[wylbur37]

I'm running an Apache server on my own computer (Windows XP Pro).

I wrote a simple PHP script (called test3.php) that I'm running by
putting the following URL in the address bar of the browser (Firefox)
....

http://localhost/test3.php

The script generates the following link using the echo statement ...

<a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>

("C:/pictures/xyz.jpg", as you can guess by now, is an image file on
my harddrive, but it's not in the document root).

When I clicked on the link, nothing happened. However, if I
RIGHT-click on it and select "Copy link location" (which copies the
URL to the clipboard) and then paste the URL into the address bar of
the browser, the picture then displays correctly.

Why did it not work when I clicked on the link the first time, but it
only worked when I pasted the link to the address bar?

Is there some special notation/syntax that I need to use to get this
to work properly?

[John Dunlop]

wylbur37:

<a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>

I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits and
does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.

--
Jock

[wylbur37]

John Dunlop wrote:

wylbur37:

<a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>

I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits and
does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.

I have several webpages of HTML code, many of them containing links
to local files on my harddrive (just like the one show above),
and they work just fine when the webpage is opened explicitly
from the browser (and not passed through a local server).

[Oli Filth]

John Dunlop said the following on 26/05/2006 16:02:

wylbur37:

<a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>

I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits and
does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.

I'm not sure this makes any sense at all. By definition, a "file://"
link is not an "http://" link, and so doesn't involve HTTP.

As for why it doesn't work for the OP, though, I have no idea.

--
Oli

[robert]

"John Dunlop" <us*********@jo hn.dunlop.name> wrote in message
news:11******** **************@ u72g2000cwu.goo glegroups.com.. .
| wylbur37:
|
| > <a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>
|
| I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
| however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits and
| does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.

not sure about that. i'd try taking out the additional / after file before
thinking that were the case...

<a href="file://c:/picures/xyz.jpg">file system picture here if clicked</a>

[robert]

"Oli Filth" <ca***@olifilth .co.uk> wrote in message
news:k2******** ********@newsfe 4-gui.ntli.net...
| John Dunlop said the following on 26/05/2006 16:02:
| > wylbur37:
| >
| >> <a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>
| >
| > I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
| > however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits and
| > does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.
|
| I'm not sure this makes any sense at all. By definition, a "file://"
| link is not an "http://" link, and so doesn't involve HTTP.
|
| As for why it doesn't work for the OP, though, I have no idea.

actually oli, iirc the rfc for href is for a URI and not specifically a
URL...where the resource could be even something as non-url as a javascript
function. but i've been wrong before and my memory is not the best.

i think this doesn't work because of the additional / after file://

[Oli Filth]

robert said the following on 26/05/2006 16:36:

"Oli Filth" <ca***@olifilth .co.uk> wrote in message
news:k2******** ********@newsfe 4-gui.ntli.net...
| John Dunlop said the following on 26/05/2006 16:02:
| > wylbur37:
| >
| >> <a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>
| >
| > I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
| > however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits and
| > does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.
|
| I'm not sure this makes any sense at all. By definition, a "file://"
| link is not an "http://" link, and so doesn't involve HTTP.
|
| As for why it doesn't work for the OP, though, I have no idea.

actually oli, iirc the rfc for href is for a URI and not specifically a
URL...where the resource could be even something as non-url as a javascript
function.

Indeed, I'm aware of that ;) . However, I now realise that I've misread
John's post, so ignore what I said!
--
Oli

[robert]

"Oli Filth" <ca***@olifilth .co.uk> wrote in message
news:In******** *****@newsfe3-win.ntli.net...
| robert said the following on 26/05/2006 16:36:
| > "Oli Filth" <ca***@olifilth .co.uk> wrote in message
| > news:k2******** ********@newsfe 4-gui.ntli.net...
| > | John Dunlop said the following on 26/05/2006 16:02:
| > | > wylbur37:
| > | >
| > | >> <a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>
| > | >
| > | > I think - could be wrong - that Firefox doesn't follow file links,
| > | > however they're specified, in resources requested by HTTP. It sits
and
| > | > does nothing. Dunno what other browsers do.
| > |
| > | I'm not sure this makes any sense at all. By definition, a "file://"
| > | link is not an "http://" link, and so doesn't involve HTTP.
| > |
| > | As for why it doesn't work for the OP, though, I have no idea.
| >
| > actually oli, iirc the rfc for href is for a URI and not specifically a
| > URL...where the resource could be even something as non-url as a
javascript
| > function.
|
| Indeed, I'm aware of that ;) . However, I now realise that I've misread
| John's post, so ignore what I said!

there's a wink in there, oli...i know you know your stuff many times over.
that was my gentle supposition more for the op and john dunlop.

cheers.

[David Haynes]

wylbur37 wrote:

I have several webpages of HTML code, many of them containing links
to local files on my harddrive (just like the one show above),
and they work just fine when the webpage is opened explicitly
from the browser (and not passed through a local server).

Well... wouldn't this lead you to think about the web server blocking
the access to those files? I bet C:\pictures is not part of the normal
web space for your server. Try a simple page such as:

<html>
<head></head>
<body>
<img src="C:/pictures/xyz.jpg">
</body>
</html>

What do your web server logs tell you?

-david-

[wylbur37]

wylbur37 wrote:

I'm running an Apache server on my own computer (Windows XP Pro).

I wrote a simple PHP script (called test3.php) that I'm running by
putting the following URL in the address bar of the browser (Firefox)

http://localhost/test3.php

The script generates the following link using the echo statement ...

<a href="file:///C:/pictures/xyz.jpg"> Picture </a>

("C:/pictures/xyz.jpg", as you can guess by now, is an image file on
my harddrive, but it's not in the document root).

When I clicked on the link, nothing happened. However, if I
RIGHT-click on it and select "Copy link location" (which copies the
URL to the clipboard) and then paste the URL into the address bar of
the browser, the picture then displays correctly.

Why did it not work when I clicked on the link the first time, but it
only worked when I pasted the link to the address bar?

Is there some special notation/syntax that I need to use to get this
to work properly?

I just tried running the same script while in Internet Explorer
and it works.

But when I run it in Mozilla 1.4 (suite) or Firefox 1.5,
I get the problem described above.

Usually it's the other way around (i.e., it doesn't work in Internet
Explorer
but works in Mozilla or Firefox).

It must be because of some setting in the browser.
I wonder what it could be.