Inspection of missing component
I am developing an application, and have in that respect, an ambition to check, via the web browser, whether the application is already installed on the local computer or not.
The application will speak with a webserver directly, once installed, but if it's not there, I'd like the user to be made aware of this, and given a link to download and install this application.
*This is not a browser applet, it's a free-standing application*
My question is:
Is it at all possible to use a local client script to determine whether a specified application is installed? Additionally, this should be done with javascript, since I hope to make it browser-independent.
I do not, at the stage of inspection, need to forward or talk to any web browsers, but simply to inform the user that the application is not installed, or that it is installed and everything's fine & dandy.
Can this be done with javascript alone?
[975 byte] By [
Efitap] at [2007-11-20 3:11:57]
# 1 Re: Inspection of missing component
Can this be done with javascript alone?
No. JavaScript affects the client's browser. JavaScript can have no affect of the file system.
You can use ActiveX which would easily work with the client's machine, but this will require Internet Explorer. You also could use client-side VBScript, but once again, that limits you to Internet Explorer.
FireFox and Mozilla see ActiveX and VBScript as security holes, and rightfully so, because they pretty much are.
# 2 Re: Inspection of missing component
Thanks,
I was hoping for a different answer, but expecting some limitation like this.
I was hoping to write something that could give me something to the likes of the flash player, where the user will get a message saying that the flash player is not installed on his browser, regardless of what browser he is using (at least among the big ones)
Again, thanks though
# 4 Re: Inspection of missing component
Sorry to disappoint you. Are you going to make a work around? Or are you going to give up on this?
I'll have to come up with something. It's probably going to be a java applet that checks the installation for the client, or a browser plug-in, even though the latter seems a bit overkill for the task (as does the java applet, but I am out of options)
# 7 Re: Inspection of missing component
The sad truth is that over 80% of the browsers out there are IE based, so the solution is Active X :/
Well, if that is the route you want to take, then good luck.
You figures are off though. Where did you obtain this information? It might have been correct about 2-3 years ago. It isn't now. For current results look here (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp).
