Web page run local app

[Garry]

I need to build a web site that can automatically download a file from
the server to the users local C: drive and then open the file in Word
on the local PC)

How can I do this ?

If i write a vb program to do the download, howto I link this to the
web site / web page?

any ideas PLEASE .

thank you

 

[Patrice]

This is not possible (for safety reasons or unless you are allowed to modify
the behavior). You could have the user click on the link and they could then
choose to save (where the want) or open the file. Is this enough ?

If you target enterprise controlled computer you could deploy an ActiveX
control, a Java applet or a .NET control that would be allowed to do that
(or use the network ?)...

 

[Garry]

thanks for your reply.

i thinka .NET control is the way forward. Is there anywhere I can get
a sample of how to integrate a simple .NET control into a web page, to
preform a local task. Also, how to download the .NET control to the
local PC?

Garry

 

[Patrice]

You may still want to consider this as I'm not sure to see what is the added
value i.e. if you do this the "normal" way :
- the user will choose if the file should be saved (and at which location)
or opened (it is then written in a local temp directory before being opened)

With the other solution, the only added value I see is that :
- the user will not be prompted (which is also a risk)
- it will be saved at a program defined location

For this you'll need to have the user to download/accept a java applet,
activex control, .NET control (and you need to have the Java Virutal
machine, the .NET framework or whatever technology you relly on to be
installed client side plus to deploy a security policy or have the user to
allows those operations).

They are hosted in a page using the applet or object tag. For example
http://aspnet.4guysfromrolla.com/articles/052604-1.aspx.

For now I'm really not sure it"'s worth the trouble and I would just keep
the usual behavior. Are you familiar with this ? Have you already tried an
anchor link ?

You may want also to explain a bit what you are trying to do. Sometimes
having the whole picture raises better suggestions (for example if you want
to perform many local tasks you could perhaps then have just a local
application that talks with web services or some other solution etc)...

 

[Onder]

Hi Pratice i have tried the link you gave . for some reason i cannot
add a dll file to the toolbox of the ASP.NET website project.
would you have any ideas
thanks for your help

 

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

i thinka .NET control is the way forward. Is there anywhere I can get
a sample of how to integrate a simple .NET control into a web page, to
preform a local task. Also, how to download the .NET control to the
local PC?

I would have to agree with Patrice on this i.e. I think you're going to make
a great deal of work for very little benefit, not to mention all the
security loops you're going to have to jump through...

Is there any reason why the users can't simply download the document to
their local machine and then just click on it...?

 

[Garry]

I have created a .NET control in VB. I then created a .NET ASP web
project. I then tried to add this control (.dll) to the web project. I
CANT however drop the the .NET control on the ASP web project. i have
tried to drag & drop on to visual studio 2005 - butwhen i drop the
control, its not there!

Any suggestion plesae.

thanks

 

[Onder]

We want it to be downloaded automatically so that they can run it from
their local machine. we dont want the users to click download then
browse then save it. we want it to be saved automatically to a
directory that we define

 

[Garry]

The reason I dont want the user to manually is that I am trying to
rewrite a normal VB6 .exe program into a web page. I am wrying to make
the user experience as simple as it is in the VB6 app. I dont want the
user to Browse, Upload or Save.

I need code running locally.

this will be just for our clients - not the public visiting our web
site.

Garry

 

[Juan T. Llibre]

You don't drag & drop dll's onto the project.
You add a reference to the dll. VS takes care of the rest.

Also, you can simply copy the dll to the /bin directory of your web app.
That will automagically be recognized by ASP.NET.

 

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

We want it to be downloaded automatically so that they can run it from
their local machine. we dont want the users to click download then
browse then save it. we want it to be saved automatically to a
directory that we define

You have (almost) no chance of doing that. The whole architecture of web
applications is designed to prevent precisely this sort of behaviour.
Imagine how much fun virus and trojan writers could have if it were possible
for them to download a file onto a user's machine into a directory of their
choice and then run that file, all without any interaction from the user...

I would strongly urge you to rethink your design...

 

[Mark Rae [MVP]]

I dont want the user to Browse, Upload or Save.

In which case, you've chosen the wrong solution for your application...

I need code running locally.

You have (almost) no chance of doing that. The whole architecture of web
applications is designed to prevent precisely this sort of behaviour.
Imagine how much fun virus and trojan writers could have if it were possible
for them to download a file onto a user's machine into a directory of their
choice and then run that file, without any interaction from the user...

I would strongly urge you to rethink your design...

this will be just for our clients - not the public visiting our web site.

In which case, I'd stay with WinForms...

 

[Patrice]

Not sure to understand. If you want to run a control client side you don't
have to add it to the project. It is just a DLL that will be read by the
page so that you can run client side (using an object tag)

This is opposed to ASP.NET server side controls that are running server side
to generate the HTML markup that will be sent to the client.

 

[Garry]

Dear Mark

thank you for your reply.

although I understand your reasoning, I am aware of many other web
sites that download software to enhance their functionality. One such
example is logmein.com - Rescue product, which allows remote control
through a browser. I use this product (which is excellent) - an is a
good example of major enhancemtnts to a browsers functionality.

regards

Garry