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> Using Firefox, but I want a link to open in Internet Explorer
Styler001
post Jun 29 2019, 12:27 PM
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I'm really not sure about posting this here since this is geared more towards website programming, but I posted on another HTML help forum a week ago and all I'm hearing there are crickets. sad.gif

If this should be removed from here, I'll understand.

Anyway, here's what I posted in the other forum...

QUOTE
My preferred choice of browser at work is Firefox. This works for almost all websites or apps I need to use/visit. However, there are a few apps we use that won't work on Firefox that we have to use Internet Explorer to open.

I made myself an HTML menu for the sites I use most often, but, for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get this one line of code to work. That's not the real site I want to access with Internet Explorer since the site I need is my company's internal site and I shouldn't show that here. I'll just use Google as an example, hoping the process would be the same for my company's site.

CODE
<td><a href="file:"/c:/Program Files/Internet Explorer/iexplore.exe " http://www.google.com" target="_blank">Google</a></td>

I'm pretty sure part of the problem is the quotes within the quotes. But I'm sure there's probably more to the problem than that. I've tried using the single quote and the &_quot; (without the _ but it won't let me type that here without displaying quotation marks) options, but couldn't get those to work either.

Again, I know this may not belong on this forum, but if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it.
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CharlesEF
post Jun 29 2019, 12:49 PM
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It has been many years since I faced this problem but it's not as easy as you might think. The solution required a Registry edit (to add an entry, oh I remember, it's called a protocol handler), which may not even work in Win10 anymore.

I suggest you look into the Chrome add-in 'IE Tab', which can be found here

This post has been edited by CharlesEF: Jun 29 2019, 12:56 PM
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Styler001
post Jun 29 2019, 01:18 PM
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Unfortunately, with this being a work computer, I can't install anything.
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pandy
post Jun 29 2019, 01:32 PM
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Some browsers have it built in. Just sayin'. cool.gif

Attached Image

I remember a standalone program. It lived in the tray and I think one copied the URL and could then choose from a configurable list of browsers to open the page in. Maybe something like that is still around?

It should not and can not be done from a web page. Neither can a program on the user's computer be run from a web page, thank heavens. But even so, your quotes aren't matched. happy.gif

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Styler001
post Jun 29 2019, 02:07 PM
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Hmmm. Forgot about the "send link to..." option, but, honestly, I'm probably not going to remember every time I go to click a link that needs to be opened in IE.

And I kinda figured my quotes were screwy. I played around with so many different configurations of them, I'm suprised they're aren't more quotes in there than there already are.

Even though you say this won't work, could you show me how the quotes within quotes should be set up in case I come across something where I need to deal with them again?
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pandy
post Jun 29 2019, 03:39 PM
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I don't know. It's not like there is a syntax for what you try to do... since you can't do it. But quote wise, one problem is the single quote in the middle with spaces around it.

CODE
href="file:"/c:/Program Files/Internet Explorer/iexplore.exe " http://www.google.com"
                                                            ^^^


I assume you mean to quote the URL/path to iexplore.exe? Then there should be no space before the quote. <a href="http://google.com ">Google</a> might work, but if it does it's because of browser correction.

Another problem is that you have put quotes around the path part of the URL at all. It's like writing.
CODE
<a href="http:'//google.com'">Google</a>

You quote the WHOLE URL, not part of it.

And that's one way to nest quotes, where nested quotes are allowed. Alternate double and single quotes. But I can think of few occasions in HTML when nested quotes could occur. The ones I can think of involve a string that is somehow passed... Like if I use mailto and there's a body text with quotes. But then they should be URL encoded. Alternating quotes won't do. Like this (the spaces and other characters that aren't allowed in URLs also should be URL encoded).

CODE
<a href="mailto:someone@example.com"?subject=Hamlet&body=Hamlet%20said:%20%22To%20be%20or%20not%20to%20be%2C%20that%20is%20the%20question.%22.">


But if you use JavaScript to write HTML, nested quotes are common and then alternating double and single quotes works. I still rather escape them. In the case of JavaScript with a backslash.


CODE
document.write('Hamlet said: "To be or not to be, that is the question."');

document.write("Hamlet said: \"To be or not to be, that is the question.\"");
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Christian J
post Jun 29 2019, 04:49 PM
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QUOTE(Styler001 @ Jun 29 2019, 09:07 PM) *

My preferred choice of browser at work is Firefox. This works for almost all websites or apps I need to use/visit. However, there are a few apps we use that won't work on Firefox that we have to use Internet Explorer to open.


QUOTE
Hmmm. Forgot about the "send link to..." option, but, honestly, I'm probably not going to remember every time I go to click a link that needs to be opened in IE.

Not sure I understand --do you want to view most of a (intranet?) web site in Firefox, but some of the pages there only work in Internet Explorer? And you want Internet Explorer to open the page automatically when Firefox follows links to such pages?

QUOTE
I made myself an HTML menu for the sites I use most often

I suppose you could add a text comment next to each Internet Explorer-only link:

CODE
<a href="foo.html">Foo (IE only)</a>

unsure.gif

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Christian J
post Jun 29 2019, 04:58 PM
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QUOTE(pandy @ Jun 29 2019, 08:32 PM) *

Some browsers have it built in. Just sayin'. cool.gif

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If you create URL desktop shortcuts in Windows, maybe this could work: https://www.technipages.com/windows-open-we...pecific-browser (I haven't tested)?
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pandy
post Jun 29 2019, 05:30 PM
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Why not? If the OP has his own HTML page with a link collection, he could as well have a special folder with shortcuts, I guess.

If it were the other way around, that IE was the default browser and FF should only be used for some links, HTA might work also. But now that isn't an option. Just came to think of it. Sorry for the noise. laugh.gif

I guess this won't do either?
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/open-with/
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Styler001
post Jun 30 2019, 01:39 AM
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QUOTE(Christian J @ Jun 29 2019, 02:49 PM) *

Not sure I understand --do you want to view most of a (intranet?) web site in Firefox, but some of the pages there only work in Internet Explorer? And you want Internet Explorer to open the page automatically when Firefox follows links to such pages?

This is exactly what I would like to happen.
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CharlesEF
post Jun 30 2019, 12:58 PM
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Since you can't install an add-on are you sure the company wants you messing around in the registry (to create a protocol handler, see here)?

How about using an HTA page? This would only work in Windows. An HTA page would allow you to use javascript to launch programs

This post has been edited by CharlesEF: Jun 30 2019, 01:01 PM
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pandy
post Jun 30 2019, 05:41 PM
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You are right. It's enough to have IE installed, you don't need to use it to view the HTA. Don't know what I was thinking, I said HTA runs as an application, still got it wrong.
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Christian J
post Jul 1 2019, 05:15 AM
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Seems .hta files can be a large security risk. Wonder if a company allows you to run them even on an intranet, if not even browser addons are allowed?
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pandy
post Jul 1 2019, 05:55 AM
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Question is if they can stop him from creating a HTA? Just as HTML it's just a text file.
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Christian J
post Jul 1 2019, 06:34 AM
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They could at least become annoyed. tongue.gif Hopefully the browser is not allowed to run .hta files from the Internet zone, possibly not from the intranet either. If the company has blocked browser addons maybe they've blocket HTA as well.
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pandy
post Jul 1 2019, 09:15 AM
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IIRC HTA can be run from the web, but only in IE. As it were, anyway.

HTA doesn't really run in IE locally not the normal way anyway. IE's rendering engine is used though. I don't find the MS page that actually explained it so I understood it back then, but here's what Wikipedia says.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_Application#Execution

I actually use HTA quite a lot, even if I haven't tried to learn anything more about it in decade. I use it for modeless info windows that I can run from my text editor. I have list of things I may need to look up, say reserved words in JS. Previously I used my text editor's own info windows which are modal, so I had to click them away to be able to continue typing. The HTAs can stay open as long as I need them, be minimizes and so on. I just use one of the old ones as a template when I want to create a new one. tongue.gif

I can share a cooking related one (in Swedish). Just save it as whatever.hta and double click the icon. biggrin.gif
The icon on the window's status bar won't work unless you create your own.

CODE

<html>

<head>
<title>Mått</title>
<HTA:APPLICATION
applicationName = "Socker"
caption = "yes"
borderStyle = "static"
innerBorder = "yes"
icon = "socker.ico"
</HTA:APPLICATION>

<style type="text/css">
<!--
body   { margin: 0; padding: .2em .3em 0;
         background: #f8f8f8; color: #555;
         font: 85% Verdana, sans-serif }
h3     { font-size: 105%; margin: 0; margin-top: .2em; margin-bottom: -.2em }
h2     { font-size: 115%; margin: 0; margin-top: .5em }
ul     { margin: 0 }
-->
</style>

<script type="text/javascript">
<!--

function resizeIt()
{
window.resizeTo(200,350);
}
onload = resizeIt;
//-->
</script>

</head>



<body>

<h2>Socker</h2>
<h3>Strösocker</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 dl = ca 90 g</li>
<li>1 msk  = 15 g</li>
<li>1 tsk = 5 g</li>
</ul>
<h3>Fruktsocker</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 dl = ca 70 g</li>
<li>1 msk  = ca 12 g</li>
<li>1 tsk = ca 4 g</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sirap</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 dl = 140 g</li>
<li>1 msk  = 20 g</li>
<li>1 tsk = 7 g</li>
</ul>
<h2>Mjöl</h2>
<h3>Vetemjöl</h3>
<ul>
<li>1 dl = 60 g</li>
<li>1 msk = 9 g</li>
</ul>


</body>
</html>
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Christian J
post Jul 1 2019, 12:24 PM
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QUOTE(pandy @ Jul 1 2019, 04:15 PM) *

IIRC HTA can be run from the web, but only in IE. As it were, anyway.

What about this Firefox support you mentioned then? unsure.gif

QUOTE
HTA doesn't really run in IE locally not the normal way anyway. IE's rendering engine is used though. I don't find the MS page that actually explained it so I understood it back then, but here's what Wikipedia says.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML_Application#Execution

Oh, so you can't run it by clicking a link (not a file!) or pasting a URL into the browser's address bar? That's a relief.

QUOTE
I can share a cooking related one (in Swedish). Just save it as whatever.hta and double click the icon. biggrin.gif

But I just changed the file association to a text editor, just in case. happy.gif
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Styler001
post Jul 2 2019, 07:27 AM
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QUOTE(Christian J @ Jun 29 2019, 02:58 PM) *

QUOTE(pandy @ Jun 29 2019, 08:32 PM) *

Some browsers have it built in. Just sayin'. cool.gif

Attached Image

If you create URL desktop shortcuts in Windows, maybe this could work: https://www.technipages.com/windows-open-we...pecific-browser (I haven't tested)?

Unfortunately, it looks like FF doesn't have that option.

I've tried having my menu run the desktop link like that site mentions, but it wanted me to save IE. That's why I came up with this topic.

Looks like my best option is just to do as was suggested and just note "IE only" or something like that in the option in my menu.

And, yes, in case someone wanted to point out, I know I can just make bookmarks, too.

I appreciate all of your suggestions and knowledge.
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pandy
post Jul 2 2019, 09:34 AM
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It's just you using that link collection. No need to be verbose. I'd just color the links differently.

QUOTE(Christian J @ Jul 1 2019, 07:24 PM) *

What about this Firefox support you mentioned then? unsure.gif


When did I say that?
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Christian J
post Jul 2 2019, 02:14 PM
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QUOTE(pandy @ Jul 2 2019, 04:34 PM) *

When did I say that?

It thought that's what you implied here:

QUOTE(pandy @ Jul 1 2019, 12:41 AM) *

It's enough to have IE installed, you don't need to use it to view the HTA.

unsure.gif Other than that I've only found this post from 2011 mentioning FF support: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/992695/...4857814#4857814

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