Launching the Default Windows Application using a Java Application

by Michael Thomas

(Tutorial Home Page)

This example launches the default application (Default Browser) for a .html file on a computer running a Windows OS.

• The source - right click, then choose "Save Target As" and save to your local.  The open with an Editor.
  HTML file - this is the file that the Java Application will open with the default browser.
• This example must be run as an application, not from a browser as an applet.  Also, this example only runs on Windows machines.
• Here is a code sample from the source file:
  
  String strCmd = "";
  String strWindowsCommand = "rundll32 url.dll,FileProtocolHandler" + " ";
  strCmd = strWindowsCommand + "MyLaunchDefaultBrowserExample.html";
  
  try {
    Process p = Runtime.getRuntime().exec(strCmd);
  } catch ( Exception eExec ) {
    System.out.println( eExec.toString() );
  }