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Running EXE like installing software on Web (PHP)

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:02 am
by xfuture
okay... im a software engineer...
recently im doing a website for a service providing company
which they will installed (already in their client's pc) a software...

then now in my website.. will provide updating patches for user to update their software (or add some files in specific folder)...
but that patches is in exe form.. just like normal installation file..

The confirmation form is OK to provide to the client..
which mean I'm NOT those want installing software in Transparetly/Invisible...
(as i search around forum.. alot ppl are looking for this)..
My purpose is actually want the clients Open the EXE file directly instead of Download+Open..

I've search around some ActiveX forum.. which alot people saying that PHP is unable to do that ? (I'm not sure about this)

So.. right now.. who can give some opinion or codes that actually can doing this ?

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:16 am
by aaronhall
Doesn't sound like PHP will do the job. PHP only sends the data and information about the data to the browser -- the browser handles the rest. I doubt that you'll find a browser that will run an executable without the users permission. Except maybe IE -- you're best bet is an ActiveX control (would work in IE only, though).

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:24 am
by xfuture
okay.. what if Assume that.. all client is ONLY using IE ??

P/S: I can have User's Permission before installing, a Prompt or something..

Re: Running EXE like installing software on Web (PHP)

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:28 am
by onion2k
xfuture wrote:I've search around some ActiveX forum.. which alot people saying that PHP is unable to do that ? (I'm not sure about this)
PHP can do exactly the same as any other server side language.

What's wrong with having the "Open or Save As.." dialogue? Just tell the users to click "Open" .. make the link to the .exe something like "Click here to update (select "open from current location" when prompted)".

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:30 am
by aaronhall
I don't know anything about ActiveX, except that, in the past, it had something to do with executing remote files on my machine without my permission. You might start there

Re: Running EXE like installing software on Web (PHP)

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:31 am
by xfuture
onion2k wrote: PHP can do exactly the same as any other server side language.

What's wrong with having the "Open or Save As.." dialogue? Just tell the users to click "Open" .. make the link to the .exe something like "Click here to update (select "open from current location" when prompted)".
Erm.. because most of our client is Female..
(Im sorry to say that part of the females is really lack of computer knowledge.. and some of them might mess up with those files!)
which we mean to minimize the problem...

Would you like to advise me how PHP doing that ?

Re: Running EXE like installing software on Web (PHP)

Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 3:38 am
by aaronhall
xfuture wrote:Would you like to advise me how PHP doing that ?
PHP cannot.