Two Methods to Determine What Browser is Installed

Keywords:     netscape internet explorer browser

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Question:

How do I determine what browser is installed on a given machine?

Answer:

Here are two methods:

1. In the first approach below, the Internet Shortcut file needs to have the following form (like an INI file):

   	[DEFAULT]
   	BASEURL=http://www.whereever.com/somepage.htm
   
   	[InternetShortcut]
   	URL=http://www.whereever.com/somepage.htm
   

   accomplished with the following code:

   
   	temp=Environment("TEMP")
   	if temp=="" then temp=Environment("TMP")
   	if temp=="" then temp="C:\"
   
   	where="http://www.yahoo.com/"
   
   	if strsub(temp,strlen(temp),1)!="\"
   		temp=strcat(temp,"\")
   	endif
   
   	url=strcat(temp,"$xyz.url")
   
   	xxx=FileOpen(url,"WRITE")
   		
   		FileWrite(xxx,"[DEFAULT]")
   		FileWrite(xxx,strcat("BASEURL=",where))
   		FileWrite(xxx,"[InternetShortCut]")
   		FileWrite(xxx,strcat("URL=",where))
   
   	FileClose(xxx)
   
   	ShellExecute(url,"","",@NORMAL,"OPEN")
   

   But I don't think NT 3.51 will pick up on that. You have to figure out the browser name and launch it like:

   	run("c:\program files\netscape\communicator\programs\netscape.exe","http://www.yahoo.com")
   

2. Or, another approach would be something like...

   ;WARNING WARNING NEVER NEVER
   ;JUST SET ERRORMODE(@OFF) AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCRIPT
   ;IT CAN PUT YOUR COMPANY OUT OF BUSINESS!!!
   ;MAKE SURE TO ISOLATE ITS USAGE AROUND A COUPLE OF LINES OF CODE, AS BELOW:
   
   Errormode(@off)
   
   ;HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Netscape.exe
   netscape=RegQueryValue(@RegMachine,"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Netscape.exe[]")
   ;HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE
   iexplorer=RegQueryValue(@RegMachine,"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE[]")
   
   ErrorMode(@CANCEL)
   
   
   if netscape!=0
          run(netscape,"")
   else
          if iexplorer!=0
             run(iexplorer,"")
          else
             Message("Ooopsie","Browser not found")
          endif
   endif
   exit
   

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Article ID:   W13346

Filename:   Determine what Browser is Installed.txt