Opening URL via batch file
 

Pulling my hair out here. As part of a batch file, I'd like to open up a browser to a specific webpage. Now, at a command line, for both firefox and ie, you can type "c:\(program directories)\(browser executable) http://www.tfproject.org" and it will open the browser up a ok to the page. The second I slap it in the batch file, though, the whole thing decides it won't work. I've tried it alone too, in various forms, and it's a no go. From trial and error, it seems like the culprit might be the space between the executable and the url. quotes, no quotes, cd\(directory) then (command), I can't get anything to work. Argh!! Any insight?

ps, this is xp

it is feeding it to explorer when you use the run command, in a batch file it is a bit difrent, call explorer and feed the URL as an argument.

This works in a batch file for me:

"C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" "http://www.google.com"

edit: clarity

Thanks guys, both options work :D Going with spindles just cause it matches the rest of the file nicely. You guys rock!

edit: and now I've got one more minor problem with this thing. I can't get the cmd.exe window to close at the end of starting all of the files (it wants to stay open until I CLOSE all of the files for some reason). I'm using a really sloppy format that looks like "c:\program"|"c:\program"|etc. I initialy tried having seperate lines, but the batch would pause after each program, waiting for me to close the one it opened before starting the new one.

Probably something easy here, but I haven't touched .bats since dos 6.0 really. And every time I google I'm not getting the answers :(

put a start at teh begining of the line

start explorer "www.google.com"

or the same for the other one

If you want to keep using your existing structure and just make the batch file close after running the commands, simply but the exit command at the end.

That was my initial thought too, but it doesn't seem to work. I've tried exit, |exit, "exit", and |"exit" at the end of the line and as a second line. But still the cursed thing sits on my desktop, mocking me, laughing away.

did you try leading the line with 'start' ?

Yup, in ever case, leading with start seemed to have no bearing on the batches behavior.

start is designed to open the command in a new window, so that the original cna close when it finishes. can i see your code.

Due to NDA stuff and the fact that I know some members of TFP definately fall under it's protection, I can't list the exact code, but this is the gist of it:

That works just fine in getting the job done. If I parse it with start| and |exit , it runs as normal, then opens up a new cmd.exe window at the end for the directory where the batch file is, leaving me with two of the things staring defiantely at me.

Sorry if I'm being incredibly obtuse here :(

edit: It's just the start| that causes the new window to open. The |exit on the end shows no change if it's there or not, regardless of if start| is at the begining.

why do you referance firefox? if it is the default browser it should use it. besides that

let me try and understand what you want.

1st you want to open a file in a program, then you want to open a URL in browser

here we go:

no exit at all, you dont need it, you only need exit if you want to end the batch file befor it reaches the last line of code.

i have no clue why you have so many Pipes "|" in your code either.

Thanks for your patience and help Dilbert, I appreciate it.

The pipes are there because the information I was able to find on my own suggested that as a way to start multiple processes via a batch. The sample with the pipes in it does everything I want to a T except closing the cmd.exe window, and every other method I tried I couldn't get to work even that well.

As per your suggestion, I tried this one:
This only comes up partialy functional for me. Lines 1 and 4 go off just like they should. The initial cmd window closes as I'd like with this one. But now, lines 2 and 3 don't actualy start the programs, but rather open up a cmd window titled "c:\path2/3.exe" with a prompt at wherever the batch file is located. I built the second batch by deleting the pipes, inserting the starts and breaks, so I know there aren't any typos in the paths.

firefox is my default browser and running "explorer http://www.google.com" opens up IE...

I think his pipes are line breaks in his batch file.

I mistyped that, it should be

start http:\\URL

that will start with the default browser.

Ok I think I got it this time. Before you execute the program change the directory to the directory that contains it. It seems like it is finicky with quotes.

Ie

Cd “c:\path to the file\”
Start file.exe
Cd c:\path to other file\”
Start otherfile.exe

That's it! Works perfectly now with the cd\ command to the directory then starting the executable.

Thanks ever so much sir.

ahahaha finaly...

well glad i could help.