This is part of The Pile, a partial archive of some open source mailing lists and newsgroups.
Subject: How to open file with HTML upon selection From: Bob Hartung <rwhart@netexpress.net> Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 19:55:13 -0500 Okay, I know this is not the right place but there IS someone here who has the answer based on my past experience. Problem: I am writing a script to allow one of my technologists to select several image files (some avi files), and automatically generate an HTML document that will allow computer illiterate physicians to place the CD into their CD-ROM and have the CD automatically run giving them a list of the files on the CD to choose from. Upon clicking on their choice I would like it to open, and in the case of an avi file to start the media player [for now I have to expect that they will have either the Mac or Win platforms]. Solution: If I map this as an <A HREF=" " ></A> it offers the ability to save the file to disk. I would rather have it just open the player. Any Ideas. I am not a highly experience html coder. === Subject: Re: How to open file with HTML upon selection From: Bob Hartung <rwhart@netexpress.net> Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 21:19:59 -0500 Vidiot wrote: > > Bob Hartung posted: > > >Okay, I know this is not the right place but there IS someone here who > >has the answer based on my past experience. > > > > Problem: I am writing a script to allow one of my technologists to > >select several image files (some avi files), and automatically generate > >an HTML document that will allow computer illiterate physicians to place > >the CD into their CD-ROM and have the CD automatically run giving them a > >list of the files on the CD to choose from. > > Upon clicking on their choice I would like it to open, and in the > >case of an avi file to start the media player [for now I have to expect > >that they will have either the Mac or Win platforms]. > > > > Solution: If I map this as an <A HREF=" " ></A> it offers the > >ability to save the file to disk. I would rather have it just open the > >player. Any Ideas. I am not a highly experience html coder. > > You can't do that. You are asking the web server, which is a computer > somewhere out there in internet land, to be able to see the contents of > a CD that is located on the user's computer. That is a MAJOR breach of > security. > > Why the Hell do you want to use a web page to see the contents of a local > CD? Just running the file manager on either platform will solve that > problem. Double-clicking the file name will start the necessary application. > > Am I missing something here? I will try to clarify. We will distribute fairly large avi and static image files of diagnostic studies (MRI, CT, CT Angiography) on CD to referring physicians. Due to large sizes (upwards of 20-30 MB for some avi files internet distribution is not appropriate. Upon inserting the CD into his/her computer I will have autoplay start up the CD and display a web page with their viewing choices listed in common terminology. [I can write the code to write the html document that needs to be displayed okay]. Consider: one high-resolution chest CT done as a screening study for lung cancer can contain up to 300 0.5mm images. Our diagnostic review station can assemble these into an avi movie for review and can reformat them into any of the three main axes or any intermediate straight or curved plane. To distribute these on film (12-15 images per 14" x 17" page at a cost of about $4 per sheet of film including acquisition and processing the cost is high indeed! Also the CDs are much easier to distribute and occupy far less space in a patient's record at his/her referring physician. We do not need them back as we have permanent archives on tape that we can easily recall to review. I just want to avoid the popup that gives them the opportunity to save the file to their PC instead of just playing the avi or displaying the image (jpeg is the only format exported by our equipment). So the web page is just a way of allowing them to select the files to view not a method of actually displaying the files. I hope this clears up my initial post. === Subject: Re: How to open file with HTML upon selection From: Vidiot <brown@mrvideo.vidiot.com> Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 21:48:07 -0500 (CDT) Bob reposted: >I will try to clarify. We will distribute fairly large avi and static >image files of diagnostic studies (MRI, CT, CT Angiography) on CD to >referring physicians. Due to large sizes (upwards of 20-30 MB for some >avi files internet distribution is not appropriate. Upon inserting the >CD into his/her computer I will have autoplay start up the CD and >display a web page with their viewing choices listed in common >terminology. [I can write the code to write the html document that needs >to be displayed okay]. > >Consider: one high-resolution chest CT done as a screening study for >lung cancer can contain up to 300 0.5mm images. Our diagnostic review >station can assemble these into an avi movie for review and can reformat >them into any of the three main axes or any intermediate straight or >curved plane. To distribute these on film (12-15 images per 14" x 17" >page at a cost of about $4 per sheet of film including acquisition and >processing the cost is high indeed! Also the CDs are much easier to >distribute and occupy far less space in a patient's record at his/her >referring physician. We do not need them back as we have permanent >archives on tape that we can easily recall to review. > >I just want to avoid the popup that gives them the opportunity to save >the file to their PC instead of just playing the avi or displaying the >image (jpeg is the only format exported by our equipment). So the web >page is just a way of allowing them to select the files to view not a >method of actually displaying the files. I hope this clears up my >initial post. Ah, OK. Gotcha. Unfortunately you are at the mercy of the owner of the computer. One person may set up their preferences to save to a file, while others will let the default take over, i.e., play the AVI file. But, there is a company/program that allows you to do what you want and that is Macromedia. As an example, Paramount sent out the ad materials to the stations that purchased Voyager, on CD. It contains lots of images and text. It was put together for Windoze and Mac users. Even though this CD didn't have any AVI files, they can. The whole thing is menu driven. Talk with the Macromedia people, they can help you out. There are too many variables doing it via HTML. === Subject: Re: How to open file with HTML upon selection From: Bob Hartung <rwhart@netexpress.net> Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2000 21:53:53 -0500 Thanks to all who responded. I have an idea of where to start. I will play with the autorun.inf file and at the least they can open the CD and click on each avi file or image to display. ===