Opening a networked file from a web page

Rexxar · 4 Sep 2021 at 21:02

I eventually got my CSS page working that i posted about an eternity ago, thanks to all that contributed to helping me reach a solution with that.

I've now hit another issue. If i try to open a file (From a networked drive) via a link in the HTML , I can only seem to download a copy , I want it just to open it so it can be updated and then saved.

Currently have it on my desktop (In the form of a shortcut) and can open it, update it, and save it again (Excel Doc) , I've tried a few different ways but they all result in the file downloading.

Anyone got a suggestion or is this just not possible?

peterwalkley · 5 Sep 2021 at 13:08

I don't think using a standard link is going to work as its would be a security hole. You're going to need to get your hands dirty with javascript and the file system API.

See here for official docs: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System_Access_API

See here for an more detailed overview: https://web.dev/file-system-access/

throwaway4372 · 5 Sep 2021 at 13:27

the web server tells the browser the content type via the mime type http header.
web servers are configured with a list of mime types and file extensions, you can amend this configuration as needed.
you can also specify the header programatically in your chosen back-end language.
the browser determines what to do with the content type, it will default to downloading.
further reading: https://stackoverflow.com/questions...eet-to-open-excel-instead-of-a-browser-window

Rexxar · 6 Sep 2021 at 03:46

Thanks @peterwalkley and @throwaway4372 , I think i'm way out of my depth here now but will take a look at both of those.