Member Avatar for prophetboy

Hi everyone
I'm more than a little stuck and would appreciate a hint. I'm struggling to read files in a folder and then pass the variable to the following:

</body>

<OBJECT ID="MediaPlayer" width=320 height=310 classid="CLSID:22D6F312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95" type="application/x-oleobject">
<PARAM NAME="FileName" VALUE="video/RC Radio Controlled Model Airplane [from].wmv">
<PARAM NAME="AutoStart" Value="false">
<PARAM NAME="ShowControls" VALUE="true">
<PARAM NAME="ShowStatusBar" VALUE="false">
<PARAM NAME="Enabled" VALUE="true">
</OBJECT>

<FORM name="MediaForm">
<SELECT NAME="VidChange" onChange="{document.MediaPlayer.FileName = document.MediaForm.VidChange.options[document.MediaForm.VidChange.selectedIndex].value}">
<OPTION VALUE="video/RC Radio Controlled Model Airplane [from].wmv">RC radio plane flick
<OPTION VALUE="C:\Desktop special\leftmenu\video\intro.wmv">Intro
</SELECT>
Loop:
<INPUT TYPE="checkbox" NAME="VidRepeat" onClick="{if ( document.forms.MediaForm.VidRepeat.checked == true){document.MediaPlayer.PlayCount = 999}else {document.MediaPlayer.PlayCount = 1 }}">
</FORM>
</body>

I just learning scripting languages...really it's all new to me.
Thanks very much

Prophetboy

  • 4 Contributors
  • 6 Replies
  • 124 Views
  • 2 Years Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by johnvarenda

Dani AI

Generated

Quick summary and practical options (updated):

Browsers intentionally prevent plain client-side JavaScript from enumerating arbitrary folders on the user’s disk. As pointed out, server-side code or a trusted native app is required for full directory access; is right that desktop languages (VB/Perl) can do it too. For a workable solution today there are three common approaches depending on whether this is only for your machine or meant to be served to others.

If you can run a local server (recommended for testing and publishing)

  • Use a tiny server-side script (PHP, Node, etc.) to read the folder and emit the <select> options. Example PHP snippet (place next to your video folder and load the page via HTTP):
    <?php
$dir = 'video';
foreach (array_diff(scandir($dir), ['.','..']) as $f) {
$ext = strtolower(pathinfo($f, PATHINFO_EXTENSION));
if (in_array($ext, ['mp4','webm','ogv','wmv'])) {
  echo '<option value="'.htmlspecialchars("$dir/$f").'">'.htmlspecialchars($f).'</option>';
}
}
?>

    Run a local server (for quick testing python -m http.server or use PHP built-in server) so links resolve with HTTP URLs instead of C:\ paths.

If it must be purely client-side on your desktop

  • Let the user pick the folder. Modern options: an <input type="file" webkitdirectory> to get a FileList, or the File System Access API (showDirectoryPicker()) to iterate files. These let JavaScript read filenames and create blob URLs for playback. See the browser docs: input file and File System Access API.

Compatibility and format notes

  • The old WMP ActiveX approach only works in Internet Explorer. Prefer the HTML5 video element (video) and convert WMV to MP4/WebM for broad browser support.

Recommended Answers

All 6 Replies

Member Avatar for alpha_foobar

You can't do this with a HTML scripting language.

If you use a server side language - something like JSP, ASP, PHP etc, then you can scan the server directories and populate a list in the webpage.

Also, remember to use web URL paths and not filesystem paths:

C:\Desktop special\leftmenu\video\intro.wmv

These will work when you are testing on your computer at home, but not when you publish to the web.

Cheers.

Member Avatar for prophetboy

Thanks for replying but I think I stated my intentions poorly. What I want to do is scan a folder for specific files (on my own computer) and then put them in a list box as a selection. I'm putting this page on my desktop as a web page. I'm trying to use a scripting language such as JavaScript to read the files from a selection.

I tried to use this to read a fold but I couldn't get it to work for me.

The next is a copy of the original project I found and was endeavoring to change.

you will see on the left menu there are selections. I want to be able to select one and have a media play show a list box show the videos in the folder.

Right now I live in China and can't run to the store to buy English books and I've looked on the net but I'm not having a lot of luck finding the material.

can you help

Chad

Member Avatar for MidiMagic

Scripting languages are generally prohibited from searching a computer outside the web page environment for security reasons

I have written such a function in Visual Basic.

Member Avatar for alpha_foobar

It is possible to run applications on the client machine, but this is usually not appreciated by the user and involves signing trusted code.

A better alternative may be to request the client user to browse their computer for a file they want to load.

Unless this is only meant to be for your use.

Member Avatar for MidiMagic

Use VB or Perl to do things on your own computer.

Member Avatar for johnvarenda

hi...
I too had the same problem.But you message worked good..
Let me explain about the TWAIN and OCR.

You can't do this with a HTML scripting language.

If you use a server side language - something like JSP, ASP, PHP etc, then you can scan the server directories and populate a list in the webpage.

Also, remember to use web URL paths and not filesystem paths:

These will work when you are testing on your computer at home, but not when you publish to the web.

Cheers.

Edited by Ezzaral because: Snipped url. Keep it on site.
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