How to Open Local Directories as Hyperlinks?

Navigating Local Directories via Hyperlink

While attempting to initiate a local directory view upon link interaction, you may encounter limitations. However, there is a solution that addresses this issue and works seamlessly across various browsers.

Implementation Methodology

Since direct path opening or explorer launch from an HTML page is restricted for security reasons, a more feasible approach involves providing a downloadable link (.URL or .LNK).

Recommended Path: .URL

.URL files, being text-based, are dynamically generatable. To implement this solution:

1. Ensure that your web server supports the .url MIME type.
2. Craft a .url file with the following content:

<code class="txt">[InternetShortcut]
URL=file:///D:</code>

3. Provide a link to either the dynamically generated .url script or the .url file itself in your HTML:

   <code class="html"><a href="URIShortcut.url">Round-About Linking</a></code>

Browser-Specific Behavior

• Chrome: Prompts download of file.url, then opens it. This behavior can be optimized by enabling "Always open files of this type."
• Firefox: Similar to Chrome, file.url is downloaded and subsequently opened.
• Internet Explorer: No need to save a shortcut; clicking "Open" directly accesses the specified directory.

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