im trying to combine desktop apps (portable apps) and self-hosted webapps (using uniserver portable webserver), and found this URI scheme or URI protocols or URL protocols to be the answer to the problem.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\zotero]
@="URL:zotero"
"URL Protocol"=""
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\zotero\shell]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\zotero\shell\open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\zotero\shell\open\command]
@="\"[full path to firefox.exe on your computer]\firefox.exe" \"%1\""
you need to add the URI in the registry to make it work, so im looking for a URI Manager to handle these to prevent user error.
If I understand well you want to be able to launch a software from a based URL, correct?
Because if it is the case it is easily done. And could create such software for your needs.
Basically it will in a way download the software via default web browser and then run it from it's download location automatically. Or could download the software to a special given path and then run it without the need of a browser, deletion of this software (downloaded one) at closing of the main application. The software to launch has to be in memory but from a distant server this is the first idea that came to mind. You could of course, declare your favourite browser as a direct launcher, but I wouldn't do that; it needs as you remarked to write in the registry base with all the consequences it bares for various reasons included security reason. Would that do?
A list of URL could be included in some sort of database (CSV type like), editable. Would that do?