open web browser using lua in a vlc extension

Question

I am writing a VLC extension in which i would like to open some url in a web browser( in lua of course ). So far, I have not been able to find any relevant code for opening the web browser from a lua script. Is there any way in which I can perform this task (say for example a google search of the file playing)?

I am able to create a link to the url using a dialog box, but i would like to skip this step and make it open without any user input.

I am a beginner to lua and to making VLC extentions( just started a few days back ) and have been trying things out since then.

any browser(preferably the system default). i just need to open a url.. — shaman_rajan
It depends on the operative system. I'm guessing you would have to a) detect the operative system host and b) execute an os-specific command via the command line. You might be able to do b) with the os.* lua package, if it's available for vlc extensions. I have no idea how to do a) from vlc though. — kikito
thanks kikito :) I'm working on windows, and i just used os.execute("start google.com") and it works. — shaman_rajan

Textmode Textmode · Accepted Answer · 2013-09-18T05:22:57

The exact command varies between operating systems:

On Windows:
start http://example.com/
On *nix (most portable option):
xdg-open "http://example.com/"
On OSX:
open http://example.com/

The following Lua sample should work on Windows, Linux, and OSX (Though I cannot test OSX).
It works by first checking Lua's package.config for the \\ directory separator (which, afaik, is only used on windows). That should only leave us with OSes that support uname. Then I take a flying leap and assume that Mac will identify as 'Darwin', and thus anything that doesn't is *nix.

Obviously, this is somewhat less than exhaustive.

-- Attempts to open a given URL in the system default browser, regardless of Operating System.
local open_cmd -- this needs to stay outside the function, or it'll re-sniff every time...
function open_url(url)
    if not open_cmd then
        if package.config:sub(1,1) == '\\' then -- windows
            open_cmd = function(url)
                -- Should work on anything since (and including) win'95
                os.execute(string.format('start "%s"', url))
            end
        -- the only systems left should understand uname...
        elseif (io.popen("uname -s"):read'*a') == "Darwin" then -- OSX/Darwin ? (I can not test.)
            open_cmd = function(url)
                -- I cannot test, but this should work on modern Macs.
                os.execute(string.format('open "%s"', url))
            end
        else -- that ought to only leave Linux
            open_cmd = function(url)
                -- should work on X-based distros.
                os.execute(string.format('xdg-open "%s"', url))
            end
        end
    end

    open_cmd(url)
end

open web browser using lua in a vlc extension

1 Answers