Reading a local txt file with predefined path...

[nonlinearly]

Hi, I recently discover that with HTML 5 can we access the local file system with easy. But regrets that the only way to feed the javascript code with the path of a file that we want to read for example is through the input element of file type. Unfortunately I have not found a way to use a predefine path.
Am I missing something? For that reason I follow another way trying to use specific technologies each browser has to have access to the pc's resources. For example in IE we have ActiveX, in Firefox we have add-ons and XPCOM.

Thanks in advance

[zcorpan]

You can't read files from the user's system without the user's consent, because that would be a huge privacy and security problem. The user needs to explicitly "share" a file with your app, either by selecting it in <input type=file> or by dragging it to your app.

[nonlinearly]

Yes, you are right... but it could be if there was an option in the browser that the user explicitly select like so many other security options that there are in the browsers...
And how can I make such functionality... ActiveX in IE and plugins on firefox (I do not know the ActiveX equivalent on Firefox if it is plugins) is the right way?
Thanks for your response...

[JAB Creations]

ActiveX is dead, don't even think about wasting time on proprietary tech that only works with 20% of my site's market share! The plugins will (if they even support file uploads) have very similar functionality but now you're talking third party items that may or may not be installed in the browser that they are using.

A couple links that should help you get moving in the right direction...
W3C: http://www.w3.org/TR/FileAPI/
MDN: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/doc ... plications

I made a multiple-image uploader that included thumbnail images of the selected images and accurate upload percentage indicators to show the progress of uploads. I'm not sure if you can get the text from a text file offhand though to me it would be similar if simply text instead of binary data. You're just going to have to do the research.

[nonlinearly]

Sorry... I think that it is very important to mention that all the job is about an intranet application we build that run only on company's network browsers and not outside... So I have the option to use technologies such ActiveX or what else to make easier my life. But I want the application to run on Firefox so what is the equivalent technology in Firefox to read a local text file without input element? I need when the page load to start a continue loop that in every loop read the file for new value (one line text file). So the new idea of "Workers" in HTML 5 was perfect because the loop will run in a separate thread and does not prevent the operation of the rest of the page. But the mandatory use of input element it screwed up...
Thanks...

[nonlinearly]

Ok I found what I have to do... firefox extensions can read and write from the local machine with a predefined path...
Thanks for your response any way...