Unfortunately, you can't yet do this with Java in Netscape 6. I think
you can run a signed applet, but signed applets can't communicate with
JavaScript yet. An alternative is to write a signed JavaScript that uses
XPConnect to access the local file system. Basically, you can create an
nsIFile object in JavaScript and use that to read from a file.
http://www.mozilla.org/scriptable/index.html
gives some information about XPConnect.
In order to use XPConnect, you have to sign your script and loading it
using a URL of the jsr:http:// syntax. There's details on this in
http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/components/jssec.html. That
document's a little out of date and has some errors, my apologies for
that but I haven't had time to update it. Also, I don't think signed
scripts work in NS6.01 for the Mac (Windows and Linux/Unix should work
fine).
If you want to give XPConnect a try, let me know if you run into any
problems.
-Mitch
Mark A Gregory wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I would like to be able to read six characters from a file on a client
> computer using Netscape 6 and return the string to a javascript for
> processing client side in an ASP page.
>
> Please tell me how to do this,
> thank you
> mark
