Handling a protocol? such as ftp:// irc:// aim:

Sorry for not being clear.  

For example.. in aim you can click on a link that says:

aim:BuddyIcon?ScreenName=myscreenname

and it will bring up the info for your screen name in aim..


so.. I want to be able to make a link on a webpage that says:

myprog:info="Jones"

and my program will recieve that message and handle it.

So I would assume it takes 2 parts.  Code for the program to handle the request, and something in the registry to make it so that the myprog: link will work.

From the info you gave me, I figured out how to do the first part.. through adding HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\myprog\shell\open\command , etc..

Seems it would be handled just like command line vars.. however, the program may or may not already be open when it recieves the command.

Thanks Alot

"Registering an Application to a URL Protocol"
http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/networking/pluggable/overview/appendix_a.asp

Don't you worry about that part. The OS handles it for you. If the host application isn't running, it launches the application. In your application you should handle the command line arguments.

THis is exactly how, Yahoo and AIM work.

Well, even if the host application is running, it launches a second instance of the application.  However, I don't expect that I will get a response I can use here because I have decided to use vb.net for this application instead of vb6.  I will close out this question and post in the vb.net section.  Thanks alot RanjeetRain, and zzzzzzoc for the link.  That info has gotten me half way there.  

Glad to help. Just out of curiocity - mail me a copy once you are done with your softy :>