How to launch internet explorer within a Metro application ?

Question

Hi,

I am trying to launch internet explorer from a Metro apps in C++. Nothing is appearing :/

I doing it with the following code sample:

STARTUPINFO         siStartupInfo;
PROCESS_INFORMATION piProcessInfo;

memset(&siStartupInfo, 0, sizeof(siStartupInfo));
memset(&piProcessInfo, 0, sizeof(piProcessInfo));
siStartupInfo.cb = sizeof(siStartupInfo);
if(CreateProcess(NULL,"C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\iexplore.exe",0,0,FALSE,
                     CREATE_DEFAULT_ERROR_MODE,0,0,                              
                     &siStartupInfo,&piProcessInfo) == FALSE)
{
// error
}

Can anyone help me to figure out what's wrong ?
Thanks
Christophe

Answer 1

I am trying to launch internet explorer from a Metro apps in C++. Nothing is appearing :/

You cannot launch non-Metro apps from a Metro app. I'm sure there is a way to launch the Metro version of IE though.
 

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David Wilkinson | Visual C++ MVP

Answer 2

You cannot launch non-Metro apps from a Metro app. I'm sure there is a way to launch the Metro version of IE though.

I think the first statement is not exactly right. I have been able to launch a basic mfc windows application from Metro.

I found in the documentation (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464912%28v=VS.85%29.aspx) that from a Metro apps the resource i want to access must be:

"Base-trust, isolated in individual app containers with brokered access to protected resources (those affecting user data, identity, and privacy), and no access to system-critical resources."

If i run within a Desktop application way a web url ShellExecute, the Metro version of IE is launching.

Using this Desktop application as a pass-through doesn't work :/

I just don't care about IE Metro or Desktop style. I would like to be able to launch it in Metro. I am not able to find an example for :/

Answer 3

Would Launcher.LaunchDefaultProgram(Uri, LaunchingOptions) be a good alternative? 

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Answer 4

You cannot launch specific applications from a Metro style app.  As Sheng Jiang says, you can use Launcher::LauncherDefaultProgram to launch whichever application is registered to handle a given document type or protocol.  If you call LauncherDefautlProgram on a URL, it will open in the user's default browser. 

CreateProcess is not available to Metro style apps.  If you look in winbase.h you will see that it is in the desktop partition.  See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br205757(v=VS.85).aspx for information on the Win32 API available to Metro style apps.

--Rob