Support for web links to connect to a given MG server (helper application)

[tomreyn]

It would be nice to have a glest: URL protocol handler so that you could create web pages with links to game servers using something along the line of

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<a href="glest:127.0.0.1:61357">my server</a>How to do this on Windoze is explained at MSDN. This could then feed into MG via ./glest --connect=%1. I have not checked how to do this on Linux, yet, but then that's usually the easier part...

[MuwuM]

sounds nice but i think it might bring up problems with installation (installer only !!! or on every Glest startup?)

[tomreyn]

Yes it would only work for builds with installer. But a script could be added to non-installer releases to make the neccessary customizations and thus achieve the same. Anyway, I consider this just an implementation detail.

[tomreyn]

There are actually two ways to implement this:
What I suggested above is a glest: URL scheme / protocol handler. The other, and probably better option, is registering a MIME-type / content-type and file extension with the OS.
I.e. when you would click on a server entry on the list this would point you to something like http://play.megaglest.org/connect.glest?server=127.0.0.1&port=61357 and that would trigger a file download of Content-Type: application/x-glest
You would need to make MG the handler for this content-type (this is also referred to as a "helper application") - which will work differently across different OS. But it's probably less of a hassle and security issue than a glest: URL scheme... and it would probably work cross-browser, too, so you only need to tell the OS (not every single web browser installed on every system) about it, since web browsers already have a way to retrieve this information from the OS.

https://developer.mozilla.org/en/How_Mozilla_determines_MIME_Types#Helper_Applications
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms775148%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/136948/launching-a-registered-mime-helper-application
http://kb.mozillazine.org/File_types_and_download_actions

[MuwuM]

The seversided code (PHP) would be easy ... but registering a MIME-type ist almost the same as a Protocol-handler

[tomreyn]

Well the difference between protocol handler and MIME type registration is that in addition to having to register both with the OS, you also have to explicitly whitelist protocol handlers on some web browsers, such as Firefox. But aside form that, it can involve the same efforts, I agree. Just that I think a helper application is a less intrusive and thus nicer way to achieve it.