Opening a file in local file system in javascript

Question

I am looking out for a way to open a .xls file which is in temp directory using javascript in IE and Firefox browser. I tried using the javascript as follows,

Answer 1

Suggest you use AJAX. Small API follows.

/* **************************** AJAX ************************** */

///
/// Source
///   http://www.quirksmode.org/js/xmlhttp.html

/// XMLHttpRequestForms is a local auxiliary variable

var XMLHttpRequestForms = 
  [
    function ( ) { return new XMLHttpRequest ( ); },
    function ( ) { return new ActiveXObject ( "Msxml2.XMLHTTP" ); },
    function ( ) { return new ActiveXObject ( "Msxml3.XMLHTTP" ); },
    function ( ) { return new ActiveXObject ( "Microsoft.XMLHTTP" ); }
  ];

// ******************************************* createXMLHTTPObject

// local entry point

/// createXMLHTTPObject is a helper function

function createXMLHTTPObject ( )
  {
  var xmlhttp = false;

  for ( var i = 0; ( i < XMLHttpRequestForms.length ); i++ )
    {
    try
      {
      xmlhttp = XMLHttpRequestForms [ i ] ( );
      break;
      }

    catch ( e )
      {
      continue;
      }
    }

  return (  xmlhttp );
  }

/// ************************************************ read_contents

// global entry point

/// 
///   read_contents ( url ) 
///
/// 

///   retrieves the contents of the specified URL
///
/// 
///   a string containing the URL whose contents are to be read
///
/// 
///   a string containing the contents of the URL
///
/// 
///   var text = read_contents ( "footer.ini" );

function read_contents ( url )
  {
  var request = createXMLHTTPObject ( );

  if ( !request )
    {
    return ( null );
    }

  request.open ( 'GET', url, false );
  request.setRequestHeader ( 'Content-Type', 'text/html' );
  request.send ( );

  return ( request.responseText );
  }