launch my installed application from chrome browser

Question

My requirement is to launch my installed application from chrome browser if it is installed on client machine, If not installed then I wanted to start download. What is best

Answer 1

To open it if it's installed you just need to register your application (at the OS level, so the details will vary by OS; you don't say what OS you are targeting) as a handler for some specific scheme, then have your page open that scheme. That's the same flow that causes mailto: links to open a user's mail client, for instance.

Answer 2

If you have a chrome app, you can use inline install: https://developer.chrome.com/webstore/inline_installation

Answer 3

For what its worth, see here - http://src.chromium.org/viewvc/chrome/trunk/src/chrome/common/extensions/docs/examples/api/nativeMessaging/

the README indicates that Native Messaging can now be added even by non-Admins.

But it appears Native Messaging will only work for Extensions: "Extensions can exchange messages with native applications(...)" and I dont imagine you can expect all of your users to do that.