hta - Equivalents in Firefox, Chrome - Is this old technology?

html internet-explorer firefox google-chrome hta
Rewind picture Rewind · May 16, 2012 · Viewed 23.2k times · Source

I want to convert a webpage html5/js page to a desktop application. Something they can use on their desktop without a live internet connection. (I do not want to recode my html5 or js.)

If the end user has Internet Explorer installed, I can easily port this to an hta file. However, what if they are using Vista or above and have uninstalled Internet Explorer (as you are permitted to do)? What if their main browser is Firefox or Chrome?

I was searching around for Firefox, and it seemed Prism was an alternative to hta files, but if you go to Mozilla's Prism page it says it is a technology that is no longer being pursued.

So I have several questions:

  1. Is the hta file still a modern technology for Internet Explorer which is still going to work in IE9, IE10?
  2. Will hta files, with no security issues or local access issues, automatically fire up Firefox/Chrome if IE is not installed on Windows (or other operating systems)?
  3. Can I add some of html5's local storage stuff to my hta file and will it still work on IE, FF and Chrome?
  4. If these things will not work on FF or Chrome, do they have any alternatives which are modern and are not deprecated techs?

Answer

Teemu picture Teemu · May 16, 2012

Actually HTAs are not run by Internet Explorer. They are run by mshta.exe, which is installed in Windows/System32 (Windows7). However, HTAs use IE's rendering engine, and can't be run without IE. Also they are available for Windows users only.

HTML5 support can be added by using <meta http-equiv="x-ua-compatible" content="ie=9">. By my own experience also <!DOCTYPE html> is needed.

More info in MSDN: Introduction to HTAs

In SO: HTA's; use other browser to host?

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