java.awt

Class Desktop


  • public class Desktop
extends Object
    The Desktop class allows a Java application to launch associated applications registered on the native desktop to handle a URI or a file.

    Supported operations include:

    • launching the user-default browser to show a specified URI;
    • launching the user-default mail client with an optional mailto URI;
    • launching a registered application to open, edit or print a specified file.

    This class provides methods corresponding to these operations. The methods look for the associated application registered on the current platform, and launch it to handle a URI or file. If there is no associated application or the associated application fails to be launched, an exception is thrown.

    An application is registered to a URI or file type; for example, the "sxi" file extension is typically registered to StarOffice. The mechanism of registering, accessing, and launching the associated application is platform-dependent.

    Each operation is an action type represented by the Desktop.Action class.

    Note: when some action is invoked and the associated application is executed, it will be executed on the same system as the one on which the Java application was launched.

    Since:
    1.6

    • Nested Class Summary

      Nested Classes

      Modifier and Type Class and Description
      static class  Desktop.Action
      Represents an action type.

    • Method Summary

      Modifier and Type Method and Description
      void browse(URI uri)
      Launches the default browser to display a URI.
      void edit(File file)
      Launches the associated editor application and opens a file for editing.
      static Desktop getDesktop()
      Returns the Desktop instance of the current browser context.
      static boolean isDesktopSupported()
      Tests whether this class is supported on the current platform.
      boolean isSupported(Desktop.Action action)
      Tests whether an action is supported on the current platform.
      void mail()
      Launches the mail composing window of the user default mail client.
      void mail(URI mailtoURI)
      Launches the mail composing window of the user default mail client, filling the message fields specified by a mailto: URI.
      void open(File file)
      Launches the associated application to open the file.
      void print(File file)
      Prints a file with the native desktop printing facility, using the associated application's print command.

    • Method Detail

      • isDesktopSupported

        public static boolean isDesktopSupported()
        Tests whether this class is supported on the current platform. If it's supported, use getDesktop() to retrieve an instance.
        Returns:
        true if this class is supported on the current platform; false otherwise
        See Also:
        getDesktop()

      • isSupported

        public boolean isSupported(Desktop.Action action)
        Tests whether an action is supported on the current platform.

        Even when the platform supports an action, a file or URI may not have a registered application for the action. For example, most of the platforms support the Desktop.Action.OPEN action. But for a specific file, there may not be an application registered to open it. In this case, isSupported(java.awt.Desktop.Action) may return true, but the corresponding action method will throw an IOException.

        Parameters:
        action - the specified Desktop.Action
        Returns:
        true if the specified action is supported on the current platform; false otherwise
        See Also:
        Desktop.Action

      • browse

        public void browse(URI uri)
            throws IOException
        Launches the default browser to display a URI. If the default browser is not able to handle the specified URI, the application registered for handling URIs of the specified type is invoked. The application is determined from the protocol and path of the URI, as defined by the URI class.

        If the calling thread does not have the necessary permissions, and this is invoked from within an applet, AppletContext.showDocument() is used. Similarly, if the calling does not have the necessary permissions, and this is invoked from within a Java Web Started application, BasicService.showDocument() is used.

        Parameters:
        uri - the URI to be displayed in the user default browser
        Throws:
        NullPointerException - if uri is null
        UnsupportedOperationException - if the current platform does not support the Desktop.Action.BROWSE action
        IOException - if the user default browser is not found, or it fails to be launched, or the default handler application failed to be launched
        SecurityException - if a security manager exists and it denies the AWTPermission("showWindowWithoutWarningBanner") permission, or the calling thread is not allowed to create a subprocess; and not invoked from within an applet or Java Web Started application
        IllegalArgumentException - if the necessary permissions are not available and the URI can not be converted to a URL
        See Also:
        URI, AWTPermission, AppletContext

      • mail

        public void mail()
          throws IOException
        Launches the mail composing window of the user default mail client.
        Throws:
        UnsupportedOperationException - if the current platform does not support the Desktop.Action.MAIL action
        IOException - if the user default mail client is not found, or it fails to be launched
        SecurityException - if a security manager exists and it denies the AWTPermission("showWindowWithoutWarningBanner") permission, or the calling thread is not allowed to create a subprocess
        See Also:
        AWTPermission

      • mail

        public void mail(URI mailtoURI)
          throws IOException
        Launches the mail composing window of the user default mail client, filling the message fields specified by a mailto: URI.

        A mailto: URI can specify message fields including "to", "cc", "subject", "body", etc. See The mailto URL scheme (RFC 2368) for the mailto: URI specification details.

        Parameters:
        mailtoURI - the specified mailto: URI
        Throws:
        NullPointerException - if the specified URI is null
        IllegalArgumentException - if the URI scheme is not "mailto"
        UnsupportedOperationException - if the current platform does not support the Desktop.Action.MAIL action
        IOException - if the user default mail client is not found or fails to be launched
        SecurityException - if a security manager exists and it denies the AWTPermission("showWindowWithoutWarningBanner") permission, or the calling thread is not allowed to create a subprocess
        See Also:
        URI, AWTPermission