Exploring the contents of a file using JavaScript

Is there a way to extract data from a document using JavaScript when you have the URL of the new document, but it is not the one you are currently on?
Essentially, I am looking to develop a webpage that features a text field for inputting a local file name and a button that can retrieve the words from the specified document.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer №1

The HTML5 specification includes a File API that enables the reading of local files. As far as I know, this feature is supported in Firefox (version 3.6 onwards) and Chrome browsers. However, I am unsure about its compatibility with other browsers at the moment. If you need to ensure compatibility with different browsers, you may need to consider using alternatives such as Flash, although I personally have no experience with that.

It is worth noting that by default, Chrome restricts access for local files to interact with other local files - each file is treated as if it belongs to a separate domain. To override this restriction, one can explicitly enable access by launching Chrome with the --allow-file-access-from-files flag.

If you are interested in learning more about the File API and exploring practical examples, I recommend checking out this informative guide: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/file/dndfiles/.

Answer №2

Due to browser security measures, direct access to the local filesystem is restricted. This prevents web pages from being able to retrieve files from your device without permission.

HTML5 local storage operates on a different principle and does allow for local access within certain constraints.

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