[python-win32] Python-win32 Digest, Vol 36, Issue 1

[vince at weaktight.com]

> vince at weaktight.com wrote:
>> When you open an html file or click on a link outside of a browser, 
>> it opens it
>> in your default browser. What I'd like to do is to catpure this message and
>> grab the URL text string to see where the browser is going.
>>
>> I was looking at PyHook, but I don't think it intercepts all windows 
>> messages,
>> and I'm not sure this is a windows message per se.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> thanks
>
> For opening local files, there's a registered handler for the file type.
> Take a look at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\htmlfile\shell\open\command
> which specifies the program that will open the file.  You might be able
> to substitute your own handler, which just logs the request and then
> passes it off to the original program.  The handler for internet protocol is
> under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\HTTP\shell\open\command,
> although you'd probably also need to change all handlers that point
> to your web browser (https, ftp, etc)
>
>     hth
>        Roger

Good idea.

I tried this, however, modifying that key makes browsers unhappy as they think
they're no longer the default browser.  If this were a one-off solution, this
would be good enough, but it needs to be transparent enough to keep the user
happy.

Perhaps I could catch the actual HTTP network request... that sounds scary
though.