Opening a web browser from an After Effects script

Question

Hi,
This may be a stupid question, but is there any way to open a web browser with a URL from an AE script, other than explicity lanuching the browser app via a sys.callSystem() command?
I'm asking because obviously scripts need to run on both Windows and MacOS, and the user's default/preferred browser isn't necessarily going to be IE or Safari. That and I'd need to find the file path of the browser anyway somehow.
It's to display external help.
Thanks,
Christian

Answer 1

system.callSystem() can launch a URL without specifying the specific app. This code user's default browser. The last line is the main deal, the other stuff keeps it universal for PC and MAC.
//CHECKS FOR USER OS
function osCheck(){
          var op = $.os;
          var match = op.indexOf("Windows");
          if(match != (-1)){
                    var userOS = "PC";// User is on PC
          }else{
                    var userOS = "MAC";// User is on MAC
          return userOS;
// RUNS OS CHECK FUNCTION
var userOSVer = osCheck();
//DEFINES PC OR MAC TERMINAL SYNTAX
if(userOSVer == "MAC"){
          var urlLaunchCode = "Open";//Mac based
}else{
          var urlLaunchCode = "Start";//PC based
//ONCLICK FUNCTION FOR YOUR URL BUTTON CONTROL
//urlLaunchCode = Open or Start / " " = keeps a space character separator / "http://myurl.com" = Defines the actual URL path
myURLButton.onClick = function(){system.callSystem(urlLaunchCode + " " + "http://forums.adobe.com/thread/993523?tstart=0")};