Launching Browser from Java when Browser URL is very long

Question

Hi,
I am trying to launch a browser from Java.
I am doing the following.
String command = "cmd" + "/c" + "start" + " browserURL";
Process p = Runtime.getRuntime()exec(command);
Note: My browserURL is very long.
Now the browser is invoked. But the URL shown is incomplete and hence
browser is unable to open the required application.
Can someone help me in this.
One way is to increase the buffer size on the command prompt?
Is there any java command for this?
Is there any other way to solve this issue.
Thanks,
AR

Answer 1

this is my second time posting this, take note of it. I can't remember where i got it from, but credits go to the person that wrote it. It has helped me out thousands of times!!!
to use, compile, then call from your program:
org.newio.utils.BrowserLauncher.openURL("your url here")dfwtc
package org.newio.utils;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.lang.reflect.*;
public class BrowserLauncher
    private static int jvm;
    private static Object browser;
    private static boolean loadedWithoutErrors;
    private static Class mrjFileUtilsClass;
    private static Class mrjOSTypeClass;
    private static Class macOSErrorClass;
    private static Class aeDescClass;
    private static Constructor aeTargetConstructor;
    private static Constructor appleEventConstructor;
    private static Constructor aeDescConstructor;
    private static Method findFolder;
    private static Method getFileType;
    private static Method makeOSType;
    private static Method putParameter;
    private static Method sendNoReply;
    private static Object kSystemFolderType;
    private static Integer keyDirectObject;
    private static Integer kAutoGenerateReturnID;
    private static Integer kAnyTransactionID;
    private static final int MRJ_2_0 = 0;
    private static final int MRJ_2_1 = 1;
    private static final int WINDOWS_NT = 2;
    private static final int WINDOWS_9x = 3;
    private static final int OTHER = -1;
    private static final String FINDER_TYPE = "FNDR";
    private static final String FINDER_CREATOR = "MACS";
    private static final String GURL_EVENT = "GURL";
    private static final String FIRST_WINDOWS_PARAMETER = "/c";
    private static final String SECOND_WINDOWS_PARAMETER = "start";
    private static final String NETSCAPE_OPEN_PARAMETER_START = " -remote 'openURL(";
    private static final String NETSCAPE_OPEN_PARAMETER_END = ")'";
    private static String errorMessage;
    private BrowserLauncher()
    private static boolean loadClasses()
        switch(jvm)
        default:
            break;
        case 0: // '\0'
            try
                Class aeTargetClass = Class.forName("com.apple.MacOS.AETarget");
                macOSErrorClass = Class.forName("com.apple.MacOS.MacOSError");
                Class osUtilsClass = Class.forName("com.apple.MacOS.OSUtils");
                Class appleEventClass = Class.forName("com.apple.MacOS.AppleEvent");
                Class aeClass = Class.forName("com.apple.MacOS.ae");
                aeDescClass = Class.forName("com.apple.MacOS.AEDesc");
                aeTargetConstructor = aeTargetClass.getDeclaredConstructor(new Class[] {
                    Integer.TYPE
                appleEventConstructor = appleEventClass.getDeclaredConstructor(new Class[] {
                    Integer.TYPE, Integer.TYPE, aeTargetClass, Integer.TYPE, Integer.TYPE
                aeDescConstructor = aeDescClass.getDeclaredConstructor(new Class[] {
                    java.lang.String.class
                makeOSType = osUtilsClass.getDeclaredMethod("makeOSType", new Class[] {
                    java.lang.String.class
                putParameter = appleEventClass.getDeclaredMethod("putParameter", new Class[] {
                    Integer.TYPE, aeDescClass
                sendNoReply = appleEventClass.getDeclaredMethod("sendNoReply", new Class[0]);
                Field keyDirectObjectField = aeClass.getDeclaredField("keyDirectObject");
                keyDirectObject = (Integer)keyDirectObjectField.get(null);
                Field autoGenerateReturnIDField = appleEventClass.getDeclaredField("kAutoGenerateReturnID");
                kAutoGenerateReturnID = (Integer)autoGenerateReturnIDField.get(null);
                Field anyTransactionIDField = appleEventClass.getDeclaredField("kAnyTransactionID");
                kAnyTransactionID = (Integer)anyTransactionIDField.get(null);
                break;
            catch(ClassNotFoundException cnfe)
                errorMessage = cnfe.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(NoSuchMethodException nsme)
                errorMessage = nsme.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(NoSuchFieldException nsfe)
                errorMessage = nsfe.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(IllegalAccessException iae)
                errorMessage = iae.getMessage();
            return false;
        case 1: // '\001'
            try
                mrjFileUtilsClass = Class.forName("com.apple.mrj.MRJFileUtils");
                mrjOSTypeClass = Class.forName("com.apple.mrj.MRJOSType");
                Field systemFolderField = mrjFileUtilsClass.getDeclaredField("kSystemFolderType");
                kSystemFolderType = systemFolderField.get(null);
                findFolder = mrjFileUtilsClass.getDeclaredMethod("findFolder", new Class[] {
                    mrjOSTypeClass
                getFileType = mrjFileUtilsClass.getDeclaredMethod("getFileType", new Class[] {
                    java.io.File.class
                break;
            catch(ClassNotFoundException cnfe)
                errorMessage = cnfe.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(NoSuchFieldException nsfe)
                errorMessage = nsfe.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(NoSuchMethodException nsme)
                errorMessage = nsme.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(SecurityException se)
                errorMessage = se.getMessage();
                return false;
            catch(IllegalAccessException iae)
                errorMessage = iae.getMessage();
            return false;
        return true;
    private static Object locateBrowser()
        if(browser != null)
            return browser;
        switch(jvm)
        case 0: // '\0'
            try
                Integer finderCreatorCode = (Integer)makeOSType.invoke(null, new Object[] {
                    "MACS"
                Object aeTarget = aeTargetConstructor.newInstance(new Object[] {
                    finderCreatorCode
                Integer gurlType = (Integer)makeOSType.invoke(null, new Object[] {
                    "GURL"
                Object appleEvent = appleEventConstructor.newInstance(new Object[] {
                    gurlType, gurlType, aeTarget, kAutoGenerateReturnID, kAnyTransactionID
                return appleEvent;
            catch(IllegalAccessException iae)
                browser = null;
                errorMessage = iae.getMessage();
                return browser;
            catch(InstantiationException ie)
                browser = null;
                errorMessage = ie.getMessage();
                return browser;
            catch(InvocationTargetException ite)
                browser = null;
                errorMessage = ite.getMessage();
                return browser;
        case 1: // '\001'
            File systemFolder;
            try
                systemFolder = (File)findFolder.invoke(null, new Object[] {
                    kSystemFolderType
            catch(IllegalArgumentException iare)
                browser = null;
                errorMessage = iare.getMessage();
                return browser;
            catch(IllegalAccessException iae)
                browser = null;
                errorMessage = iae.getMessage();
                return browser;
            catch(InvocationTargetException ite)
                browser = null;
                errorMessage = ite.getTargetException().getClass() + ": " + ite.getTargetException().getMessage();
                return browser;
            String systemFolderFiles[] = systemFolder.list();
            for(int i = 0; i < systemFolderFiles.length; i++)
                try
                    File file = new File(systemFolder, systemFolderFiles);
if(file.isFile())
Object fileType = getFileType.invoke(null, new Object[] {
file
if("FNDR".equals(fileType.toString()))
browser = file.toString();
return browser;
catch(IllegalArgumentException iare)
browser = browser;
errorMessage = iare.getMessage();
return null;
catch(IllegalAccessException iae)
browser = null;
errorMessage = iae.getMessage();
return browser;
catch(InvocationTargetException ite)
browser = null;
errorMessage = ite.getTargetException().getClass() + ": " + ite.getTargetException().getMessage();
return browser;
browser = null;
break;
case 2: // '\002'
browser = "cmd.exe";
break;
case 3: // '\003'
browser = "command.com";
break;
case -1:
default:
browser = "netscape";
break;
return browser;
public static void openURL(String url)
throws IOException
if(!loadedWithoutErrors)
throw new IOException("Exception in finding browser: " + errorMessage);
Object browser = locateBrowser();
if(browser == null)
throw new IOException("Unable to locate browser: " + errorMessage);
switch(jvm)
case 0: // '\0'
Object aeDesc = null;
try
try
aeDesc = aeDescConstructor.newInstance(new Object[] {
url
putParameter.invoke(browser, new Object[] {
keyDirectObject, aeDesc
sendNoReply.invoke(browser, new Object[0]);
catch(InvocationTargetException ite)
throw new IOException("InvocationTargetException while creating AEDesc: " + ite.getMessage());
catch(IllegalAccessException iae)
throw new IOException("IllegalAccessException while building AppleEvent: " + iae.getMessage());
catch(InstantiationException ie)
throw new IOException("InstantiationException while creating AEDesc: " + ie.getMessage());
break;
finally
aeDesc = null;
browser = null;
case 1: // '\001'
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {
(String)browser, url
break;
case 2: // '\002'
case 3: // '\003'
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {
(String)browser, "/c", "start", url
break;
case -1:
Process process = Runtime.getRuntime().exec((String)browser + " -remote 'openURL(" + url + ")'");
try
int exitCode = process.waitFor();
if(exitCode != 0)
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {
(String)browser, url
catch(InterruptedException ie)
throw new IOException("InterruptedException while launching browser: " + ie.getMessage());
break;
default:
Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] {
(String)browser, url
break;
static
loadedWithoutErrors = true;
String osName = System.getProperty("os.name");
if("Mac OS".equals(osName))
String mrjVersion = System.getProperty("mrj.version");
String majorMRJVersion = mrjVersion.substring(0, 3);
try
double version = Double.valueOf(majorMRJVersion).doubleValue();
if(version == 2D)
jvm = 0;
} else
if(version >= 2.1000000000000001D)
jvm = 1;
} else
loadedWithoutErrors = false;
errorMessage = "Unsupported MRJ version: " + version;
catch(NumberFormatException numberformatexception)
loadedWithoutErrors = false;
errorMessage = "Invalid MRJ version: " + mrjVersion;
} else
if(osName.startsWith("Windows"))
if(osName.indexOf("9") != -1)
jvm = 3;
} else
jvm = 2;
} else
jvm = -1;
if(loadedWithoutErrors)
loadedWithoutErrors = loadClasses();
suck my balls