Name
launch()
Description
Attempts to open an application or file using your platform's launcher. The
filename parameter is a String specifying the file name and
location. The location parameter must be a full path name, or the name of
an executable in the system's PATH. In most cases, using a full path is the
best option, rather than relying on the system PATH. Be sure to make the
file executable before attempting to open it (chmod +x).
This function (roughly) emulates what happens when you double-click an
application or document in the macOS Finder, the Windows Explorer, or your
favorite Linux file manager. If you're trying to run command line functions
directly, use the exec() function instead (see below).
This function behaves differently on each platform. On Windows, the
parameters are sent to the Windows shell via "cmd /c". On Mac OS X, the
"open" command is used (type "man open" in Terminal.app for documentation).
On Linux, it first tries gnome-open, then kde-open, but if neither are
available, it sends the command to the shell and prays that something
useful happens.
For users familiar with Java, this is not the same as Runtime.exec(),
because the launcher command is prepended. Instead, the
exec(String[]) function is a shortcut for
Runtime.getRuntime.exec(String[]). The exec() function is documented
in the
JavaDoc
in the PApplet class.
Examples
void setup() { size(200, 200); } void draw() { // draw() must be present for mousePressed() to work } void mousePressed() { println("Opening Process_4"); launch("/Applications/Process_4.app"); }
Syntax
launch(args)
Parameters
args(String[])arguments to the launcher, e.g. a filename.
Return
Process
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