How to run an executable on client-side using Node.js?

Question

Is there a way to call an external program on client side and "talk" to it?

For example, if I have a Node.js serverving an AngularJS or any other framework, I want the user to press a button on the browser and a previously installed program on client-side starts to run and send back to the client some messages...

Can I achieve that?

Answer 1

Browsers cannot run executables on the local machine without explicit configuration as such behaviour would violate security restrictions.

Node.js can do anything that is permitted by the environment (e.g user permissions) in which it is run. See: https://nodejs.org/api/child_process.html#child_process_child_process_exec_command_options_callback