Default programs for launching a specific type of file can be configured in windows. For example, double clicking a .doc file will open that file in Word, but you can reconfigured the default program associated with the .doc extension to launch the file in any program you want.
My question is, can you set the ‘default program’ to be a web app, or a URL? I have a web app that exports files that can then be re-imported into the web app. I want to be able to double click on those files and have a browser window open that automatically imports that file into the web app.
Yes you can.
There is a registry entry that maps an extension to a file type. There are registry entries for the file type indicating “verbs” that can be performed for that file type. One of those entries for the verb will indicate a command line, and the command line is completely arbitrary. As long as you can specify a URL in the command line to the browser, you can make the browser open anything you want.
Here’s a Microsoft reference to get you started: Verbs and File Associations