cmd - Open a URL without using a browser from a batch file

Question

I want to open a particular URL without directly opening the browser using only a batch file. I know I can use something like:

START www.google.com

But I want to open a URL without using a browser. Is this possible?

The reason is that I have to open like 30 URLs, and I don't want the user to have like 30 tabs opened on his/her pc.

Answer 1

If all you want is to request the URL and if it needs to be done from batch file, without anything outside of the OS, this can help you:

@if (@This==@IsBatch) @then
@echo off
rem **** batch zone *********************************************************

    setlocal enableextensions disabledelayedexpansion

    rem The batch file will delegate all the work to the script engine
    if not "%~1"=="" (
        wscript //E:JScript "%~dpnx0" %1
    )

    rem End of batch file area. Ensure the batch file ends execution
    rem before reaching the JavaScript zone
    exit /b

@end


// **** JavaScript zone *****************************************************
// Instantiate the needed component to make URL queries
var http = WScript.CreateObject('Msxml2.XMLHTTP.6.0');

// Retrieve the URL parameter
var url = WScript.Arguments.Item(0)

// Make the request

http.open("GET", url, false);
http.send();

// All done. Exit
WScript.Quit(0);

It is just a hybrid batch/JavaScript file and is saved as callurl.cmd and called as callurl "http://www.google.es". It will do what you ask for. No error check, no post, just a skeleton.

If it is possible to use something outside of the OS, wget or curl are available as Windows executables and are the best options available.

If you are limited by some kind of security policy, you can get the Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 Resource Kit Tools. It includes tinyget and wfetch tools that can do what you need.