How to Learn and Even Master the Art of Writing HTAs

HTA stands for HTML Application, but it could very well stand for Hip & Trendy Application. Although HTAs have been around since Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) 5.0, they've become increasingly popular in the past couple of years—and for good reason. HTAs offer all the features of Web pages yet they aren't subject to the same security constraints because they run as trusted applications. Plus, HTAs come with their own object model, giving them functionality (i.e., control over UI design and access to the client system) that isn't available in Web pages.

Although HTAs are a hot commodity, they might make you hot under the collar when you're trying to learn to write them. So, I'm going to highlight some resources that novice HTA writers will likely find helpful. In addition, I'll point out some resources that more advanced HTA writers can use to expand their HTA writing skills. Finally, I'll provide links to HTAs that scripters have written so that you can learn from their code. . . .