SystemOpen ["target"]
opens the specified file, URL, or other target with the associated program on your computer system.
SystemOpen
SystemOpen ["target"]
opens the specified file, URL, or other target with the associated program on your computer system.
Details and Options
- SystemOpen sends its target to the operating system, which then opens it using its default application for the target type given.
- URLs and URIs must include explicit http:, mailto:, ftp:, etc. prefixes.
- SystemOpen [File ["file"]] and SystemOpen [URL ["url"]] are also supported.
- SystemOpen ["file"] is essentially equivalent to double-clicking the file icon in your operating system.
- SystemOpen ["file"] searches for the specified file in the directories given in $Path .
- SystemOpen ["file"] returns $Failed if the specified file does not exist.
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (1)
Open the Wolfram Research home page in a web browser:
Scope (1)
Open an image file in the default system image viewer:
Properties & Relations (1)
SystemOpen returns $Failed if the operating system cannot open the resource:
See Also
Run NotebookLocate URLExecute URLRead ServiceExecute SendMail
Related Guides
Text
Wolfram Research (2008), SystemOpen, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SystemOpen.html (updated 2016).
CMS
Wolfram Language. 2008. "SystemOpen." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2016. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SystemOpen.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (2008). SystemOpen. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SystemOpen.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_systemopen, author="Wolfram Research", title="{SystemOpen}", year="2016", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SystemOpen.html}", note=[Accessed: 17-November-2025]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_systemopen, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={SystemOpen}, year={2016}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/SystemOpen.html}, note=[Accessed: 17-November-2025]}