Javascript to detect Skype?

Question

Is it possible for some Javascript to detect whether Skype is installed or not? The reason I ask is that I'd like to change a link's href based on that: if Skype isn't installed, show a popup explaining what Skype is and how to install it, if it is installed, change the link to skype:my.contact.name?call so the click will start a call. Real estate issues means that I'd prefer to only have one link shown. JavaScript questions and answers, JavaScript questions pdf, JavaScript question bank, JavaScript questions and answers pdf, mcq on JavaScript pdf, JavaScript questions and solutions, JavaScript mcq Test , Interview JavaScript questions, JavaScript Questions for Interview, JavaScript MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)

Answer 1

Thanks for the answers everyone: from the links and methods seanb and some posted, I was able to come up with a solution which works for IE and Firefox, so I thought I'd post a 'complete' answer. Here it is as a handy jQuery extension! The jQuery Extension jQuery.extend({ skype : function(failureFunction) { var $ = jQuery; if ($.browser.safari || $.browser.opera) { return true; } else if ($.browser.msie) { try { if (new ActiveXObject("Skype.Detection")) return true; } catch(e) { } } else { if (typeof(navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-skype"]) == "object") { return true; } } $('a[href^="skype:"]').click(function() { failureFunction(); return false; }); return false; } }); Usage HTML: Call me Add me Javascript: jQuery(function($) { $.skype(function() { // this function gets called if they don't have skype. alert("Looks like you don't have skype. Bummer."); }); }); And that's it! If someone using Safari, Opera or Chrome comes along, it'll just let the browser deal with it. edit: rejigged the function so that it only performs the check when the page loads, not each time the page is loaded. The $.skype function will now return a bool telling you if skype was detected or not.