Launch an external application from node.js

you can do this

var cp = require("child_process");cp.exec("document.docx"); // notice this without a callback..process.exit(0); // exit this nodejs process

it not safe thought, to ensure that the command show no errors or any undesired output

you should add the callback parameter child_process.exec(cmd,function(error,stdout,stderr){})

and next you can work with events so you won't block execution of script or even make use of a external node.js script that launches and handles outputs from processes which you spawn from a "master" script.

In below example I have used textmate "mate" command to edit file hello.js, you can run any command with child_process.exec but the application you want to open file in should provide you with command line options.

var exec = require('child_process').exec;exec('mate hello.js');

var childProcess = require('child_process');childProcess.exec('start Example.xlsx', function (err, stdout, stderr) {        if (err) {        console.error(err);        return;    }    console.log(stdout);    process.exit(0);// exit process once it is opened})

Emphasis on where 'exit' is called. This executes properly in windows.