Edmund Eyles wrote:
> New submission from Edmund Eyles <hotel@heddonsgate.co.uk>:
> 
> The documentation for the webbrowser module at
> http://www.python.org/doc/2.5/lib/module-webbrowser.html refers to the
> use of the BROWSER environment variable as a means to control which
> browser is run.  However, it makes no mention of how the browser name(s)
> in this environment variable get translated into executables,
> particularly the process by which the only directories to be searched
> are those in the PATH environment variable.  
> 
> For instance, on my Windows PC where the default browser is IE, simply
> setting BROWSER to 'firefox' has no effect.  I also need to add
> 'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox' to PATH, after which Firefox actually
> gets run.

Arguably, that is (implictly) standard behaviour on Windows: if
you invoke a program with its name alone, it generally has to
be on the PATH. However... Firefox (and IE) use the AppPaths
registry entries to ensure that someone using *shell* functionality
such as Start > Run or ShellExecute need only enter "firefox".
The webbrowser module doesn't perform this particular indirection,
hence the OP's confusion.