Re: A probably dumb question:

[Mike Pfaiffer <mike@digitalcivilization.ca>]

Bart wrote:

> Speaking as an old mainframer who followed the PC path before conversion to 
> the TRUE RELIGION of Apple II I have a question on file type and associations:
>
> In the PC world, the 3 letters after the period denote the file "type".  This 
> can be misleading in that a say gif or exe (picture or runable binary in PC 
> land) might be given a "type" of txt (ASCII text file) for example.  Attempt 
> to open it in a  ASCII reader like Notepad and gibberish is the reward. 
> This brings me (almost) to the question:  If a file is created in say 
> Coolwriter, and is a standard ASCII file, it may, or may not open in say 
> AppleworksGS.  In like manner a jpg may or may not open in a picture viewer 
> (name one here) 
>
> In the Mac World (note I still have not got to the question?), if you click a 
> file and the system doesn't know what it is, you get a nice dialoge asking: 
> "Hey human!  where the heck is the app that you use on this?"  On the GS 
> mostly I get a not so nice dialoge that says "An Application can't be found 
> for this document". 
>  
> FINALLY A QUESTION! 
>
> Is there any product that will allow you to  use Application "B" to open a 
> file created in Application "A" by just "associating it WITHOUT HAVING A COPY 
> OF APPLICATION A?  What I mean is;  I see a file with a nice pleasant icon 
> denoting:  "Wow!  sone really cool app. must have created this file (at least 
> the icon is pretty)"  but when I click I get the nastygram above, no file as 
> pretty as its icon.  If I go the other way around: "Humm...I THINK this is an 
> ASCII file, launch Coolwriter and see if it can open it,  now, what folder was 
> that sucker in again?"... I can usually open it, but that system is based on a 
> very uncertain utility:  my memory of files and file type openers (and from 
> the app's file/open navigator, remembering where I left that dang file!). 
>
> I want something as easy as in PC land "humm,  excel wont open this puppy, 
> let's change the extension to "doc" and see what happens!" or a quickie thing 
> that asks "Now human, I am smart, but I am not THAT smart!  Where exactly did 
> you leave that copy of Appleworks?" Is there anything like that in the Apple 
> II world?
>
> Thank'ee for reading and for any subsequent answers to this dumb question
>
> -Bart 
> Keeper of the Network from Heck 

	OK... I think I understand what you are asking. I'm going to make an 
attempt at a partial answer (since I don't know if what you are asking 
exists).

	If I remember properly, you *may* be able to drag a data file on top of 
an application to use it. From there it would be the responsibility for 
the application to respond with a "WOW! I know what this is" or a "What 
the heck is this nonsense".

	Something else you may want to think about would be to give certain files 
custom icons. Within the icon file you can associate a file with an 
application.

	From your description, you were asking if the Apple had some form of 
registry. AFAIK this is handled through the icon files.

				Later
				Mike



--
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Digital Civilization magazine: http://www.digitalcivilization.ca    |
|   http://members.shaw.ca/pfaiffer = Mike Pfaiffer (B.A., B.Sc.)      |
| See my web page before you think about spamming me. I charge cash.   |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
----- BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK -----
Version: 3.12
GCS/G/IT/PA/SS d s+:- a? C++ UL L++ W++ N++ o+ K- w(---) O+@ M++@ V PS+
PE !PGP t+ 5+ X R tv b+ DI+++ D++ G e++* h! r-- !y-- UF++
------ END GEEK CODE BLOCK ------