Re: [NTLK] Opening packages on PCs/Macs (was eMac...)

From: mark (markds_at_mac.com)
Date: Thu May 02 2002 - 17:46:48 EDT


Jesse Garnier writes:
 
> Ed Kummel wrote not long ago (5/2/02 4:11 PM):
>
> > Actually...on the PC side, if you know that it's a picture,
> > then all you gotta do is right-click on the file while
> > holding down the shift key and select "open with". then you
> > get a listing of all the registered applications on the
> > machine. You choose the application you want to open that
> > file with and it will open. From then on, that application
> > will be available to you whenever you open a file with that
> > same extension!
>
> From what I've read, an identical feature will also be included
> in OS X 10.2 when it's released later this summer.

In fact, as you note a bit further on, this feature is available
in OS X now.

> You could also use the free Zingg! utility to add that
> functionality now:
>
> http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=12965&db=mac

Nice utility from the man who brought us the excelent XRay (which
amongst other things can do what Packager does). However, all that
Zingg does is implement a more immediate contextual menu item for
the feature which is already available via the get info contextual
menu. It is this more direct contextual menu item which is
rumoured to be included in 10.2.

> Currently, in OS X you can also set files with particular
> extensions to open with particular apps. Select the file, Get
> info (Apple-I), and then click the pop-up in that window to
> "Open with Application". You can then choose the app from a
> second pop-up.
>
> But... you probably don't want to associate ".pkg" files with
> NCU in OS X, because OS X uses the ".pkg" extension for
> installer packages. Instead, use a program like Packager to
> create the appropriate resource fork information so that OS X
> will use that info rather than the file extension to open it
> up.

A limitation in the mac filesystem. However, there is anecdotal
evidence to suggest that MacOS X may be moving towards something
like the BeFS with journaling and mime types. I'm optimistic about
this but not holding my breath.

mark.

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