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From: steveha@microsoft.UUCP (Steve Hastings)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.misc
Subject: Re: Controlling PM Desktop Manager
Message-ID: <56068@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jul 90 17:40:54 GMT
References: <1990Jul24.131929.17894@csc.ti.com>
Reply-To: steveha@microsoft.UUCP (Steve Hastings)
Organization: Microsoft International Products Group
Lines: 34

In article <1990Jul24.131929.17894@csc.ti.com> NEATH@cgi.com writes:
>Finally, the file manager   is really great,  except
>that there seems to be no simple way to just view an  ASCII file.  Now, I
>know  I could define my  editor as the default  application  for each and
>every ASCII file extension that I might ever want to view, but that seems
>a little excessive.  Any  ideas on  how  to get  this functionality  in a
>less-obtrusive manner?

Actually, you have named the best way.  It is less obtrusive than you
think, at least in version 1.2 of OS/2.  (I am not an expert in OS/2, and
that is the only version I know -- sorry.)

Using File Manager, select the file E.EXE in the \OS2 directory.  Pull down
File Associate, and it will say "The following data is associated with
E.EXE:"  Enter a "*" (assuming you use HPFS, as I do; if you use FAT, I
think you want to put "*.*" instead).  You have just told File Manager that
E.EXE is associated with EVERY file!

Here's how it works: whenever you double-click a file, File Manager checks
for associations for that file.  If there are no specific associations for
that file, the "*" association for E.EXE will be the only one and File
Manager knows to run E.EXE to view that file.  If there are other
associations as well as the "*" association, all associations will be
presented in a list box.  Just point to the one you want.  Bonus: File
Manager is smart enough that the general "*" association is listed last.
So, for example, when I double-click a .EXE file, I get the list box to
choose between running the file, or running E.EXE on the file.  Running the
file is the default, so I just hit enter.  Nice.

I, too, want to see a file viewer added to File Manager.  But until that
day dawns, this workaround makes me pretty happy.
-- 
Steve "I don't speak for Microsoft" Hastings    ===^=== :::::
uunet!microsoft!steveha  steveha@microsoft.uucp    ` \\==|