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From: vallon@sboslab2.cs.sunysb.edu (Justin Vallon)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Something else you can't do on the Mac
Message-ID: <4428@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Date: 12 Jan 90 03:51:09 GMT
References: <10785@claris.com> <21628@mimsy.umd.edu> <3470@hub.UUCP> <10287@zodiac.ADS.COM>
Sender: news@sbcs.sunysb.edu
Reply-To: vallon@sboslab2.cs.sunysb.edu (Justin Vallon)
Lines: 67

In article <10785@claris.com>, peirce@claris.com (Michael Peirce) writes:
> In article <10287@zodiac.ADS.COM> jtn@zodiac.ADS.COM (John Nelson) writes:
> >You have a pure text file and you want to open it so you double click
> >on it.  Ooops, there's obviously no application for something called
> >"document" so the finder automatically pops up a menu of popular
> >applications for the user to select from and then opens up the
> >document with the selected application.  Or the finder could be
> >programmed to open "documents" with a default application like
> >Teachtext.
> >
> >It really isn't helpful to the user to display alerts that say things
> >like "oh... I can't open that."  A beteter philosophy is to have the
> >computer propose solutions(i.e. "what would you like me to open this
> >unknown document with?").
> 
> Well, I disagree (obviously).  If I'm trying to open a MacDraw II file and
> don't have MacDraw II around, having TeachText open it up "by default" is
> a horrible solution.  All I'll see is garbage.  Same with an Excel document,
> etc.  This would REALLY confuse nonHacker users. 
> 
> [He doesn't have any TEXT files anywhere]

First of all, John's suggestion was a suggestion, not a solution.  First
of all, you wouldn't want a default list of applications to popup,
regardless of the type of file.  Remember that the Mac has a FileType
field.  Here is my solution:

The finder maintains, in addition to application sig's, a list of file-type
sig's (they are specified in the BNDL resource).  Instead of displaying the
"Application not found..." message, provide the user with a list of those
applications that can open the file (ie: have the same file-type in their
BNDL resource).

So, let's say I have a text file from Word Perfect, but I don't have WP.
The finder searches for all TEXT FREF's, and displays the corresponding
applications.  I choose MS Word.  Bingo.

Or, I have a PICT file (created by MacDraw), but I don't have MacDraw
(sorry Michael).  Again, the finder searches for a PICT FREF, and displays
the list.  If the finder can't even find any FREF's, then you can say
"No application can be found to open this file..."

In fact, this could even be extended to support overriding the "default"
application.  In other word, I really HATE waiting for MacWrite to open
text files (it's really, really slow).  Instead, I want to open the file
with MS Word.  So, just Option-Double-Click (or whatever) on the file, and
the Finder gives you a list of (1) the creator application, and (2..) all
other applications that can open the file.

Two problems.  First, I think applications are only supposed to open files
returned from _GetAppFiles (?) that have their creator, and ignore the rest.
Second, some applications might be able to read a file that they don't have
an FREF for, since they can't write it.  The second problem is just an
inconvienence, the first probably kills the idea.

>  Claris Corp. | Michael R. Peirce
>  -------------+--------------------------------------
>               | 5201 Patrick Henry Drive MS-C4
>               | Box 58168
>               | Santa Clara, CA 95051-8168
>               | (408) 987-7319
>               | AppleLink: peirce1
>               | Internet:  peirce@claris.com
>               | uucp:      {ames,decwrl,apple,sun}!claris!peirce

-Justin
vallon@sbcs.sunysb.edu