Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 11:36 am Post subject: File extension...pseudo-bug/suggestion+wish list item?
Hi. I noticed (not tracking patch numbers, it has done it as long as I have had it..), that NO/J gets confused with the way OS X handles file extensions. Of course, we all know that unlike Windows, extensions aren't limited to a few characters. So, I download a copy of "MySpreadsheet.xls", to my desktop, and have NO/J set as the default proggy to load this with. I double-click the file, and NO/J loads it with no problem, and does all the conversions etc. But let's say someone sends me a revision, also called "MySpreadsheet.xls" and I download it to the desktop before I remember to move the other one to a folder. The Mac (sometimes?) names it " MySpreadsheet.xls 2" and places it on the desktop next to the other one. When I double-click that one, it gets confused as to what to do with the extension, because NO/J isn't used to anything ending with a " 2" and so it loads again with MS-Office. Aside from having to exit MS, change the info on the file, and then reload it, it's no biggie. But when I deleted office, NO/J still wasn't able to pick it up. MS has some way to figure out files ending with odd characters. This was the same for me with document files, and I was even able to replicate it with "filename.sxc 2" as well. I won't even guess how best to implement this, but I thought it might be a nice suggestion for the wish-list. I am also glad to see that drag-and-drop is coming, since I am *always* DnD-ing the file into the window before I realize that it won't work, and then I double click unless the above happens, and I have to load it manually. Thanks as always for the great proggy.
This is poor behavior on the part of your mail client. Mac OS X standard behavior is to put the "1" or "copy" or whatever before the extension.
If your mail client adds a valid HFS file type code when saving the file, it should be possible to select it, do Get Info, change to Neo/J, and then press the "change all" button and never have the problem again. However, if your mail client doesn't add the type code when saving the file, there's not really much you can do and every app should be suffering from the same problem (with double-click and drag-and-drop). That Word is not suffering indicates that there is a valid type code being set, and the Get Info + Change All method I described above.
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
This is poor behavior on the part of your mail client. Mac OS X standard behavior is to put the "1" or "copy" or whatever before the extension.
If your mail client adds a valid HFS file type code when saving the file, it should be possible to select it, do Get Info, change to Neo/J, and then press the "change all" button and never have the problem again. However, if your mail client doesn't add the type code when saving the file, there's not really much you can do and every app should be suffering from the same problem (with double-click and drag-and-drop). That Word is not suffering indicates that there is a valid type code being set, and the Get Info + Change All method I described above.
Smokey
Well, this certainly makes sense to me, and would be the answer if I had ever enabled a mail client. The problem is that all I have ever used on this machine is Web based mail via Safari lately, do you think that could be it? I used to use Firefox, and miss many of it's features, but Safari runs *so* much faster, it was almost a non-issue. (btw, is it some coincidence that Safari X and Firefox on a basic level look and behave remarkably similarly?) I travel a lot, and check my mail wherever I find a 'puter, and to keep my brain from the confusion of learning more than one email method, I just stuck with http stuff for the time being (ala' the good ole K.I.S.S. method).
And yes, every time I get a new file number I have done the info/change all thing, it was just getting a bit fatiguing, so I thought I would ask. I did think the number AFTER the extension was a bt aberrant behaviour, but since I am rather new to the auspices of OS X I took it as just another thing I'd have to get used to about the OS.
"I used to use Firefox, and miss many of it's features, but Safari runs *so* much faster, it was almost a non-issue."
Interesting, I have read just the opposite, FireFox is getting faster while Safari is slowing down. Which versions of each are you currently using?
" (btw, is it some coincidence that Safari X and Firefox on a basic level look and behave remarkably similarly?)"
Again, many people are using skins to make FF look like Safari since they think it doesn't look like that at all.
Anyway, back on topic, I have never heard of file suffices being amended like that but rather normally on a Mac like Smokey said, especially by an Apple product. Again, intersting/weird.
Joined: May 25, 2003 Posts: 4752 Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 9:20 pm Post subject:
That does seem funny to me...Safari usually adds a "-1" before the extension for duplicate downloads (or -# if you've re-downloaded something more then 1 time). It does this for me with PDF and zip files for sure. I wonder if it may only do this for things for which the web server has proper MIME types configured.
In any case, Safari does not actually add Macintosh type/creator information to files that it downloads (at least, not for PDFs, for which the old Mac type is "PDF ", creator "CARO" for acrobat and I doubt Preview has a creator code).
Another potential solution if you can't rename it yourself would be to create some type of Folder Action for your Downloads folder. You could custom-write a small droplet AppleScript that could search for the standard extensions (".xls", etc.) within a filename and give it the appropriate Microsoft Office Mac type/creator code which, in theory, the Finder should be able to map to Neo/J or Office.
That does seem funny to me...Safari usually adds a "-1" before the extension for duplicate downloads (or -# if you've re-downloaded something more then 1 time).
Yeah, I tested today in Safari and Firefox and got the same results. I can't believe either would only do that for files for which the server sends a proper MIME type...but stranger things have happened.
OPENSTEP wrote:
I doubt Preview has a creator code
Not in the traditional sense, but every Mac OS X app has to have a bundle identifier or creator code (and Apple still wants you to register them), and the bundle identifier is essentially the same thing (prvw, btw, for Preview).
OPENSTEP wrote:
give it the appropriate Microsoft Office Mac type/creator code which, in theory, the Finder should be able to map to Neo/J or Office.
Or if you only want to use Neo/J, just go directly to use Neo/J's bundle identifier, NO%F
Smokey _________________ "[...] whether the duck drinks hot chocolate or coffee is irrelevant." -- ovvldc and sardisson in the NeoWiki
Shame on you Ed! Smokey's dead on again, 'prvw' for Preview, typical Apple intuitive CC--> Bundle Identifier.
Having used to change CCs a lot in the Mac OS Classic days, I picked up something called 'QuickChange' when I moved to OS X. I keep it in my Dock and when I want to change a file's CC, I just drag it onto the QC icon in the Dock and it shows the files file type (FT) and CC. For many files the fiields in QC are blank these days in OS X so I just enter in the FT or CC I want and then double clicking opens it in that app with that CC. Of course you can Get Info (command-I) on it and set 'Open with' and pick an app. I'll check tonight to see if QC overides a file's suffix. I think it does so there must still be meta data stuff going on in OS X. It 's still a hassle having to do anything to get it cooperate however. Still, not Apple-like for file sufices (to the right of the . dot) to be amended like that.
Joined: May 25, 2003 Posts: 4752 Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:22 pm Post subject:
Well honk my hooter, Preview will create files that have type/creator codes. Safari definitely doesn't assign them to its downloaded PDFs though, so its binding to Preview for PDFs is done through extensions. The PDFs generated by the Mac OS X Print system also don't get type/creator metadata. I guess it really all just depends on the application these days.
Unfortunately, for files missing that old-school type/creator mapping, LaunchServices does it by extension...so without the extension or a way to put that type/creator on there you'll be out of luck with binding the docs to NeoJ. Def. try one of the tools mentioned above
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