SLopen 1.0

• Download: SLopen_1.0.zip [422kB]
  
  

  Problem: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard no longer respects the creator code of document files. When double clicked, such files now open using the default application for the file’s type and not the creating application. In other words, the “when I double click a document in Snow Leopard, I want it to open under <the creator application> not <some viewer application>” problem. For example, you want your Photoshop-created PNG files opened by Photoshop, not by Preview.

  You can find information and discussion about this problem at tidbits.com, arstechnica.com, daringfireball.net, and sutes.co.uk.

  Solution: change the “Opens with” setting for all document files to that of the creating application. You can do this by hand but if you have a lot of documents, this can get tedious. This program can automate the process for you. Note that this is really a work-around and not a true solution to the problem but for most people, this work-around will probably be sufficient.

  This problem can only be properly solved by storing the preferred application’s bundle identifier as metadata with the document. Until that solution is implemented by Apple, changing the “Opens with” setting is the best known work-around for the problem. Again, see the above links for a more detailed discussion about this problem and its solution.

  Requirements: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

  Instructions:

  • WARNING: make a backup of your documents before beginning. Why? Because although the contents of the documents will not be changed, once the “Opens with” setting is changed, it cannot easily be undone: changes thereafter have to be done manually via the Finder or perhaps via Automator; and once changed, a document cannot be made to open with the default application for the file’s type - that is, it’s always going to be opened with a specific application and not whatever the current default application is
  • if you have many documents to change, try using SLopen on a few different files first so you can get a feel for what happens, and try saving and reading a report of the processing so you learn what is happening to your documents
  • if you have many documents to change, it’s best to first do a test run (the default mode of SLopen) and then save the test run’s results in a plain text file, then read that file to see the actual change that would be applied. If you find that the wrong application is going to be set, you have the opportunity to correct things before the documents are changed (and once changed, SLopen won’t be able to change them again). Again, be sure to back up your documents before changing their preferred application in case things turn out wrong. See the last item in the Notes section below for information about how to fine tune which application will be set as the “Opens with” application
  • to make SLopen process your documents, drag and drop any files or folders to process to SLopen’s Finder or Dock icon or to SLopen’s main window
    
    
    
    
  • once you are satisfied with the results of a test run, check the “Check to actually change the opening application. Uncheck for a ‘test run’ (no change).” checkbox and then repeat the drag and drop to actually change the preferred application setting on the documents
  • if you prefer not to do a test run, you should first launch the application, check the “Check to actually change the opening application. Uncheck for a ‘test run’ (no change).” checkbox and then drag and drop the files or folders to change, but you must be certain that the changes will be correct because as mentioned above, they changes are not easily reversed
  • to keep a record of the processed files, select the File -> Save menu item. The save formats are Plain Text (as lines of plain English), Comma Separated Values (as <document path, application path, whether the preferred application was actually changed>), and Property List (the same information as the CSV version but in an XML format). You can do this before or after files are processed. The record file will be updated as files are processed (for both test runs and actual runs)
    
    

  Notes:

  • if a document already has a preferred application set on it then it will be ignored (and it won’t show up in the results); otherwise its creating application will be set as its preferred application
  • if a document’s creating application does not exist on your system then it will not be ignored (and it won’t show up in the results)
  • if there is more than one application with the same creator code (because you have multiple versions of the same application installed) then the latest version of the application will be used. To force an earlier version to be used, move the undesired later versions out of the Applications folder
  • SLopen is only tested and works with documents that are actually files. Documents that are packages (directories with the document’s contents in several files inside the directory) are not supported

  Bugs? Problems?

  • if you encounter what you think is a problem, feel free to send an email but please describe clearly what the problem is and how it can be reproduced otherwise we reserve the right to ignore you

  Legal: copyright © 2009 chuchusoft.com. All Rights Reserved. This software released as freeware. No for-profit sale is permitted.

  Contact: email

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