Author Topic: File Associations  (Read 15523 times)

Offline Syntho

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File Associations
« on: July 09, 2014, 03:21:09 PM »
This is a quick fix on Windows machines. I'm having a problem with file type associations in OS9 though. A quick example is getting mp3s to be associated with iTunes. There's a program called FileType for OS9, but you have to add each file manually I think. I'd like to do it for EVERY file of that extension.

Something else I've noticed is that some files, like pdf, open in Adobe Acrobat just fine, but others have no association. Other files experience the same thing with other software too.

Offline DieHard

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2014, 06:26:57 PM »
"FileType" can be used to fix all those issues and you do NOT have to do one file at a time.... you can drag an entire folder (with sub folders) or search a volume with Sherlock and drag to the left plane of the "File Type app" and select the first file on the left plane and then alt select the last to get all the files in the left plane selected now just pick the file type on the right and change all in one shot... if the file type you want is not on the right you must first find a file and add it to the list of available type and then repeat the process I explained. 

When setting up a new type if you do not know what the "creator" and "type" should be for an app, just google it and use those values

Offline Syntho

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2014, 06:55:00 PM »
I'm uncertain as to why OS9 just doesn't have some feature where you set file associations for any extension, all at once. Windows has it and that'd be convenient. I tried the File Exchange thing but no luck there.

I'm only picky about this because I've got 10,000 mp3s on a TB hard drive  ;D
« Last Edit: July 09, 2014, 07:10:45 PM by Syntho »

Offline DieHard

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2014, 07:26:41 PM »
Well, this was actually an OS9 benefit... remember each file has a Resource fork... so unlike windows, that blindly associates a file extension to the "boss" program at the time... An OS 9 file will be forever owned by it's creator, burned into the file itself, until changed.

This is actually a big help to see an icon on a file and know what created it...so you can install the needed program right away. Unlike in widows, if you never install Photoshop, you see a bunch of files with a *.PSD extension and need to research what they are and how to open them.

Guess it's a matter of taste :)  what did Jobs say... "Microsoft has no taste"


supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2014, 07:43:04 PM »
thats the whole reason why if u ever copy a file from a mac to a pc u have to macbinary encode it to keep the icon/file assocations + other invisible data intact
once this is damaged its lost data for good
u can patch it or resave the file using a program on mac os 9 but in most cases it doesnt fix what was lost 100%
always use macbinary encode or place files in an archive, toast image, or disk iamge to preserve mac files in their natural habitat..
its like putting ur goldish in a portable bowl of life giving water so it can breathe while going on the train
lol

if u take the fish out and put in ur pocket for the trip.. u can throw the fish back in some more water later but.. it just wont be the same;)
rip goldie

Offline DieHard

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2014, 08:23:26 PM »
Damn… now I know why fishie died :)

All this time I thought it was making him listen to 15 different mixes of the same song I was working on
« Last Edit: July 09, 2014, 11:06:42 PM by DieHard »

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2014, 03:29:55 PM »
I'm uncertain as to why OS9 just doesn't have some feature where you set file associations for any extension, all at once. Windows has it and that'd be convenient. I tried the File Exchange thing but no luck there.

I'm only picky about this because I've got 10,000 mp3s on a TB hard drive  ;D

there is this feature.. apple menu > control panels > file exchange[/b
what do u mean no luck using file exchange?

Offline Syntho

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2014, 05:32:50 PM »
It's just plain not working. I added the mp3 file type and associated it with iTunes but it brings up a software selector when I double click them.

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2014, 05:38:21 PM »
It's just plain not working. I added the mp3 file type and associated it with iTunes but it brings up a software selector when I double click them.

why dont u just drag to your playlist or player?
maybe there is some file resource fork association that takes priority over the file extension...?
do u have the filetype app? the app that u can use to change the resource fork of a file?

attached

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2014, 05:46:17 PM »
have u ever used the audion player?
u can easily create playlists...

attached  ;D

i got this from diehard;)
i like that u can change the hue color / design (i like the 'audionEgg' design'!)
its *So* 1999-2001 ;)

Offline Protools5LEGuy

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2014, 05:47:49 PM »
See if my post can help http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=1154.0
Dragging all mp3 to bunchtyper should "repair" that.
Looking for MacOS 9.2.4

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2014, 06:03:58 PM »
check my audion player;)
ignore this ugly aqua theme
lol i used to think it was so cool but now it look sugly
platinum ftw

Offline DieHard

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2014, 09:22:25 PM »
Chris… didn't you read the tweaks… turn off the damn "indexing" FBC Indexing Scheduler extension

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #13 on: July 11, 2014, 09:18:06 AM »
yes yes who has the time for everything, back to the op topic
im clicking mp3 and its opening in quicktime player yet in my file exchange mp3 is clearly set up to play with audion player.... yet the file is an mp3 that def. doesnt originate on a mac filesystem so it should not have a fork.. or creator type ..  so why is it opening with qt!! and not audion!

this is a very real problem to be solved.. how to associate files of type mp3 with the app you wish.???
yes i can drag it to my app, but.. there must be a way? i mean audio is just a player it doesnt create files.. how do i filetype it. any gurus know the fix?

Offline Syntho

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #14 on: July 11, 2014, 01:08:50 PM »
Chris, you sound just like me in my original post  ;D

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2014, 04:16:50 PM »
Chris, you sound just like me in my original post  ;D

yes coz there must be an answer! it doesnt make sense.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creator_code


here we see the same file type with 4 different icons! this is exactly whats goin on for me... but mine are linked to quicktime
but in fileexchange it shows the audion logo yet that has nothing to do with what happens when u double click so file exchange is pretty useless;)

type creator data base (looks like it went offline around 2008)
http://web.archive.org/web/20040605075321/http://homepage.mac.com/tcdb/

here is a mirror: http://www.lacikam.co.il/tcdb/ http://www.lacikam.co.il/tcdb/download.html

Quote
The binding are stored inside the resource fork of the application as BNDL and fref resources. These resources maintained the creator code as well as the association with each type code and icon. The OS collected this data from the files when they were copied between mediums, thereby building up the list of associations and icons as software was installed onto the machine. Periodically this "desktop database" would become corrupted, and had to be fixed by "rebuilding the desktop database."(http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2344)


Quote
Every Macintosh file has two four-character codes associated with it - its type and creator. The Creator code is unique to each application and enables the Finder to attach documents to their parent applications. This way you can "double click" on the Icon of a document and MacOS will open it with its correct application. The Type code lets this application to differentiate among its files. Type/Creator Database is a collection of those codes.
Apple does not provide such a database, they only allow you to see if a certain code is already registered (A registered code must not actually be in use).
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 05:36:28 PM by chrisNova777 »

supernova777

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2014, 05:21:26 PM »
how do i find out the creator/type codes for audion if it doesnt "save" or "create" any files? it just plays them? if i knew the right 4digit code it'd be a snap but i dont even know how to look it up.. they must be stored someplace??? WHERE> no matter what i cant stop it from opening in quicktime player 6 when i dblclick


http://www.frederikseiffert.de/filetype/

if only i knew what code to type it would be a frikkin breeze to fix

Quote
Beginning with System 1[citation needed], Macintosh operating systems have attached type codes and creator codes as part of the file metadata. These four character codes were designed to specify both the application that created the file (the creator code) and the specific type of the file (the type code) so that other applications could easily open and process the file data. However, while type and creator codes extended the flexibility of the system — a particular type of file was not restricted to opening in a particular application — they suffered many of the same problems as file extensions. Type and creator codes could be lost when files were transferred across non-Macintosh systems (such as Unix-based servers), and the plethora of type codes made identification problematic.

In addition, the classic Mac OS did not recognize file extensions at all, leading to unrecognized file errors when files were transferred from DOS/Windows systems. OPENSTEP, which formed the basis of Mac OS X, used extensions, and early versions of Mac OS X followed suit. This led to some controversy with users and developers coming to OSX from NeXT or Windows origins advocating for continued use of file extensions, and those coming from Classic Mac OS urging Apple to replace or supplement file extensions with type and creators.

another question i have similar to this, is how to make an applet able to have a file drag + dropped onto it..

for example i have this applet for distributing the asio driver that came with my delta card
u are supposed to drag the asio driver file onto the applet and it searches for any "asio driver" folder and copies the file there, so u dont have to go into each folder and do the same repetitive task for each of your programs that needs teh asio driver!

but the apple doesnt allow me to drag the file to it.. perhaps bu or 110 or mactron knows how to fix?
« Last Edit: July 11, 2014, 08:52:55 PM by chrisNova777 »

Offline MacTron

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2014, 06:43:15 PM »
how do i find out the creator/type codes for audion if it doesnt "save" or "create" any files? it just plays them?
With ResEdit, take a look at BNDL resource...
Please don't PM about things that are not private.

Offline IIO

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Re: File Associations
« Reply #18 on: July 13, 2014, 02:37:25 PM »
you really dont want a tool that changes all creators according to the extension. at least not for most files in your OS system.

according to the noise in my neighborhood germany just won some title in some weird sports. who cares.
insert arbitrary signature here