[matttichenor]

One thing I have never figured out on the Mac is how to choose which Application should be used for opening specific file types. For example, I had Graphic Converter installed on my system then bought Photoshop. I now want Phototshop to be my default program for opening specific image files .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tiff. I have tried endlessly to configure the system to use Photohop for these File types by using the Internet Control Panel. Under the Advanced Tab: File Mapping and also under the File Exchange Control Panel. Neither of these locations allow you to force file types to open with certain programs. Is there no way of doing this?? As of now, these file types try to open with Graphic Converter but when the system cannot find the program it opens a file translation window and asks me to pick an APP. Once I have resaved the file it now opens with the new app, I would like to figure out how to use a global reassignment of file types, maybe I can't. I seem to remember this was possible with Windows.


any help would be greatly appreciated,

matt

[rytc]

I'm afraid that you can't do what your hoping. The MacOS doesn't use file extensions to determine which app the document 'belongs' to and will consequently be opened with. Instead the file type and creator are stored in the resource fork of the file (this can be viewed using ResEdit) - these are set by the application that saved the file. The extensions are really just so you can know what the file type is/or so that you could send it to someone using windows and they could open it. The File exchange control panel is only used by the system when it can't find the app that saved the file/or when the file can from a windows computer and doesn't have the resource fork with the typr/creator info. In these situations the system looks at the file extension and then looks to see whjat app that has been mapped to. Like you said you can do a global file extension change on windows but that is because Windows uses the extension in determining which app will open the file. Try removing the extension in windows and your pretty screwed if you don't know what sort of file it is.
Cheers Ry

You could try DefaultApp