All

Omitted the attached image this time (much too large).

 

Using file associations in Windows is not the greatest fun.

 

Rather than associate a file extension - .PRJ is used by much more than MapInfo, DiaBuilder, ESRI, and almost every software coding IDE (Integrated Development Interface) - the trick is to create a "Send To" job that works when you use the context menu in Windows Explorer. The context menu (of anything) is when you right-click with your mousething.

 

Now, writing a Windows Shell Extension like a SendTo extension is a bit tricky, but fortunately all you really need to do is to create a shortcut - or even an MSDOS batch file (remember them?), and put it into the SendTo folder for the user (or Default User).

 

For example, the use of regsvr32.exe to register and unregister ActiveX components (etc) can be made a simple operation, by creating a batch file containing just this:

  regsvr32 %1

(since there is always a Windows PATH set to the location of regsvr32.exe, which is %windir%\system32\ - ie, C:\WINDOWS\system32\ )

 

The SendTo folder that I am using on my computer is

  C:\Documents and Settings\Admin\SendTo\

I’m currently logged in as a user with administrative permissions. AFAIK, an XP system that is locked down with minimal permissions (like Bill's) should allow this to work OK. There is a SendTo folder in \Default User\ - but not in \All Users\

 

Create a shortcut to DiaBuilder2000 (right-click, Create Shortcut on my machine), then edit that shortcut (right-click, Properties). Change the Target textbox by adding a space, then %1 –

eg,     C:\MyStuff\DiaBuilder2000.exe %1

Give the shortcut a nice recognizable name, so that you know what’s going to happen when you invoke it by selecting your .PRJ file and right-clicking and choosing the SendTo submenu.

Then, dump that shortcut into the appropriate \SendTo\ folder. I don’t Trey’s stuff installed on this machine, so this filename may be wrong.

 

Anyway, try it. At worst, set admin privileges to get the thing working then change back to your locked-down situation and see if it is still functional.

 

IL Thomas

GeoSciSoft - Perth, Australia

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Thoen
Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 8:56 AM
To: David Reid
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [MI-L] OT - DiaBuilder2000 File Association Problem

 

 

XP does have the "open with" option, and that's what I'm trying. In the

"Open With" dialog box Diabuilder2000 is not listed among the possibilities

and when I try "Browse" and navigate to and click on DiaBuilder2000.exe,

nothing happens.  This is not the case when I use my administrator acount.

 

When I check the security settings on DiaBuilder2000.exe my normal

privilege account has full access to this file, but I can't seem to get

!$*%ing Windows to let me associate DiaBuilder2000.exe with *.prj files

from this account.

 

What's even more irritating is that from a Google for "Windows file

association" I've found lots of "how to's" explaining how to use the

Windows file association feature from Windows Explorer, but nothing

about this problem.

 

If somebody could recommend a good Windows XP Problems mailing list where I

could ask about this, that might be helpful too, because I think this is

more a Windows issue than a DiaBuilder2000 or MapInfo problem.

 

- Bill

 

 

On Tue, Jun 20, 2006 at 11:15:23AM -0500, David Reid wrote:

> This is by no means a solution, but possibly a "better'n nuttin'"

> solution...

>

> I don't know if XP has "Open With" in the right click dialog of Explorer. I

> don't even remember if this is native to Win2000 or if it was an add on

> tweak I found but. If that's available, and you don't find resolution a

> better way, this would be better than having to dialog through menues to run

> Diabuilder.

>

> Fwiw

> Dave

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Bill Thoen

> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 10:49 AM

> To: [email protected]

> Subject: [MI-L] OT - DiaBuilder2000 File Association Problem

>

>

> The *.prj file normally associated with DiaBuilder 2000 project files seems

> to also be normally associated with other software and I keep having to fix

> it with the "Windows Explorer/Tools/Folder Options/File..." to reset the

> the file association to run DiaBuilder2000.exe with any *.prj file.

>

> However, I can't get this to work from a WinXP normal user account. It

> works fine for my admin account but not for the one I normally do

> development in. The DiaBuilder icon doesn't appear in the program list, and

> when I choose "Browse" and pick it, absolutely nothing happens. It won't

> associate, nor does it give me an error.

>

> This account can execute DiaBuilder2000.exe no problem, but I'm getting

> tired of manually launching it instead of just double-clicking on the prj

> file. Anyone else here using DiaBuilder2000 to build mapbasic dialogs

> know how to fix this? Is it a Windows thing, or something peculiar to

> DiaBuilder?

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