On May 9, 2007, at 9:44 AM, Rubber Chicken Software Co. wrote: > Thanks, but I was wanting information beyond that. How does the > Operating System (OSX) know about the application and where it is?
You'll have to speak to someone that really knows the ins and outs of the Finder for the detailed explanation. > Say I make an application with the Creator code as "GOD1". Say I make > a file with the Creator code as "GOD1". Say I zip those up, and email > them to a friend, who extracts both to his computer. > > On his computer, how does OSX know that "GOD1" equals my application? Magic! (That's how the finder works.) Realistically, when one double clicks on a file, the finder looks for an application with the same creator code as the file. It looks first on the boot volume and then on any other mounted volume. If it can't find one, it throws up a dialog window requesting the app you wish to launch the file with. > I would think that it wouldn't for my friend, as the only thing he > did was write the files onto his computer. Certainly OSX wouldn't > take that information as authoritative. > > The real question is "how do I inform OSX that a new application is > born unto this world and all matching Creator Codes should launch > this application, located at [this path]"? The Finder does that automatically without being "informed" like it must be on windows. As long as it can see an application with that Creator code, it will use it. There are some issues regarding which version the Finder should use as it really isn't 100% foolproof. This is why some complain that their Rb projects are not always opened in the version they wish. I have found, however, if you keep the version desired as the first one the finder sees, then everything works well. This is why I keep all other versions of Rb on a separate volume or partition on my hard drive. It used to be that newest version was used but that doesn't seem to work correctly anymore. > You know where I'm going with this. If I make a commercial app, and I > want to simply distribute it on a .dmg (not a formal installation, > but simply "drag this folder to your Applications folder", but I > want to associate files with a certain Creator Code to be launched by > my app. How do I do that? Exactly as I mentioned. > (On Windows, you simply write into the registry under > HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT information regarding the extension of the file.) On Mac that is handled for you when the application is downloaded. It also helps if it is in the actual Application Folder itself but it should still work in other folders. Terry _______________________________________________ Unsubscribe or switch delivery mode: <http://www.realsoftware.com/support/listmanager/> Search the archives: <http://support.realsoftware.com/listarchives/lists.html>
