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rarmstrong1-Visitor
1-Visitor
April 14, 2014
Question

File System Associations in Windows

  • April 14, 2014
  • 4 replies
  • 6212 views

I am just wondering what experience others have had with respect to the default Arbortext file associations.

Background: In our environment we have 1 styler license and many editor licenses.

For some reason, when you install Arbortext with Styler, and then double-click to open a .xml file, Arbortext defaults to opening with styler enabled.

This means that we have to either:

  • Train users to open Arbortext first then open the file
  • Install Arbortext without styler for most users - but that has caused some issues with RTF production and some MathFlow integration as the menus are different
  • Or some type of registry hack to force the association to open editor without styler. (obvuiously this is not popular in an environment where there are over 70 clients in use.

What do others do to cope with this? or Is there something simple I am missing when installing Arbortext where we can configure the mode in which it launches?

Thanks,

Rob.

4 replies

B
18-Opal
bfriesen18-Opal
18-Opal
April 14, 2014

I asked this question last April, but I cnanot seem to find the case # C11336372 using the search.

When installing editor and Styler, the last one that's installed takes over the registry, so if you installed Styler last (which the program seems to do) then Styler will "own" the registry entry for "editor.exe".

You can go to the Editor install path (via a command prompt) and change directories to the "bin" folder and run this command:

editor -UnRegAnyServer

then

editor -RegServer

To try to reclaim the COM registration for Editor. (this way you wouldn't need to deinstall/reinstall).

I have never got this to work correctly for me.

R
rarmstrong1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
April 16, 2014

Thanks Bryon,

I tried the RegServer solution and this does not seem to work for me. I believe based upon the reading, this has more to do with multiple installations of Arbortext on the same machine (telling Windows which is the current copy).

My issue has more to do with the way WIndows opens Arbortext when you double-click am xml file (when Arbortext is not already open).

I recall in the past, If I install Arbortext Editor only first, the Windows association is setup. Then if I modify the installation to add styler, the association is not affected and thus works that way I want.

I was just hoping there was an easier way to force the association to open editor rather than styler.

Thanks for the suggestion

D
dschenken1-Visitor
1-Visitor
April 14, 2014

If it is like other applications, you can select a typical file in Windows Explorer, right mouse and select "Open With" -> "Choose Program." You'll get a list of applications and there's a box labeled "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file." Click the box and then select the application and pick OK.

R
rarmstrong1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
April 16, 2014

Thanks for the suggestion David, I tried this back when I started running into this issue. In this case - if I select Arbortext Editor, It is still Styler that opens.

Thanks,

Rob

G
GarethOakes16-Pearl
16-Pearl
April 14, 2014

As far as I'm aware, the installation of Styler and Editor are identical. It is only how the editor.exe application is invoked which causes Styler to kick in or not.

What I would recommend you explore:

1. Install Arbortext Editor only, on all desktops

2. Add a separate shortcut to Arbortext Editor for each user, but rename it to Arbortext Styler

3. For your Arbortext Styler shortcut, just add " -styler" (without the quotes) after the editor.exe application call.

4. Default file associations remain with Arbortext Editor, when user wants Arbortext Styler, first quit Editor then relaunch via the Arbortext Styler shortcut.

R
rarmstrong1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
April 16, 2014

Thanks for the reply Gareth, I didn't think they were quite identical - specifically, there are some publish menus that don't seem to be there.

I know that we ran into some issues with our MathFlow equation editor that was expecting certain.

Having said that, I will investigate a bit further ... perhaps I will need to log a feature request requesting that there be a way to configre what the default open method is for the windows file association.

Thanks,

Rob

G
GarethOakes16-Pearl
16-Pearl
April 16, 2014

I haven't tested but I am fairly confident in my assessment. Try launching a regular Arbortext Editor install with the -styler command line option. I think it will work.

Editor ships with Styler but it is a cut-down version for editing screen stylesheets only. The full set of publishing menu options magically reappear once you use the -styler option.

R
rarmstrong1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
April 29, 2014

I created a product idea to allow the installer to set the desired default behaviour. If you are interested in this, please go vote up the product idea. http://communities.ptc.com/ideas/4162

Thanks,

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