#SHORT VERSION:
1. Opening .html and .htm files in XMLmind XML editor (XXe) itself, from
within the ‘Open Current Folder’ file navigation pane, isn’t
possible unless the user defines XXe as the helper file for .html and
.htm files.
2. It should also be emphasized (and it seems to me that this could
where the dog is burried) that these problems occur (I believe) only
when trying to open files with ‘non-XML’ file suffixes. Thus,
typically, it happens for XHTML files with ‘.htm’ or ‘.html’ as
their file suffix. Whereas for files with ‘.xml’, ‘.xht’ or
‘.xhtml’ (and probably many other XML file suffixes that XXe is
aware of), it is always possible to open them from the ‘Open Current
Folder’ file navigation pane.
#LONG VERSION:
Report valid for XMLmind XML Editor version 7.3 (XXe73) for MacOS. The
issues have been noticed earlier versions of XXE, as well.
XXe73 offers 3 options for selecting files to be opened in XXe73 itself:
1. the ordinary dialog window;
2. the URL-based dialog window;
3. the ‘Open Current Folder’ file navigation pane
(Shift-Command-O).
Opening files via the first two options always work. But when using the
third option, then, if the file has a non-XML file suffix (read: if the
file suffix is .html or .htm), then any of the following 3 or 4 things
could happen - and it is hard for the user to deduce what:
1. Provided **BOTH** the file association for .htm(l) files in the
MacOS Finder is ‘Firefox’ **AND** the user has set up Firefox as
helper application for .htm(l) files inside XXe73 **as well**, **THEN**
the file opens in Firefox.
2. Same as in 1., except that the MacOS file association is
TextEdit.app: Now XXe73 will activate [read: make into front
application] Firefox (since it is the helper application), whereas the
file will actually open in TextEdit.app. Because Firefox is brought to
front, the user might get the impression that nothing has happened.
However, if the user looks inside TextEdit.app, the file has actually
gotten opened there ...
3. If XXE has be been set up, in XXe73, as the helper application for
.htm(l) files, then the file will open in XXe73 (which is usually what
one wants when/if trying to open a file from within the ‘Open Curren
Folder’ file navigation pane). However this is not a viable workaround
because this means, as well, that .htm(l) files will open i XXe73 if you
select ‘Open Document in Helper Application’ from the Tools menu -
which is something you usually do **not** want to happen (since the file
is then [usually] already open in XXE - that is why you want to view it
in a helper application ...)
4. If the file name contians certain characters that XXe73 doesn’t
like (example: dollar sign, e.g. ‘foo-$-bar.html’), then nothing
happens - that is: the file opens neither here or there. (I believe
there are also some other combinations, not related to the file name,
when nothing happens - but I might be wrong about that.)
NOTE: I take, as assumption, that when someone is trying to open a file
from within the ‘Open Current Folder’, then he or she is primarely
expecting - and wanting - to open file (that XXe is capable of opening)
from within XXe itself. Thus, regardless what the helper application or
MacOS Finder file association is, opening files - that XXe is capable of
opening - from within the ‘Open Current Folder’ file navigation
pane, should always open the file in XXe itself. At least, this is how
things works for .xhtml and .xht files, and that seems to me to make
sense to me as well.
Leif Halvard Silli
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