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I would like to open a file with my application when the file is double clicked. I have registered the filetype with the application and the application: openFile: method works fine if I drop a file onto the applications icon. In the apple documentation it says, that this method should also work when the user double clicks a file.

What I am seeing is, the app will activate when the file is opened by double click, but Safari will open the file instead (Trying to open a .webloc file). But the method application: openFile: does not get called :(

Here is how i set it up in xcode: file type reg

Edit:

I have set the .webloc to open as standart to my application. Also Right clicking "Open With" > "My App" does not work.

Edit 2: If I rename the file extension to .mp3 or any other, my application will open the file as it should by double clicking it! Strange...

Silicone
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4 Answers4

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Since I just went through a similar problem myself, I will add what worked for me. I found that .webloc files never call -application:openFile:, instead you must do several things to allow for your application to be the default role handler for URLs if you just want to double click on the .webloc and have your application handle it.

The chosen answer on this post describes the process that solved my problem: How do you set your Cocoa application as the default web browser?

Community
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Ian K
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Double-clicking on a file doesn't open in it every application that can handle the file type (can you imagine what would happen when you double-clicked on a JPEG?) — double-clicking uses the default app for the file type. In this case, Safari is the default reader for webloc files. You need to change that to be your application (you can do this from the Get Info window) if you want it to be the one called.

Chuck
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    I have set the file to open with my application as default. Also when I choose "Open With" > "My Application" it does not work – Silicone Apr 16 '12 at 18:31
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It's possible to have several applications that all know how to open the same type of file. If you want your application to handle .webloc files, Get Info for a file of that type. Then select your application in the popup menu in the "Open with:" section of the info window. If you want to use your application for all such files, click the "Change All..." button.

Caleb
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    My application is set as the default app to open this kind of file. The "open with" also doesn't work. – Silicone Apr 16 '12 at 18:39
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    Do you also implement `-application:openFiles:`? And are you calling `-replyToOpenOrPrint:` in your implementation as explained in the docs? – Caleb Apr 16 '12 at 18:43
  • Yes, `application:openFiles:` is also in my code. Also works fine when dropping multiple files on the icon of the application. I have tried `replyToOpenOrPrint:` but did not make any difference. The code in `application:openFile(s):` just does not get called – Silicone Apr 16 '12 at 18:47
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In Xcode, create a new Project using the "Mac OS X :: Cocoa Application" template. Then implement 

- (NSData *)dataOfType:(NSString *)typeName error:(NSError **)outError
{ static NSString *content = @"Empty File";
   return [NSData dataWithBytes: [content UTF8String] 
                         length: 1 + strlen ([content UTF8String])]; }

You will then have a working example to compare to your project.

GoZoner
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  • I think you got my question a bit wrong. Or then I don't understand your answer :( In the apple docs it says: "Creates and returns a data object that contains the contents of the document, formatted to a specified type." for `dataOfType: error:`. What I am looking for is a method which will open the files which the user double clicked. – Silicone Apr 16 '12 at 19:08
  • No sorry. The example Xcode project allows you to create a new document, save the document and then double click on it to open it. The code above is template code that needs to be changed to save a file. (The method after the one in my answer also needs to change to return 'YES.') The double clicking works; maybe it helps you resolve your original question. Of course, the sample code creates a new document type 'mydoc' and you are opening an existing document type 'webloc' - so maybe the example code doesn't help. – GoZoner Apr 16 '12 at 19:26
  • I have made "my own" .webloc files in the property list editor, but the just opened chrome. It seems like only if I use the ".webloc" extension Safari will open. If I change the extension to ".mp3" or any other it will all work as expected, `application: openFile:` will get called :S – Silicone Apr 16 '12 at 19:46
  • Anyway, found some older .webloc file (which had a different icon) and it all worked fine. So I think it's not my applications fault that the files aren't being opened! – Silicone Apr 17 '12 at 11:11