File Types

Use the File Types tab to associate Windows file types and commands with an application.

Configuration

Open the application and click Properties > File Types.
To add a File Type to the application, click Add. This will open the Add/Change File Type window.
To import all already known file types for the application from the system, click Import. If you have edited or deleted file types, you can revert to the default file types of the application by clicking the Import button again.
To change existing File Types, click Edit or Delete.
If multiple applications are associated with the same file types and commands, click the arrows to assign a priority. For example, WordPad can open simple DOC files, but Microsoft Word also supports this file type. If an application is at the top of the priority list for a certain file type and command, it will be used to handle the File Type. If this application is not accessible to the user, the second application will be used, etc. You can also edit this priority in the node Composition > Applications > File Types.

The same file type and command may be entered for more than one application. For example, WordPad can open simple DOC files, but Microsoft Word also supports this file type. To determine what should happen if a user has access to both applications, assign an application priority to the file type/command. You can do this on the Properties > File Types tab of an application, or on the File Types node of Composition > Applications.

The application at the top of the priority list for a certain file type or command will handle the file type association. If this application is not accessible to the user, the second application on the list will be used, and so on. If the initial application that handles a certain file type and command is temporarily not available (that is, disabled or limited by Time Restrictions), Workspace Control will look for an alternative application. This alternative must be configured for the same file type/command and must also be available in the user's menu.

When you add or edit an association, you can configure the following options:

File type extension: the extension to be associated with an application. Select a known association with the browse button or enter a new extension manually.
Enabled: whether the association is to be enabled.
Command: the command associated with the file type (for example "edit", "open", or "print"). Usually executed by Windows when a user double-clicks a file from the Explorer or when a file is launched from another application. The command (or its description) will show in the context menu when right-clicking a file in the Explorer. Select a known command with the browse button or enter a new command manually.
Description: a short description of the command that will be shown in the context menu when right-clicking a file in the Explorer.
Register as default command for this extension: the default command is the command that will be executed by Windows when a user double-clicks a file.
Command-line parameters: the command-line parameters that should be used for the application when the user selects the command. For example, use "/p %1" when configuring the "print" command for WordPad, so that WordPad will print the selected file.
Also register this command as Workspace Extension: enables support for File Types for the Workspace Extender / RES Subscriber for VDX (see Workspace Extensions).
Use DDE: you can enable this setting and automatically load the machine default DDE settings. Using DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) prevents Workspace Control to open an additional instance of an application when, for example, an associated file type is double-clicked from the Windows Explorer and the application is already opened. It also enables e.g. printing of documents from the context menu.
- DDE Message: This field specifies the DDE command for this action.
- Application: This field specifies the DDE application string that is used to start the DDE link with the application.
- Topic: This field specifies the DDE topic string to start a conversation with the application. The default DDE topic string (used if this field is empty) is "System."
- DDE message if application is not running: This optional field specifies the DDE command to use if the application (specified in the Application field) is not already running. If this field is left empty, Microsoft Windows sends the same command as specified in the DDE Message field.