Macos – On Mac, how can I set a default program to open all unknown files

macmacos

On Mac I often have files that are unknown to OS X. Opening the file results in a popup asking me to choose a file or search the Mac App Store.

I know that for files I can set the default program to open all files with that specific extension. What I am aiming at now is to set a default program on my Mac to open all files that cannot be automatically opened by another program. (Because 99% of the time I want to open those files in TextWrangler.)

So in short: I don't want to set a default program for files of a specific extension, but for all unknown files.

Best Answer

That isn't an option because some files you wouldn't want to open. As a result you you can select by file ext. hold down option while right clicking and select open with and select text wrangler. This will change the default for all files with the same extension.

I like just dragging the file and dropping it on the text wrangler app (I keep it in my dock. This doesn't require you to change the default program but opens the file just the same.

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MacOS – Set default open-with app to a Python program on a Mac

For your second question, according to How to associate the “.exe” extension to be opened with Mono?, you need an .app bundle:

Apparently, when using Finder's GUI, only .app files (application bundles) can be selected.

If that's true for Python scripts as well, then my answer at that question might help, with for Step 5:

5. Replace echo "$f" with python32 UliPad.py "$f"

So, in short, create an Automator "application" to run the following Shell script:

PYTHON=/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/6.1/bin/python/
ULIPAD=/Users/vmd/Dropbox/Ulipad/UliPad.py
if [ $# -eq 0 ]
then
  # No parameters passed; just run it without any files:
  $PYTHON $ULIPAD
else
  # Run an instance for each file:
  for f in "$@"
  do
    $PYTHON $ULIPAD "$f"
  done
fi

...or maybe you can pass multiple files to UliPad.py in one go:

PYTHON=/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/6.1/bin/python/
ULIPAD=/Users/vmd/Dropbox/Ulipad/UliPad.py
$PYTHON $ULIPAD "$@"

As for your first question: you should be able to use the same Automator "application" to just start UliPad without opening any file (if indeed you then just need to run it without any parameters, like I assumed above).

Macos – Open With TextWrangler for all files

Use an Automator Service instead. The result might be even better, depending on your point of view (I created the service for the hex editor 0xED, but it should also work for TextWrangler):

enter image description here

If you like what you see in the screenshot, open /Applications/Automator.app and select to create a new Service. At the top right of the window, select "receives selected files and folders in any application" (or just Finder, your choice).

From the library, select Utilities and double-click Run Shell Script.

Configure that action to "Pass input as arguments" and replace the script text with the following:

if [ -f "$1" ] ; then
    open -a "TextWrangler" "$1"
fi

This will open the selected file using TextWrangler if it's a regular file (no symbolic link, folder, etc.)

Save as "Open in TextWrangler" and you can use it.

Best Answer

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Macos – Open With TextWrangler for all files

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