From: jwh@citi.umich.edu (Jim Howe)
Subject: Re: Is WPS really better??
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 10:56:14 EDT
Organization: IFS Project, University of Michigan
Reply-To: jwh@citi.umich.edu

In article <1992Sep30.133147.11085@scott.skidmore.edu>, pvonk@scott.skidmore.edu (Pierre VonKaenel) writes:
|> In article <BAB.92Sep30072426@se39.wg2.waii.com> bab@se39.wg2.waii.com (Brian Button) writes:
|> >In article <1992Sep29.193827.10087@scott.skidmore.edu> pvonk@scott.skidmore.edu (Pierre VonKaenel) writes:
|> >
|> >   As for a program launcher: I use Windows to point to the program I
|> >   want to run, double click.  In OS/2 I have icons in open folders - I
|> >   double click on the appropriate icon to start a program.  What's the
|> >   difference?
|> >
|> >The main difference here is that you're not using WPS to its fullest.
|> >The advantage is that WPS is Object-Oriented. You don't open a
|> >program, like a word processor for instance, and then load a file into
|> >it. You use a template to create a data file specific to a certain
|> >spreadsheet or form, double click on this new object, and that data
|> >object starts the appropriate program for it. When that program comes
|> >up, the data file is loaded into it and is ready to go.
|> 
|> True... but I do that with Windows also.  I have icons that represent
|> often used files (speadsheet, say) and when I click on them, Quatro
|> comes up with that data file.
|> 
|> I tried doing what you suggest in OS/2, but here's the problem (maybe
|> you netters have a tip to overcome this..) : I'm in a word processor
|> (however, it's not an OS/2 program).  I create a new document and save
|> it in some directory.  When I return to the WPS, I have to create an
|> icon for it, connect it to the right app, etc.  What a pain!  Perhaps
|> an OS/2 app that knows about the WPS will create the icon for me -
|> Okay that would be fine, no complaints.  But currently, it's not a
|> smooth process.

Although not a perfect solution, what you can do is associate a file
extension with an application.  For example, I use WordPerfect and
I associated the Word Perfect program object with the extension
'.WP5'.  If I double-click on a file with that extension, Word Perfect
is invoked and the file is automatically loaded.  You can associate
a application with more than one file name, and you can have a 
particular file name associated with more than one application.
More about that later.

|> 
|> Problem #2:  this is something I've encountered in Windows and other
|> OSs that try to be object oriented - I have data files that are
|> "connected" to several apps.  I write a C++ program in my Brief
|> editor.  Later I use in BC++.  Then back to Brief.  I've had some data
|> files that are used in three different apps.  In WPS, I can only
|> attach it to one app.  To use it in a different context, I'd have to
|> click on the setting for that icon, change the related app name and
|> start over.  Or, use two or more icons for the same file, but have
|> each associated with a different app?  I think not.
|> 
|> [...] But what about my point above, several apps for each data
|> file?
|> 

As I described above, you can associate a file name with more than
one application.  When you do this, double-clicking on the data object
will invoke the 'default' application.  If you simply single-click
on the object and bring up the Open menu, you will be given a list
of all applications associated with the file (data object).


James W. Howe                  internet: jwh@citi.umich.edu
University of Michigan             uucp: uunet!mailrus!citi.umich.edu!jwh
Ann Arbor, MI   48103-4943         
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.advocacy