Q: I CHANGED THE TYPE OF A FILE FROM FORMAT “A” TO FORMAT “B”, BUT MY PROGRAMS CAN'T READ IT AS FORMAT “B”. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
A: FileTyper is NOT a translation utility. It doesn’t convert files from one format to another. It only lets you edit the codes that the Finder and other applications use to determine the kind of file, and what application it belongs to. If you want to translate a file from one word processor format to another, you need to use another utility. (Most programs provide translators for files of similar programs.)
In general, if you don’t completely understand how the Finder uses type and creator codes, then you shouldn’t try to edit them at all.
Q: IS THERE ANY WAY TO HAVE FILETYPER CHANGE JUST ONE THING ON A BATCH OF FILES? I WANT TO CHANGE THE ISINVISIBLE FLAG BUT LEAVE EVERYTHING ELSE ALONE.
A: Yes, what you would do is disable all the other fields. See the next question on enabling and disabling to see how to do this.
Q: WHAT’S ALL THIS ABOUT ENABLING AND DISABLING?
A: FileTyper can do three things to a Finder flag: set it, clear it, or leave it alone. If the box is checked, the flag will be set; if the box is not checked, the flag will be cleared; if the box is grayed out (disabled), the flag will be left alone. This grayed-out state is what is meant by “disabled.” By disabling an attribute, you can cause FileTyper to ignore it.
To disable or re-enable an item, you should option-click it. This will toggle between the normal change-me state, and the grayed-out disabled don’t-change-me state. You can also enable or disable all the items at once using the buttons provided.
This feature is intended for editing batches of files. For example, to lock a number of different kinds of files, but maintain their old types, creators, and Finder flags, you can disable all attributes except the “locked” flag, set that flag, and click “Change All.”
Enabling and disabling are also available in the file filtering feature, in the preferences window. The basic concept is the same. FileTyper will filter files and folders based on the attributes that you enable, but ignore those that you disable.
Q: HELP! I CAN’T SAVE MY PREFERENCES! THE “SAVE” BUTTON IS GRAYED OUT!
A: In order to save preferences, the FileTyper Folder must be present in either the System Folder or the Preferences Folder, and the file “FileTyper 4.2 Prefs” must be present in the FileTyper Folder.
Also, make sure neither the FileTyper Folder, nor any files contained within it have been renamed. If you’re upgrading from an earlier version, do NOT try to rename your preferences file from “FileTyper 4.0 Prefs” or “FileTyper 4.1 Prefs” to “FileTyper 4.2 Prefs”. You need to REPLACE the old file with the new file.
FileTyper does not install this folder automatically; you must do this yourself. The reason for this is, many people may carry FileTyper around and use it as a tool for working on other people’s Macintoshes, and I didn’t want FileTyper to be installing its thing everywhere it is taken.
Q: WHY AREN’T THE POP-UP MENUS AVAILABLE?
A: Make sure the FileTyper Folder is present in either the System Folder or the Preferences Folder, and the file “FileTyper Pop-ups” is present in the FileTyper Folder. Also, the corresponding pop-up menu will be grayed out if the type or creator field has been disabled. Re-enable the field to use the pop-up.
Q: HOW CAN I CUSTOMIZE THE POP-UP MENUS?
A: You need to use ResEdit to edit the pop-up menus. See the documentation to see exactly how to do this. One of my plans for version 5.0 is a way to do this without having to use ResEdit.
Q: WHY CAN’T I UNDO? THE MENU ITEM IS GRAYED OUT!
A: In order to be able to undo, you need two things. First, the preferences files must be available. Make sure the FileTyper Folder is present in either the System Folder or the Preferences Folder, and the file “FileTyper Pop-ups” is present in the FileTyper Folder. Second, you need to make sure the “Make changes undo-able” option in the preferences window is turned on.
Q: SO WHY NOT HAVE “MAKE CHANGES UNDO-ABLE” ON ALL THE TIME?
A: You can if you want to. However, when undo is enabled like this, making changes will take longer, because FileTyper has to log its changes. The difference won’t be noticeable if you just edit one file or folder at a time, but for a large batch job, having undo recording on may slow down the operation considerably. So it’s up to you as to when or whether you choose to “make changes undo-able”. I personally leave it off since I never really use the feature.
Q: WHAT DOES [insert Finder flag name here] DO?
A: FileTyper provides a brief description of all the attributes it can edit in Balloon Help. Turn on Balloon Help, and move the cursor over the check box corresponding to the attribute you are concerned with. Note that, for Balloon Help to work, the FileTyper Folder must be present in either the System Folder or the Preferences Folder, and the file “FileTyper 4.2 Help” must be present in the FileTyper Folder.
If you want more information, see “Inside Macintosh: Macintosh Toolbox Essentials”, chapter 7.
Q: IS THERE A COMPLETE TYPE/CREATOR LIST AVAILABLE?
A: The only COMPLETE list of file types and creators is maintained by Apple Computer, and they won’t make it public. There are some lists maintained privately by individuals, posted to ftp sites, file servers or discussion groups periodically. Some of these are excellent resources, but none are complete and they’re not guaranteed to be accurate.
If you just want to know the codes for a particular kind of file, and you already have such a file, you can use the “Same As” button; otherwise, well, you’ll have to find someone who knows. (And don’t ask me; I probably won’t know, either.)
