[comp.sys.mac] Attaching working folder to an application

dce@stan.UUCP (David Elliott) (03/28/89)

When a file open dialog box comes up, it seems to always be set to the
last folder I opened a dialog box for, or the directory in which the
application executed resides, even if I execute the application by
double-clicking on an associated file icon in another directory.  It's
really annoying to start an application and have to move up 3 or 4
folders and then down 3 or 4 more just to get to the file I'm looking
for.

Is there a way to tell the system to start the dialog in the last
active (as in used by the finder) folder?  How about a way to tell the
dialog to start in the folder where the file resides that activated the
application?  How about a way to attach a default folder to an
application?  Just having these last two would help me immensely.

Assuming nothing exists that can do these things, is there any
reason why an INIT couldn't be written to do this?

-- 
David Elliott		...!pyramid!boulder!stan!dce
"Splish splash, I was rakin' in the cash"  -- Eno

mithomas@bsu-cs.UUCP (Michael Thomas Niehaus) (03/29/89)

In article <686@salgado.stan.UUCP>, dce@stan.UUCP (David Elliott) writes:
> When a file open dialog box comes up, it seems to always be set to the
> last folder I opened a dialog box for, or the directory in which the
> application executed resides, even if I execute the application by
> double-clicking on an associated file icon in another directory.  It's
> really annoying to start an application and have to move up 3 or 4
> folders and then down 3 or 4 more just to get to the file I'm looking
> for.

The standard file dialog (and the Mac user interface in general) makes this
a fairly easy task compared to MS-DOS or Unix, so I don't really mind that
much.
 
> Is there a way to tell the system to start the dialog in the last
> active (as in used by the finder) folder?  How about a way to tell the
> dialog to start in the folder where the file resides that activated the
> application?  How about a way to attach a default folder to an
> application?  Just having these last two would help me immensely.

Word Perfect for the Mac does exactly what you want: it allows you to set a
default folder for data files, dictionary files, and temporary files (even
if these are on other drives).  Some might argue that this is not Mac-like
but it is one of the best features of Word Perfect for the Mac.  Maybe in the
future more software will add this feature.

> Assuming nothing exists that can do these things, is there any
> reason why an INIT couldn't be written to do this?

This is a good question.  I would assume that the answer is yes.  It would
seem to me that this would be a fairly simple addition to the SFScroll INIT
(or whatever it is called) that remembers the scroll position of the SF dialog
the last time it was used.  Of course, you would have to add a Control Panel
interface, etc.
 
> David Elliott		...!pyramid!boulder!stan!dce
> "Splish splash, I was rakin' in the cash"  -- Eno

-Michael


-- 
Michael Niehaus        UUCP: <backbones>!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!mithomas
Apple Student Rep      ARPA:  mithomas@bsu-cs.bsu.edu
Ball State University  AppleLink: ST0374 (from UUCP: st0374@applelink.apple.com)

AXS101@PSUVM.BITNET (Adrian Sullivan) (03/30/89)

In article <6366@bsu-cs.UUCP>, mithomas@bsu-cs.UUCP (Michael Thomas Niehaus) says:
>In article <686@salgado.stan.UUCP>, dce@stan.UUCP (David Elliott) writes:
>> Assuming nothing exists that can do these things, is there any
>> reason why an INIT couldn't be written to do this?
>This is a good question.  I would assume that the answer is yes.  It would
>seem to me that this would be a fairly simple addition to the SFScroll INIT
>(or whatever it is called) that remembers the scroll position of the SF dialog
>the last time it was used.  Of course, you would have to add a Control Panel
>interface, etc.
>> David Elliott                ...!pyramid!boulder!stan!dce
>-Michael

there is an init named boomerang, it puts a small (size of a "new
button" in hypercard) button in the upper right corner of the SFS box,
in it you can program up to ten folders, or you can have it just remember
the last ten that you had used. now where did i get it, it was either from
bmug, bcs, or genie. i could post it if enough ppl want it




                                                 Adrian Sullivan
axs101@psuvm.bitnet                               Vice President- PAMUG
axs101@psuvm.psu.edu                              Little Mac BBs
axs@psuarch.bitnet                                 (814) 238-4276
axs@psuarch.psu.edu                                1:129/95 fido!
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adrian.sullivan@f95.n129.z1.fidonet.org            24hrs, except 3:40-5am

sbb@esquire.UUCP (Stephen B. Baumgarten) (04/01/89)

In article <6366@bsu-cs.UUCP> mithomas@bsu-cs.UUCP (Michael Thomas Niehaus) writes:
>In article <686@salgado.stan.UUCP>, dce@stan.UUCP (David Elliott) writes:
>> When a file open dialog box comes up, it seems to always be set to the
>> last folder I opened a dialog box for, or the directory in which the
>> application executed resides, even if I execute the application by
>> double-clicking on an associated file icon in another directory.  It's
>> really annoying to start an application and have to move up 3 or 4
>> folders and then down 3 or 4 more just to get to the file I'm looking
>> for.
>
>The standard file dialog (and the Mac user interface in general) makes this
>a fairly easy task compared to MS-DOS or Unix, so I don't really mind that
>much.

HFS Navigator, from our friends at THINK, makes this even easier.  It
allows you to go directly to any folder (you can add to/delete from the list
at any time) from any file open/save dialog box.  It's about $30 and
really a must for serious Multifinder use.

--
   Steve Baumgarten             | "New York... when civilization falls apart,
   Davis Polk & Wardwell        |  remember, we were way ahead of you."
   cmcl2!esquire!sbb            | 
   esquire!sbb@cmcl2.nyu.edu    |                           - David Letterman