Portable OpenWith - some suggestions

[xman]

Hi,

Portable OpenWith is a nice feature, but it fails with some programs - for example with CFF Explorer and ProtectionID. Why? There are at least 4 possible versions of OpenWith in registry:
"E:\Apps\RCE\PE Rebuilding\PE Editors\CFF Explorer\CFF Explorer.exe" "%1"
"E:\Apps\RCE\PE Rebuilding\PE Editors\CFF Explorer\CFF Explorer.exe" %1
E:\Apps\RCE\PE Rebuilding\PE Editors\CFF Explorer\CFF Explorer.exe %1
E:\Apps\RCE\PE Rebuilding\PE Editors\CFF Explorer\CFF Explorer.exe "%1"

Note that the described behavior come from Windows 7. It may be different elsewhere. %1 is parameter (opened file). Notice the quotes! Most programs use the first case - exename in quotes, filename(s) (parameter) in quotes too. This one works well with XYPlorer.
But the other cases don't work - they open program multiple times and each time they pass one selected file as parameter. They also pass parameter
without quotes (this is important). The third/fourth case send parameter in 8-3 format. Would it be possible to add new variables (in addition to <items>) like <items_multiple> and <items_multiple_8_3>, which would open multiple copies of program, send files one by one to each of them and - important - parameter without quotes (in standard or 8-3 format)? You may try yourself - ProtectionID is case #2 and CFF Explorer is case #3. I think it would be useful for users using this feature.

Another useful thing could be, if user could add some parameter to the beginning (some special character), that would add menu separator before the item. For some file types, it's not unusual to have 8 or more openwith commands and this could separate them to groups. Example - exe files could have one group with scanners (peid, exeinfo, protection id), another with editors (ultraedit, pspad, 010 editor) and another with debuggers/disassemblers (ida, ollydbg). It would help the user visually find what he/she needs.

[admin]

Hi & welcome,

I don't know the apps you are talking about, are they very old? I'm surprised that apps still need arguments in 8.3 format.
Anyway, variables like <items_multiple_8_3> are a possible solution to handle those cases. Good idea actually.

I also see the use of menu separators.

However, currently a lot of other things are on my list, an I have to go one by one. So please bump this later.

Don

[xman]

Hi and thanks for the reply,
Those two applications are not old, both were updated in 2009 and are pretty widely used.

CFF Explorer is a known PE editor (maybe even the best):
http://www.ntcore.com/exsuite.php

Protection ID is detector of exe files and packers/protectors:
http://pid.gamecopyworld.com/

But I don't think that it's limited to these two apps, there are likely more of them. The problem is that these applications work with what windows returns and therefore may not expect quotes as these are never returned by windows (except for case #1 from first post) and possibly expect 8-3 format (and it doesn't even have to be intention - programmer writes handler, it works, so why bother if it returns 8-3 format or standard format...they don't expect it to be used anywhere else than from explorer's right menu and it works there).

[xman]

I have also noticed another thing (maybe bug?). Portable OpenWith doesn't work when clicling on folder in tree - it shows menu for last selected file in right window or no menu at all. I think it should show menu with all items, that have "\" (folder) in their specification.

[admin]

I have also noticed another thing (maybe bug?). Portable OpenWith doesn't work when clicling on folder in tree - it shows menu for last selected file in right window or no menu at all. I think it should show menu with all items, that have "\" (folder) in their specification.

Right. The reasons for this are historical: Originally the POM was for files only.

But the current (limited) behavior also has an advantage: You don't have to care about the current input focus. POM will always apply to the List selections. To make to focus aware would decrease usability I fear.