Open file with a specific program

[BradColin]

Hello ,

I have a file on Mac with a strange extension ... I know the program to run it, so when i try to right click the file to choose "Open with" and i try to this program, the program appears un-selectable(Gray colored).

The program is a Jar file.

Why is that ? And how can i force using this program to open the file when double clicking the file ?

 

[bmcgonag]

Right click the file, click 'Get Info', then on the Info pane you can set which program to open it with, and you should be able to tell OS X to open all .jar files with that program.

 

[BradColin]

Right click the file, click 'Get Info', then on the Info pane you can set which program to open it with, and you should be able to tell OS X to open all .jar files with that program.

That is hat i am doing ... But the program appears in the Info pane dimmed. I can't select it !!

 

[Mal]

Make sure the selected drop-down in this image is changed to All Applications, instead of Recommended Applications:



jW

 

[BradColin]

Make sure the selected drop-down in this image is changed to All Applications, instead of Recommended Applications:

View attachment 301762

jW

I already do that !
Just to make things clear ... Here is a screenshot(Notice PDF Index Generator.jar appears dimmed. I can't select it) :

 

[Makosuke]

I'm pretty sure unbundled .jar files are treated by the OS as a document, not an application, since they have to run through the Java VM, which is why regardless of setting you won't be able to select them as the default open-with application. Essentially, .jar files aren't applications as far as the MacOS is concerned.

You would need to bundle the .jar into an .app for the OS to treat it like a regular application, but I don't personally know how to do that, or even if it's feasible with your particular java app.

 

[BradColin]

I'm pretty sure unbundled .jar files are treated by the OS as a document, not an application, since they have to run through the Java VM, which is why regardless of setting you won't be able to select them as the default open-with application. Essentially, .jar files aren't applications as far as the MacOS is concerned.

You would need to bundle the .jar into an .app for the OS to treat it like a regular application, but I don't personally know how to do that, or even if it's feasible with your particular java app.

Thanks for the important information. That makes things more clear to me.

 

[Mal]

Now I understand, I thought you were trying to open the .jar file with an application, and the application you were trying to use was greyed out. Yeah, .jar files aren't applications until they're bundled with a runtime.

jW