OS X Thinks Folder is a File

[SwiftLives]

How do I get OS X to recognize folders that end in ".template" are not files meant to be opened in Pages?

In the info box, "Open With" does not have an option for "Finder".

My workaround is to select the option to "Show Package Contents," but even that is still causing some workflow issues for me. I'd like to find a more permanent solution.

Thanks, folks.

 

[Mal]

Umm, why are you naming them .template if you want them to be folders? Folders shouldn't have an extension. If you're working on template files then just remove the .template until you've got them ready, then add it back.

jW

 

[SwiftLives]

That's a great idea! Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, as I'm not the one naming the folders and that's just how we do our filing system. Dots are better than underscores.

Once I do change the name and remove the extension of ".template", OS X still thinks it's it's a Pages file.

 

[Mal]

That's a great idea! Unfortunately, that's not going to happen, as I'm not the one naming the folders and that's just how we do our filing system. Dots are better than underscores.

Once I do change the name and remove the extension of ".template", OS X still thinks it's it's a Pages file.

That's the only way it's going to happen, so you need to get whoever you're working with the accept that fact.

The reason it didn't work is because just deleting the .template from the name by default hides it, but doesn't actually remove it. To do that, Get Info on the folder apple:+I), and change then name from the "Name and Extension" section.

I'm sorry there's not a better solution, but whoever came up with that naming system obviously has a severe misunderstanding of the way Mac OS X (and most modern operating systems) works.

jW

 

[angelwatt]

When I create a folder with the name ".template" or "test.template" Finder treats both as a folder. So, I'm not sure why you're having issues. I don't have Pages installed. In Finder, does the folder have a folder icon or a Pages icon?

 

[K3mp]

I have pages installed and when I add .template to the end it treats it like a file. Finder did give me a warning about it though. Why do you need the dot? You can use a space.

 

[kolax]

Update your system to use an underscore. Dot's should be avoided when naming stuff really as Mal outlined.

 

[SwiftLives]

I'm one of two Macs on a network of over 2,000 Windows machines.

And I was actually the one who pushed for dots instead of underscores.

Double clicking highlights the spaces between dots, but not between underscores. It makes renaming files (which we do a lot of) so much easier.

I'm wondering if removing Pages would solve the problem. I never actually use it.

 

[miles01110]

You should be able to select Finder in the "Open With" menu, you just have to navigate to it. It's in /System/Library/CoreServices .

 

[alberson]

I know this is old, but someone else could still have this same problem.
I've found that changing the default program to Finder, as told above, didn't work (on Lion). So, if you right-click and select "Show Package Content" it'll open like a folder.