[markwm]

Originally Posted by MisterMe

You have quite a long post based on your misunderstanding of the MacOS X system for associating files with their default applications.

Indeed, however. The majority of what I wrote appears to hold true. So it's not fair to call it a complete misunderstand, although before I looked further into this I didn't have much idea. But, that is because I'm constantly hearing "a file opens with whatever app created it" which just ain't so.

Originally Posted by MisterMe

The default application is the application that launches when you double-click on a file.

right, the default for that file, not necessarily the file type/extension overall. Although it would be unless you customize/changed a file to open with something else other than the default app.

Originally Posted by MisterMe

The default application does not preclude your opening a file in any other application. All you have to do is to open the file from within the File/Open dialog box. Alternatively, you may drag & drop file on the icon of the app that you want to open it.

I kinda knew that much I think ;-)

Originally Posted by MisterMe

However, the user may set the default application in the Get Info... dialog box for a single file or for all files with a particular extension.

That's not true. Like I found out in my OP, if something has been customized to open with [whatever] it cannot be affected by the 'change all' applied to *another* file of the same type/extension. So if you have

1.txt, 2.txt, 3.txt

You customize 1.txt to open with Dreamweaver. You 'get info' on 2.txt and set it to open with TextEdit and then click 'change all'. Afterwards, 1.txt will still open with Dreamweaver, so the term "change all" is often misleading.

Originally Posted by MisterMe

However, it is totally within the control of the user to fix the glitch. The added flexibility more than makes up for any inconvenience.

I agree, I think it's actually pretty solid and flexible for the most part.