App lookup utility needed
- Thread starter Curiosity
- Start date
justG
Registered
Do you absolutely have to have a desktop application? If not, if a web site will do, there's always http://filext.com .
It seems to be primarily for Windows. The applications listed are Windows apps.
I would prefer something that can examine my own system and tell me if I have anything that can handle a particular type of file.
Can you give me an iron-clad guarantee on that?macosx.com is just that. Enter extension or file-type, and someone will tell you the other things.
ora
Registered
DeltaMac
Tech
If you have a document/file with an extension that is used with a Mac app, you should get Mac info, even through filext.com. A large percentage of files will be windows-based, but Mac (as well as a large number of other OSes) will be listed.
You may get a better answer if you can ask a specific question. Which file extension are you asking about?
'course not. But there are quite a few users on here that have quite a bit of experience with soooooooo many different file-types... Of course the answer's never instant with a forum. I'd say that "google" thing is a good bet, too.
Really? I input aiff into the search box, and what I got back was Irfanview, which is Windows application.
I want to be able to look up any extension that I happen to encounter, and get an instant answer.
What you are asking for is really counter to how MacOS X/NeXTstep/OpenSTEP works. What you really want is an app which can identify the standard filetype associated with a particular extension. Any compatible application can read or write a particular filetype. Take RTF for example. It can be associated with Text Edit, Pages, Microsoft Word, or any number of other word processors. AIFF is compatible with any number of audio applications. The list goes on.
DeltaMac
Tech
Right, filext.com shows .aiff association with a couple of dozen major apps, not just Irfan View. The .aiff extension is pretty generic as an audio file type. I guess you were just using that as an example, but .aiff is easily opened with a large number of audio and other media apps, as listed at filext.com. Extensions that can be associated with a Mac app will show up in filext.com. I use it often. Mac apps that are not listed can often be guessed, due to their use, with a fair amount of accuracy.
filext.com is not perfect, but will give you help with a good guess. It's as good as any extension, which is not always the correct file type, even with the _correct_ extension. You won't always get perfect answers, but they will be close.
What is your _real_ question? There must be one in there somewhere.
filext.com is not perfect, but will give you help with a good guess. It's as good as any extension, which is not always the correct file type, even with the _correct_ extension. You won't always get perfect answers, but they will be close.
What is your _real_ question? There must be one in there somewhere.
DeltaMac
Tech
.pict is a native format on the Mac, and no need to download anything. Your Preview app will open those.
There are a huge amount of graphics formats that you will be able to open with Graphic Convertor. No need to search out a database, or check with an extension search.
Are you having questions about a particular file type? There's lots of help here if you just ask.
And, no, you don't need to have a file to discover how it is associated. MisterMe and others have pointed that out already. It's a good thing to have the real file so you can try it out. A guess at the association might be wrong. After a few tries, you will get pretty close most of the time...