Open a file with TextEdit

Targets macOS
1

Hello,
I am trying to launch a file, SpecialFolder.Desktop.child(“links.txt”), programatically with TextEdit, it does not launch but the message box is displayed.
What could be the problem?

Dim document As FolderItem
Dim TextEditApp As FolderItem = SpecialFolder.Applications.child("TextEdit.app")
document = SpecialFolder.Desktop.child("links.txt")
// https://forum.xojo.com/t/launch-and-open-file/54435/2
dim sh as new shell
dim command as String = "open -a " + TextEditApp.ShellPath + " " + document.ShellPath
sh.Execute(command) // Does not work
msgbox "Button pressed"

This link is closed Launch and Open File - #2 by Christian_Mézes

Thanks in advance.

Lennox

2

Hi Lennox,
First check the return code after the shell execution and test by running the command from the terminal.
It should give you some information.

3

I believe you need to use “/use/bin/open”. Shells are not terminal sessions, they don’t have default paths set up for you.

4

Change this line:

to:

dim command as String = "open -a /System" + TextEditApp.ShellPath + " " + document.ShellPath

This work too (if you prefer to change the SpecialFolder code, so change below without changing the above code):

'Dim TextEditApp As FolderItem = SpecialFolder.Applications.child("TextEdit.app")
Dim TextEditApp As FolderItem = SpecialFolder.System.child("Applications").child("TextEdit.app")

Edit:

This is what I did to find the problem:

The application /Applications/TextEdit.app cannot be opened for an unexpected reason, error=Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=260 “The file “TextEdit.app” couldn’t be opened because there is no such file.” UserInfo={NSURL=file:///Applications/TextEdit.app, NSFilePath=/Applications/TextEdit.app, NSUnderlyingError=0x600002a51440 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 “No such file or directory”}}

  • right click on TextEdit.app and Get Info
  • where information to find where really TextEdit.app is (/System/Applications)
    image
    image305×172 13.9 KB

Hope this helps.

Edit2: you may want to test if TextEditApp exists too (to find the problem):

image
image528×222 15.9 KB

Edit3: Jared offers the simplest solution below.

5

You can also just do

"open -a TextEdit.app " + document.ShellPath

and it will find TextEdit without needing the path

1 Like
6

And that’s better, as TextEdit is still in /Applications in previous versions of the OS.

1 Like
7

Thanks AlbertoD and everyone else,
This works…

dim command as String = "open -a /System" + TextEditApp.ShellPath + " " + document.ShellPath

Thanks again.
Lennox

8

Thanks AlbertoD,

Your explanation and graphics really made me understand the issue, really appreciate your effort.
Thanks again.

Lennox

1 Like
9

If you want to always find the correct folder (or FolderItem) of an application (no matter which macOS version, if it’s in /Applications or /System/Applications, or maybe even /Users/username/Applications), then have a look at this example project showing the “macOS way(s)” of finding that (best: search by it’s BundleID):

10

Thanks Jürg Otter,
Lennox