checking removable drives

[Richard Gaskin]

Chipp Walters wrote:
> 
> 
> Richard Gaskin wrote:
> 
>> The only downside to self-contained apps is that there's no file-type 
>> association present in the host system's registry, so documents must 
>> be opened from within the app rather than double-clicked.  But this 
>> factor is independent of any method used to determine what type of 
>> drive it's one; it's just an inherent part of being a portable app.
> 
> 
> With ButtonGadget having to 'register' it's filetype, I'm aware of this 
> issue on the PC.
> 
> Here's how I've worked around it. Everytime BG launches, it checks the 
> registry to make sure it's registered correctly (filepaths, filetypes, 
> icons, etc..).
> 
> I do this on every launch instead of during installation and it takes 
> only a second. Not sure how this works on Macs.

It's automatic on Macs, just part of what the Finder does when it 
encounters an app on any mounted volume.

With Rev's ability to read and write the Windows directory, it would be 
simple enough to make the registry entries for the file type 
association.  But for true portability this should not happen when 
running from a removable drive, the goal being zero-footprint when the 
drive is removed.

That's the one weak link in the proposed solution:  if we're installed 
on the hard drive and can write to our app's own folder, how can we know 
whether we should write a registry entry?

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Managing Editor, revJournal
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