How to change 'default tool' in Workbench?
 

Is there a way in Workbench to change the default tool for opening certain files? For example <More> for text files and put another application to see them?

AFAIK you can not bulk change default tool for all the files of the same type, because Amiga does not use extensions for recognising file types. Amiga has only four icon types - tool, project, drawer and disk - and you can set a default tool for a default system project icon, which means if you add a new icon from Presets to a file, it will have a default tool previously set to it (hence Default). But you can/have to set a default tool for each existing project icon separately. So for text files "More" (or PPmore, multiview, whatever), for scripts IconX etc.

Correct me someone if I am wrong, maybe I forgot a lot already.

Generally you would use Multivew + Datatypes for that.

However, I just checked Aminet and there's a program called Show that might do what you want: http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/Show1.0

I haven't tested it but it sounds promising.

There might be a better/more modern way so I'll leave it up to others to make suggestions :)

So you suggest that we have to change the files one by one?

I'll take a look to see if it helps ;)

Deficons system.

I'm not talking about changing the icon, but the default tool that opens the different files.

This is the idea if you have different icons (image).

OR you can only change 'one' and considering that other text files have the same icon image, simply copy the 'changed one' over the other. Quick and easy to do with a script.

This is one of the reasons the amiga died.. every time someone wanted to open a file so they clicked on the icon.. thinking it would open a standard app and it would result in PPmore, more, muchmore, least, etc and people would have to have that app in their C folder.. some people preferred one app for certain types.. that of cause was 1 example.. then there where iff files.. etc.. music apps.. you would have to manually change each one.. even today i still have to change when i want to read a file on a emulated floppy and its set to use muchmore.. cause due to screen resolution it screws up the text.. where ppmore doesnt. or it just says cant find program cause someone put the app name in a different folder.. ie.. instead of C:ppmore or C:muchmore it says :ppmore :viewer/ppmore etc.

just did a search on aminet and found another app http://aminet.net/package/util/misc/Action seems to add what i was looking for

^ This is not correct as usually the needed tool to open the file (cf. your list) was provided on the the floppy containing the text file.
It is only if you copied the file to your HD or to another place that you had to take care about the 'default' tool associated with the icon.

Use a proper Filemanager with filetype recognition to open files like DOpus and your problem is solved. For WB there is Deficons as already mentioned. There might be other special tools that help.

Deficons does it by sniffing the first lines of the file and defining the file type, then a default tool can be defined. Like a JPG which begins with: ÿØÿá ¯Exif - it's a JPEG encoded with EXIF metadata.

Have a look at : http://aminet.net/package/util/rexx/dofile52

Needs Arexx !

Replex does exactly what you you're looking for:

http://aminet.net/package/util/cli/Replex

This one works like a charm. Thank you all guys !

I use IDer:
http://aminet.net/package/util/wb/IDer

You can set which prog opens what file type
by extension or file header

DefIcons is great, it was included as part of OS3.9 so I've been using it for over 20 years and I miss it whenever I'm using an Amiga without it. I believe it's coming back for inclusion in OS 3.2, which is great news.

I couldnt get IDer to work for me on 3.1.4.1 but may have messed up my setup trying other things.

I suspect I will not bother spending much more time with 3.1.4.1 then and keep using my 3.9 system until 3.2 appears. (Except for one game I cant make work on 3.9)