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Huh?
By Scott George
Here is how the Finder determines which version of the application to open when you open a document and have multiple versions of the application that created it on your hard drive.
The Finder Search Path
The Finder searches for the correct application based on the "creator type" of the document. The search path the Finder uses is as follows:
- Step 1
- The Finder first checks to see if an application with the same creator is already running.
- Step 2
- The Finder searches the volume containing the document being opened.
- Step 3
- The Finder searches the startup volume.
- Step 4
- The Finder searches the rest of the mounted volumes.
In the event of multiple versions of the same application on one volume, the Finder launches the application whose record in the desktop database was updated last.
This is usually the last version installed.
A Simple Demonstration
The Finder stops searching at the first version of the application it finds. Here is a simple test to demonstrate this behavior.
- Step 1
- Make a copy of the SimpleText application.
- Step 2
- Put the new copy in the Trash, but do not Empty the Trash.
- Step 3
- Double-click a SimpleText document on the same volume as the original SimpleText application to open SimpleText.
- Step 4
- The Finder displays a message stating the application cannot be used because it is in the Trash, even though there is another copy that is not in the Trash.
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