Viewing *.PNG, *.PDF and *.JPG on MacBook with m1

[Lord]

Hi!

I'm using (still) PB 6.00 LTS C-Backend (MacOS X - arm 64) on a MacBook.
This is my first effort to convert one of my Win7 programs to Mac.

My current problem is to display above mentioned files with on board apps.
My attempt to display the files like I did on Windows didn't work.

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Pgm=RunProgram(File, "", "", #PB_Program_Open)

File is a string variable that holds the complete path to the wanted file on a USB-Stick.

How can I utilize an on board viewer (or different viewers) for these files?
I just want to launch these apps, use them and then close them:

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    If Pgm
      KillProgram(Pgm)
      Pgm=0
    EndIf

Any help is appreciated.

[Fred]

IIRC, you need to use "open" command like

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Pgm=RunProgram("open", File, "", #PB_Program_Open)

[Mindphazer]

Or you can specify the application name you want to use to visualize your images (Preview for example) like this :

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PV.s = Chr(34) + "Preview" + Chr(34)
Pgm = RunProgram("open", "-a " + PV + " " + File, "")

[Lord]

Hi Fred!

IIRC, you need to use "open" command like

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Pgm=RunProgram("open", File, "", #PB_Program_Open)

Thank you for your answer.

It is not mentioned in the documentations for PB 6.00 for Mac that the first
parameter must be an "open" and not a file name.
Using "open", a picture (jpg/png) is viewed.
But...
1. A PDF-File is not viewed
2. KillProgram(Pgm) does not close a viewed picture

Do I still something wrong?

[Lord]

Hi Mindphazer!

Or you can specify the application name you want to use to visualize your images (Preview for example) like this :

Code: Select all

PV.s = Chr(34) + "Preview" + Chr(34)
Pgm = RunProgram("open", "-a " + PV + " " + File, "")

Also thank you for your answer.
I first have to explorer what are the app-names for the corresponding file typ.
Is it maybe "Vorschau" for german version?
If so, what may be the app name for viewing pdf files?
What stands the "-a" for?

[Mindphazer]

Also thank you for your answer.
I first have to explorer what are the app-names for the corresponding file typ.
Is it maybe "Vorschau" for german version?
If so, what may be the app name for viewing pdf files?
What stands the "-a" for?

Well, you can list the real names of applications by typing, in a new terminal window

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ls -li /System/Applications/

I guess you will see Preview.app, which is the real name of your "Vorschau" application you have in the Finder
All applications have an extention ".app"
The "open" command is used to open a file, and the -a stands for "application", when you want to open an application

[Mindphazer]

2. KillProgram(Pgm) does not close a viewed picture

Do I still something wrong?

I think you have to kill the process launched by the "open" command. But I don't know how to do that yet

[Lord]

...
Well, you can list the real names of applications by typing, in a new terminal window

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ls -li /System/Applications/

I guess you will see Preview.app, which is the real name of your "Vorschau" application you have in the Finder
All applications have an extention ".app"
The "open" command is used to open a file, and the -a stands for "application", when you want to open an application

OK. "Preview" aka "Vorschau" is the app to view pictures.
But "Preview" is also used to view a PDF. If I open in Finder
a PDF file, "Preview" ist launched and shows the PDF.
But RunProgram() does not launch a PDF, only my JPG/PNG.
I tried both of your variants of RunProgram(). No success.

[Mindphazer]

OK. "Preview" aka "Vorschau" is the app to view pictures.
But "Preview" is also used to view a PDF. If I open in Finder
a PDF file, "Preview" ist launched and shows the PDF.
But RunProgram() does not launch a PDF, only my JPG/PNG.
I tried both of your variants of RunProgram(). No success.

Weird. I've just tried with a simple pdf file
I copied it in my Documents directory
Then i ran that code :

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File.s = GetUserDirectory(#PB_Directory_Documents) + "test.pdf"
Pgm = RunProgram("open", File, "")

And it works

[Lord]

It is working! Kind of...

What did I do?
I enclosed the filename including the path in double quotes
(most of PDF-filenames included spaces, pics don't have).
And I removed the Killprogram() part. So the Pic/PDF has to
be closed manually.

Thanks for helping!

[Mindphazer]

Oh yeah, the eternal problem with spaces in filenames !!!
Glad it works !

[infratec]

Btw.: 'open' is a filename. ('type open' in a terminal and it shows you the location of it)

It is like 'cmd' to start something in a windows shell.
It is a program which decides what to do with the given file.

In Linux you use 'xdg-open' to achieve the same.

[Lord]

Hi infratec!

Btw.: 'open' is a filename. ('type open' in a terminal and it shows you the location of it)

It is like 'cmd' to start something in a windows shell.
It is a program which decides what to do with the given file.

In Linux you use 'xdg-open' to achieve the same.

Thank you for your explanation.
Is there a 'counterpart' to "open"?
Maybe like this (doesn't work):

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PV.s = Chr(34) + "Preview" + Chr(34)
Pgm = RunProgram("close", "-a " + PV, "")

I still want to close the opened window of "preview".

[Mindphazer]

Hi Lord,

you can use the pkill command :

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RunProgram("pkill", PV, "")

[Lord]

Hi Mindphazer!
Thank you for helping again.

...
you can use the pkill command :

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RunProgram("pkill", PV, "")

Yes, after executing this command, the "Preview" is closed.
But...
is a differentr picture opened with this above mentioned code, the picture
is not opened. Only second call shows the new picture ...
... and the first picture is also shown. There are two opened windows!

I think I stay for the moment with "let the user close the picture".