My normal system is Linux Mint, but now I'm working with a new Windows 10 pro box. Haven't worked with windows much in the last 10 years so bear with me.

I've installed Kate along with Filezilla. Kate is a windowsAPP, Filezilla is present with it's own .exe file etc.

Windows will recognize .pl files and open them automatically with Kate. But that's about it. If I try to open a php file, it gives me the 1 finger salute and it says to pick an app to open the file up with. Notepad etc is listed, but Kate is not. I see no way to make a symlink to the kate 'app'. If you put a shortcut on the desktop, there is no valid path presented in properties, just jumble script.

Any ideas? I've searched all throughout the forums and giggle online, but nothing. This 'app' business is infuriating.
Thanks!
Doug

PS: As a workaround, I installed bluefish, and was able to create correct file associations since it is stored as a 32 bit program in the Program Files (x86) directory. I'd rather have Kate though. Thanks again for any help.

Try going to the Windows 10 Settings app, then clicking on Apps > Default Apps. Then, you should be able to find Kate in the list of applications. Click on it, and you can set it as the default for any of the supported file/link types. Unfortunately, .php just so happens to not be one of the supported file types. Blame the devs for that one.

Technically, you can choose "open with another app" and then "choose an app from this pc" and then manually provide the full path to the executable in the file name box, but every time the app updates the path will change and your file association will break, requiring you to manually re-associate the program. FOR EVERY FILE TYPE YOU INTEND TO USE. Not ideal, especially when you consider that you cannot browse for the file like normal because it resides inside a subfolder you don't have access to.

Instead, I will offer you TWO less than ideal options, you have your pick of either.

Option 1) Grab a development version for Kate from the KDE Binary Factory. As this is a still in-development version, you may encounter some bugs, but it installs like a regular Windows application and you should be able to navigate to and find the kate.exe binary.

Option 2) Shim it! You can either create a Windows batch file, which is supported natively by windows file type association picker, or you can make an autohotkey script and compile it into an executable which is supported by the aforementioned association picker.
Probably one of the shortest autohotkey scripts, a simple one liner

Code: Select all

Run, kate %1%


Windows Batch file

Code: Select all

kate %1


If you choose to go the .bat file route, you will get an ugly cmd window that does not go away until you close it manually, or you exit Kate. If you go the AutoHotKey route, make sure to manually pick an icon that isn't as ugly as the AHK icon because that's what icon all your documents are going to be using.