Bug 98233

Description Stefan Xenos 2005-06-03 01:08:34 EDT

The content types page looks potentially very powerful, due to its ability to
generalize similar file formats. 

For example, I'd expect to be able to register a new editor (or change the
default editor) for all XML files or all text files (which could potentially
eliminate a lot of tedium in listing every file extension that is really an XML
file and registering it with my favorite XML editor).

As an experiment, I tried to change the default editor for the "text" content
type. Seeing the message on the top of the page, I went to the "File
Associations" page. However, the file associations page can only create
associations between file extensions and editors, which is not what I want (I
want an association between a content type and an editor). Without the ability
to create an association between a content type and an editor, most of the
potential power of content types seems to disappear.

Here's how I'd expect it to work:

- There is only a "File Associations" page (no separate content types page).
- The upper pane shows the tree of content types - not file extensions.
- The bottom pane shows associated editors (as it does now).
- There is a new "Properties..." button (or Edit...) that allows the user to
configure the content type (edits the associated file extensions and default
character set which are currently set in the "content types" page. Should also
allow an icon to be specified for the content type).

Even if it doesn't work exactly as I describe, the important parts of this
enhancement are:
1. editor associations should be based on content types, not file extensions
2. the associations should be done using a single preference page, not two
3. the properties of a content type (file extensions, char set, etc.) should be
edited in a properties dialog for the content type.