iPad and open with...

Question

iPad and open with...

Dear All,

I am considering to switch to IPad as my portable machine for office and development.

There are several aspect that I need to figure it out but at the moment I would like to have feed back from the community regarding one point:

in my workflow of bioinformatics I generate several type of files, which are essentially TXT, but the standard in my field requires them to be called with specific extensions -one example gct-. Those files are nothing but pain text and often I need to open them with excel or calc.

However in the iOS environment they appear to be unknown files and I cant find a way to open them with the application required. Typically in OSX I would use open with sand select the application I want

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a way to instruct the OS to do what I want?

Posted on Jul 3, 2020 12:50 PM

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Answer 1

Demo

Level 10

166,747 points

Jul 3, 2020 1:19 PM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

I don’t know anything about .gct files, but if you can open them in Excel, have you tried opening them in Numbers? Numbers should be preinstalled on your iPad. The open in workflow on an iPad would be to use the Share icon, which is the square with the up pointing arrow, and then select one of the apps from the list that appears on the resulting window.

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Answer 2

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,483 points

Jul 3, 2020 1:34 PM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

I think you are misinterpreting how things work.

Apple puts out there the infrastructure of the iOS/iPad OS operating system. The only file types the iPad natively supports are file types that Apple uses themselves for their apps (pages, Numbers, iTunes files, etc)

It’s up to developers to discover and exploit market niches with apps for people to use/buy. Since Apple does not use the .gct files they won’t do anything to support them. If a developer wants to make an app to use the files, as long as that app follows Apple’s guidelines they’ll happily put it in their App Store.

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Answer 3

Skydiver119

Level 9

53,483 points

Jul 3, 2020 1:03 PM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

To open a file on an ipad you must have an app that opens that file and associate with that file.

You can look in the App Store and see if there is an app that opens that file type, if not then there may not be much you can do.

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Answer 4

babowa

Level 9

78,556 points

Jul 5, 2020 3:09 PM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

I think that if this is really the case I think apple is misinterpreting what a OS should do.

Apple is not misinterpreting their OS; they created an alternative: iOS oversimplified for simple uses.

I am just asking apple to let me chose what software I want to use to open a file... that is very simple.

You can add any app from the app store if there is one that will do what you want.

But I cant belive none found a way to workaround such trivial thing

Trivial for Mac OS - possibly; not so much for a purposely sandboxed and self contained iOS. You are not supposed to be changing such things. That would possibly involve jailbreaking - which, a) we are not allowed to discuss here, and b) you will immediately void your warranty and Apple will refuse to help or work on it.

now I have to find a way to mount the full file system in the iSH enviroments. I don't like it sandboxed. if you have solutions they are welcomed.

As I said, that cannot be discussed here and FWIW, I would not risk voiding my warranty or Apple's repair/help.

beside that, it is clear that iPad Pros are going toward to be working machines. in time those issue will emerges.

May be, or may not - only Apple would know their plans.

I believe that you would be better served by a different brand tablet or a Macbook Air with the fully functioning Mac OS - although that is changing and becoming more iOS like what with Catalina having the OS and system files on a separate volume which is READ ONLY. You (nor anyone else) will have any access to it.

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Answer 5

babowa

Level 9

78,556 points

Jul 5, 2020 11:11 AM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

fyi, you need to be aware that iOS on iDevices is a very simplified version of the Mac OS; it is not a full fledged computer OS and cannot do everything a computer would do.

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Answer 6

Jul 3, 2020 1:06 PM in response to Skydiver119

The point is that those file extension are essentially arbitrary... they are used in a restricted community.

I really want to use this machine as a mobile office but I NEED to open such custom files with the applications I need.

otherwise I can throw this beautiful gadget in the bin.

I also found that I can even rename files with new extensions. Is that a joke? (A really bad one)

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Answer 7

Jul 3, 2020 1:09 PM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

again the essential point is: how can I manage open with in the iOS environment?

there must be a way and if there is not officially the must be some kind of workaround... otherwise I wasted really a lot of money!

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Answer 8

Jul 3, 2020 1:33 PM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

Just to make it clear.

this is a file specification for some of the files I need. I need many more, they are all essentially plain text as you will see, but I need to open with spreadsheet. The GCT files are just an example. The point is: How can I instruct the iOS to open a file with a software I decide -not a software IT decides-.

https://software.broadinstitute.org/cancer/software/gsea/wiki/index.php/Data_formats

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Answer 9

Jul 3, 2020 1:47 PM in response to Skydiver119

Well...

I think that if this is really the case I think apple is misinterpreting what a OS should do.

I am not asking apple to make a software to open my files, I am just asking apple to let me chose what software I want to use to open a file... that is very simple. If I do something wrong that is my own issue.

if that is the situation this machine is not capable of doing what I need and I will to return it. But I cant belive none found a way to workaround such trivial thing, I love how the machine works in all the other aspects, but this point is severely hampering the use of the OS... it is unbelievable, how is it possible?

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Answer 10

Jul 5, 2020 11:48 AM in response to babowa

I realised how much it is simplified, but yet I want to understand if it can suits my need.

having a bash some a lot of issue actually, that in any case I expect that were previously faced by other users, so I am just sharing my experience, also expecting that other users may have solved something.

Those are very basic functions. it is nonsense that people can find any use of this device without solving them (renaming file extensions, select your own software this is not skyrocket science it is everyday use for most the people I know).

I am positive that all these issue can be solved.

1 major point it is indeed solved and the second can be worked around by bash, so I am moderately happy of the situation.

now I have to find a way to mount the full file system in the iSH enviroments. I don't like it sandboxed. if you have solutions they are welcomed.

beside that, it is clear that iPad Pros are going toward to be working machines. in time those issue will emerges.

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Answer 11

Jul 3, 2020 1:22 PM in response to Demo

That is exactly the point.

the issue is that the OS does no provide any apps there, and I would like to know if there is a way to configure that function.

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Answer 12

Jul 5, 2020 10:45 AM in response to claudiofromcandiolo

Just to let you know, I would that the app FileExplorer at least let me change the files extensions.

Also iSH it is suitable (iSH >>> Blink, many more functions and it is totally free, just to let you know, don't waste 20 $).

As expected someone managed to find solution for bash OS operations.

if anyone found a more appropriate way to properly assign software to files just le me know.

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