Feature: Add app execution aliases and URL schemes for each build channel

[hishitetsu]

What feature or improvement do you think would benefit Files?

Currently all Files builds have the same app execution alias (Files.exe) and URL scheme (files-uwp:). But it is inconvenient when multiple Files builds are installed at the same time.

• From the command line, only one build can be launched, as specified in the Windows settings.
• Auto restart feature doesn't work well.

Requirements

• The app execution alias should have a build-specific one in addition to Files.exe. (Files-sta.exe, Files-pre.exe, Files-dev.exe)
• URL scheme should be build-specific instead of generic files-uwp:. (files-app:, files-app-pre:, files-app-dev:)

Files Version

2.5.21.0

Windows Version

10.0.22621.1992

Comments

No response

[yaira2]

We'll have to consider this and see if there are any downsides.

[yaira2]

Do you have a list of places that will need updating?

[hishitetsu]

As far as I have been able to find out, here is.

Files.App (Package)\Package.appxmanifest(118):<uap:Protocol ReturnResults="none" Name="files-uwp" />
Files.App (Package)\Package.appxmanifest(123):<uap5:ExecutionAlias Alias="files.exe" />
Files.App.Launcher\FilesLauncher.cpp(175):std::wstring uriWithArgs = L"files-uwp:?cmd=" + str2wstr(wstring_to_utf8_hex(args));
Files.App.Launcher\FilesLauncher.cpp(190)://ShExecInfo.lpFile = L"files.exe";
Files.App.Launcher\FilesLauncher.cpp(205):ShExecInfo.lpFile = L"files-uwp:";
Files.App.Launcher\FilesLauncher.cpp(211)://ShExecInfo.lpFile = L"files.exe";
Files.App.OpenDialog\FilesOpenDialog.cpp(124):ShExecInfo.lpFile = L"files.exe";
Files.App\Actions\Navigation\OpenInNewWindowItemAction.cs(43):var folderUri = new Uri($"files-uwp:?folder={@selectedItemPath}");
Files.App\App.xaml.cs(312):!Process.GetProcessesByName("Files").Any(x => x.Id != Process.GetCurrentProcess().Id))
Files.App\App.xaml.cs(538):await Launcher.LaunchUriAsync(new Uri("files-uwp:"));
Files.App\Helpers\Navigation\NavigationHelpers.cs(23):var folderUri = new Uri($"files-uwp:?folder={Uri.EscapeDataString(path)}");
Files.App\Helpers\Navigation\NavigationHelpers.cs(29):var folderUri = new Uri($"files-uwp:?tab={Uri.EscapeDataString(tabArgs)}");
Files.App\Helpers\Navigation\NavigationHelpers.cs(43):var filesUWPUri = new Uri("files-uwp:");
Files.App\MainWindow.xaml.cs(82):(CommandLineParser.SplitArguments(launchArgs.Arguments, true)[0].EndsWith($"files.exe", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
Files.App\MainWindow.xaml.cs(83):|| CommandLineParser.SplitArguments(launchArgs.Arguments, true)[0].EndsWith($"files", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
Files.App\MainWindow.xaml.cs(109):if (eventArgs.Uri.AbsoluteUri == "files-uwp:")
Files.App\Program.cs(94):!tileArgs.Arguments.Contains($"files.exe", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) &&
Files.App\Utils\Storage\StorageItems\ZipStorageFolder.cs(107):|| assoc.EndsWith("Files.App\\Files.exe", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
Files.App\ViewModels\MainPageViewModel.cs(105):var filesUWPUri = new Uri("files-uwp:");
Files.App\ViewModels\Settings\GeneralViewModel.cs(120):await Launcher.LaunchUriAsync(new Uri("files-uwp:")); // Launches a new instance of Files

Note that FilesLauncher will not be able to select an item at startup unless the GPL code deletion is reverted.

[yaira2]

Files.App (Package)\Package.appxmanifest(118): Files.App (Package)\Package.appxmanifest(123):

These will need to be updated from the pipeline, but I think everything else can be done with variables that are set based on the environment.

[0x5bfa]

I'm going to add app.manifest for each configurations, DEBUG, STABLE, STORE to fix issues like this and it will allow us to remove updating manifest xml components in the pipeline.

The packaging project file will determine what manifest should be used:

Files.Package.wapproj
  <ItemGroup>
    <AppxManifest Include="Package.Dev.appxmanifest" Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Dev'">
      <SubType>Designer</SubType>
    </AppxManifest>
    <AppxManifest Include="Package.Store.appxmanifest" Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Store'">
      <SubType>Designer</SubType>
    </AppxManifest>
  </ItemGroup>

[0x5bfa]

And the ApplicationService or #if #endif directives can determine what alias should be used in the platform projects.

@yaira2 what do you think?

[heftymouse]

ApplicationService sounds good 👍

[yaira2]

STABLE

This approach would work, but it means duplicating every change to those files. Alternatively, we could have a build script that automates copying the changes but at that point it's not much better than doing it from the pipeline.

[Josh65-2201]

The set as default option would also have to be updated to use the new names as the reg file just assumes files.exe right now

[0x5bfa]

@yaira2 Do you think app URI scheme can be just files.exe instead of files-app.exe?

[yaira2]

The app reduces the chance that another app will have the same scheme but we can try without.

[0x5bfa]

Does this look ok https://github.com/files-community/Files/compare/main...0x5bfa:5bfa/CQ-SeparatedAppAlias

I think we should also update system tray icon guid to be unique per.

[yaira2]

@0x5bfa we need to make some adjustments as well as update the Azure Pipeline, but your branch looks good 👍