How To Pass Command Arguments With a File Type

UPDATE: This issue appears to be fixed with the Groovy 1.5 Windows install package. However, this is still good general information to know about passing command arguments with file associations in Windows.

I just upgraded my groovy install to the latest RC for 1.1, and it quit recognizing command arguments. I tried debugging all kinds of older scripts that I knew worked, and none of them were working anymore. That's when Steve reminded me that the Groovy install messes up the Windows file extension association. So, it installed the .groovy file association like this:

"C:\groovy\bin\groovy.exe" "%1"

And it needed to be changed to this:

"C:\groovy\bin\groovy.exe" "%1" %*

This will allow the other command arguments to be passed when the groovy script is kicked off.

To change the file association (in XP),

* Open My Computer
* Tools -> Folder Options...
* Click the "File Types" tab
* Find the file type you want to change, ".groovy" in this case, and click it
* Click the "Advanced" button
* Click the "open" action
* Click the "Edit..." button
* Edit the content of the text box under, "Application used to perform action:"
* OK / Close your way out of the dialogs.


Obviously, this will work for other file associations. This method, while it forces you through a few windows, allows you to avoid mucking with the registry directly.