[moneydance] How to select a specific data_file.md on command line?

[Larry Alkoff]

Gordon Alley wrote:
> On my Mac, if I just double-click the Moneydance app icon (or launch it via
> Spotlight by typing CMD-space moneyENTER), it launches and opens the last
> data file I had used it with. If I start MD by double-clicking a MD data
> file (or an alias to it), MD launches and opens the data file I
> double-clicked.
> In any case, the MD File->Open recent... menu lists both of the MD data
> files I use, and I can switch between files from within MD using that.
> 
> -Gordon
> 
> On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 10:15 PM, Larry Alkoff <labradley at mindspring.com>wrote:
> 
>> Sean Reilly wrote:
>>> Hi Larry,
>>>
>>> I've never heard of a "Work Path" before... maybe that refers to the
>>> working directory?  What happens if you just set the command to the
>>> following:
>>>
>>>   /path_to/Moneydance /path_to/moneydance.md
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Sean
>>>
>>> On Jan 21, 2009, at 10:03 PM, Larry Alkoff wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have opened Moneydance with an icon that brings up Moneydance (the
>>>> executable) with the path to moneydance.md.
>>>>
>>>> Recently I created a new file and have found that Moneydance ignores the
>>>> work path.
>>>> Moneydance _always_ brings up the last used data_file.md
>>>> no matter what is in the work path box.
>>>>
>>>> My system is Linux that uses an icon file with the settings
>>>> Application > Command > /path_to/Moneydance
>>>> and
>>>> Application > Work Path > /path_to/moneydance.md
>>>>
>>>> Windows probably works the same way but Moneydance ignores the work
>> path.
>>>> Is there a command line option that will select a specific
>>>> /path/data_file.md ?
>>>>
>>>> Something like possibly:
>>>> Moneydance /path/data_file.md  ?
>>>>
>>>> Larry
>> Command line:
>> Moneydance ~/inv/mdance/billybob.md
>>
>> Get an error message
>> "The file billybob.md is corrupt or missing.  It can be restored from
>> backup(s).  Please select one from"
>> Below is a box with one entry.
>>
>> When I try the command line:
>> Moneydance ~/inv/mdance/moneydance.md
>> I get a similiar result.
>>
>> Moneydance is in my path.
>> When I try the command line:
>> Moneydance
>> I get the billybob.md file but there is some corruption seen after the
>> file exits:
>> ignoring invalid argument: -Xmx512m
>>
>> This ignoring invalid argument appears the same each time I invoke the
>> command lines above.
>>
>> Sean, what most people would want is a Linux or Windows icon set up for
>> In Linux:
>>      Application > Command > /path_to/Moneydance
>>      Application > Work Path > /path_to/moneydance.md
>> In Windows:
>>     Properties > Shortcut > Target     \path\Moneydance.exe
>>     Properties > Shortcut > Start in    \path\data_file.md
>>
>> The present method of always bringing up the last used files is a
>> problem for Windows, Linux and probably Mac users who want to click on
>> an icon and bring up the data_file.md associated with that icon.
>>
>> I didn't realize this problem until setting up a separate account (which
>>  is actually a data_file) to isolate my personal accounts from a
>> separate account which will actually be used by my business partner (who
>> will pay for a separate license).
>>
>> Larry

Gordon and LLoyd

Thanks for your suggestion but it Windows specific only and doesn't 
apply to my Linux machines.

In Linux, data files are not normally executable and there is no way to 
associate an executable data file with an executable program.

There are only two ways I know to execute a program (say Moneydance) 
under Linux:
1.  [path]/Moneydance [options] datafile.md

2. or setup an icon link to an application with 2 boxes filled in
     Application > Command > /path_to/Moneydance (the executable)
     Application > Work Path > /path_to/moneydance.md (the data file)

Neither seem to be working for me since Moneydance is setup to load the 
previous datafile even if a different datafile is specified.

A better algorithm would be:
Execute Moneydance the executable with the specified datafile if one is 
specified, otherwise use the last datafile if no datafile is specified.

This same algorithm would work in Windows however I have not tested 
Moneydance under Windows since I don't run Windows machines.

Larry


Larry