Since the standard WPS associates programs according to both file types and file filters, and since &xwp; refines the association mechanism to be based on enhanced file types only, the additional dialog "Merge with WPS filters" allows you to import previously defined file filter associations into your file types.

This dialog is non-modal in nature, which means that you can still use the "File types" notebook page while the dialog is open. If you select a new file type on the notebook page, you will see that the "Merge" dialog updates itself.

The dialog only closes after you press the "Close" button.

In order to import all or some of the associations which were defined for a WPS filter into the &xwp; file-type associations, do the following:

  1. Select the file type on the notebook page into which you would like to import a filter -- for example "Bitmap".

  2. In the "Merge" dialog, select the filter whose associations you would like to import -- for example, *.BMP.

  3. The "Associations to add" field in the dialog will show you the programs which have been defined with that filter. Select the associations in that field which you would like to add to the current file type (in the above example, the "Bitmap" type). Press "Select all" or "Deselect all" to, well, select or deselect all items in the associations field.

  4. Press the "Merge" button to have the selected programs added to the currently selected file type on the notebook page.
You can repeat any of the above steps as many times as necessary. Keep in mind that &xwp; allows you to define hierarchical file types, where derived file types inherit associations from their parents.

See Types and associations for an introduction to associations between data files and programs.

Note that this dialog does not change the WPS filters. If you disable &xwp;'s enhanced file-type associations in the "&xwp; Setup" object, you will see that the WPS filters will work again as before.