OPEN(1)                 System General Commands Manual                 OPEN(1)

NAME
     open - open files and directories

SYNOPSIS
     open [-a application] file ...

     open [-e] file ...

DESCRIPTION
     The open command opens a file (or a directory or URL), just as if you had
     double-clicked the file's icon. If no application name is specified, the
     default application as determined via LaunchServices is used to open the
     specified files.

     If the file is in the form of a URL, the file will be opened as a URL.

     You can specify one or more file names (or pathnames), which are inter-
     preted relative to the shell or Terminal window's current working direc-
     tory. For example, the following command would open all Word files in the
     current working directory:

     open *.doc

     The options are as follows:

     -a application
              specifies the application to use for opening the file

     -e       causes the file to be opened with /Applications/TextEdit

EXAMPLES
       'open /Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in the default
     application for its type (as determined by LaunchServices).

      'open /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/' opens that directory in the
     Finder.

      'open -a /Applications/TextEdit.app /Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens
     the document in the application specified (in this case, TextEdit).

      'open -e /Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document in TextEdit.

      'open http://www.apple.com/' opens the URL in the right browser.

      'open file://localhost/Volumes/Macintosh HD/foo.txt' opens the document
     in the default application for its type (as determined by LaunchSer-
     vices).

      'open file://localhost/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/' opens that
     directory in the Finder.

HISTORY
     First appeared in NextStep.

Mac OS                          April 26, 2002                          Mac OS