Python File as the Default PDF handler for Windows

[Naftali]

On Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 5:05:15 PM UTC-4, Naftali wrote:
> Long time lurker. 
> 
> I'm looking to register a python script as the default pdf reader for windows. I assume I can just register the .py in the section windows section for registering default handlers, but I'm wondering how to access the file from within the program. 
> 
> The issue is this:
> 
> We have Java application that outputs user uploaded pdf files. It does this simply by instructing windows to open the downloaded pdf file and windows takes it from there. The data entry person will view the pdf and usually upload it into another part of the system. Problem is the second leg of the system modifies the pdf, and thus crashes when the pdf is protected against writing. Data entry make use of a program to unlock them as needed but it is an extra step and it only comes to their awareness after their client crashes on the locked pdf (because it doesn't make sense to check them proactively.
> 
> I cannot change the Java system. 
> 
> What I want to do is write a pdf handler to handle windows open instruction. In the script I would run a command line pdf unlocker on the file and open the unlocked file with adobe (or the like). 
> 
> I've googled and though I get tons of 'how to open pdf from a python script' I haven't found anything describing how to write and set up my python program to deal with the pdf hand-off from the OS.

Just to update, you are correct, Chris, the file short name is passed into sys.argv. didn't need to add anything to the path. But a gotcha -- Windows didn't like my .py, clicking on the pdf causes Windows to complain about 'file x' is not a valid windows executable. I didn't research it so cant speak definitely, but converting the .py to a py2exe correlated with that complaint going away. In the end, though since, making any changes to the program required redoing the py2exe and since this is to be running on a colleagues machine, I ended up putting the handler commands into a .bat file. My hunch is that it's faster that way, too.