HCI Nerdz
Pass-through extensions added to the repertoire
Meta-suffixes like .example and .template should peel to the inner file type — essay, interactive demo, docs, and a Windows settings app.
Pass-through extensions join the published repertoire: meta-suffixes (.example, .template, .dist, .old, and friends) that should inherit open, edit, and icon behavior from the type underneath — instead of stranding Explorer on a dead last-suffix ProgID.
What shipped
- An essay on when example files lose their type
- An interactive peel demo that contrasts last-suffix vs pass-through resolution
- A docs topic on the Antora hub
- A Windows settings app — toggle built-ins, add custom meta-types, Apply for the current user
The peel demo shows today vs pass-through with real Explorer screenshots inside dark-mode HTML panels.
Why it belongs here
appsettings.json.example is a JSON file wearing a badge. Humans read it that way. Win32 association lookup does not. The bug is product representation in the shell: the name already encodes the type; the double-click surface throws it away.
That sits with honesty and intuition-over-backwards-convention — and with the long game of filing the missing OS feature while shipping the workaround we can run today. See also the screenshot follow-up.