# Associating editors with file types

To associate editors with various file types in the Workbench:

1. Open the General > Editors > File Associations preference page.
2. Select the file type from the File types list, or click Add to add a type that is not already on the list.
3. In the Associated editors list, select the editor that you want to associate with that file type. To add an editor to the list:
   1. Click Add. The Editor Selection dialog box opens.
   2. Select Internal Editors or External Programs, depending on whether the editor that you want was built for the Workbench or runs outside the Workbench.
   3. If you select External Programs, you can click the Browse button to browse the file system.
   4. Select the editor from the list and click OK.
4. Click OK to finish associating the editor with the selected file type.

When you associate an internal editor with a file type, that editor opens in the editor area of the Workbench. For example, if you double-click a file in the Project Explorer or an entry in the Bookmarks or Tasks view it opens in the editor area.

Editors that support OLE document mode can also run in the editor area of the Workbench.

Tip: You can choose to override your default editor selections by selecting Open With from the pop-up menu for any resource in one of the navigation views.

### Related concepts

Editors
External editors

### Related tasks

Opening files for editing
Editing files outside the Workbench
Linking the Project Explorer view to the active editor