If an HTML file is removed after it’s imported into DT the imported content will no longer be internally displayed by DT but Open Externally successfully displays it in the browser.
You’re right, this will be fixed in the next release. In the meantime either remove the URL of the HTML page or replace the URL with the appropriate Internet location. Then this should work again.
There wasn’t a URL, only a Path when importing an HTML file from a local disk. Clearing the invalid Path after deleting the original file restored DT’s ability to internally display the content.
Is there any reason for preserving Path after deleting a file that’s been imported? Of course DT doesn’t know when a file’s deleted so it can’t automatically clear Path.
Maybe I’m struggling with a file Import vs. Link issue. Path appears to be irrelevant with Import yet necessary with Link.
In general, what I’m trying to do is not keep redundant copies of content that’s fully imported into DT and can be exported later. I thought using Path might help determine that but now seems not such a good idea.
Back to this another time. My iBook’s hard drive sounds unhealthy so I want to do a backup before it’s too late…
Basically this is necessary for the upcoming synchronization feature in v1.8.
Okay, I see how Path will be necessary with synchronization if a file still exists on disk tho’ it can be misleading if it’s been deleted.
With DT 1.7.4 Path is “preserved” when the same database is moved between volumes/systems, some where a file exists (and will be a synchronization candidate in 1.
and others where it doesn’t (and can’t be synchronized). In both cases it’s displayed the same with Show Info…
Currently DT beeps when you try to Launch a missing file; Show In Finder doesn’t give any feedback (and should?). Maybe what’s missing is additional visual representation of Path relative to the current system? I’m not sure how to do that (efficiently) but I think it might help reduce my “where’s the content?” dilemma.
Something tells me this may all get worked out as part of synchronization in 1.8 anyway. 
DT uses already paths relative to your home directory or the startup volume but of course this can’t solve all related issues. But we will improve the feedback of Launch/Show In Finder in v1.7.5.