Change file type in PyCharm

Question

I created a text file, and renamed it into testTreeGen.py.

The problem

Answer 1

Settings (Preferences on Mac) | Editor | File Types | Text

Check patterns there (bottom list) -- you must have had testTreeGen or similar pattern. Just remove it.

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This usually happens when creating new file and instead of using specific file template you use New | File and forgetting to enter file extension (which is required here as opposed to specific file template which adds file extension automatically) -- this is to allow to create ANY file with any extension (e.g. .htaccess or just README).

Since such file (testTreeGen in your case) does not have extension, IDE does not know how to treat it and treats it as plain text (not automatically though -- it asking you to choose correct file type with "text file" type preselected, but vast majority of users just hitting enter instead of reading what that screen says -- "relax, I'm a professional and I know what I'm doing").

Now, since the testTreeGen pattern is there and it is bigger/more precise that generic *.rb or *.py, file is treated as Text file regardless of file extension -- renaming will not help.

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Conclusion / advice -- pay a bit more attention to confirmation dialogs.