diff --git a/docs/changes.txt b/docs/changes.txt
index ecd554c980..a31c66cc36 100644
--- a/docs/changes.txt
+++ b/docs/changes.txt
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ All:
   functions. See wxGetOsVersion(), wxPlatformInfo, and wxAppTraits.
 - wxLogInfo() now logs messages if the log level is high enough, even without
   wxLog::SetVerbose() which now only affects wxLogVerbose().
+- Add wxFileType::GetExpandedCommand() (troelsk).
 
 wxMSW:
 
diff --git a/include/wx/mimetype.h b/include/wx/mimetype.h
index 07c3880991..c95d7775f9 100644
--- a/include/wx/mimetype.h
+++ b/include/wx/mimetype.h
@@ -353,6 +353,9 @@ public:
     // dtor (not virtual, shouldn't be derived from)
     ~wxFileType();
 
+    wxString
+    GetExpandedCommand(const wxString& verb,
+                       const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
 private:
     // default ctor is private because the user code never creates us
     wxFileType();
diff --git a/include/wx/msw/mimetype.h b/include/wx/msw/mimetype.h
index aa3880f2b2..77becd7b84 100644
--- a/include/wx/msw/mimetype.h
+++ b/include/wx/msw/mimetype.h
@@ -42,9 +42,18 @@ public:
     bool GetIcon(wxIconLocation *iconLoc) const;
     bool GetDescription(wxString *desc) const;
     bool GetOpenCommand(wxString *openCmd,
-                        const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
+                        const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const
+    {
+        *openCmd = GetExpandedCommand(wxS("open"), params);
+        return !openCmd->empty();
+    }
+
     bool GetPrintCommand(wxString *printCmd,
-                         const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
+                         const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const
+    {
+        *printCmd = GetExpandedCommand(wxS("print"), params);
+        return !printCmd->empty();
+    }
 
     size_t GetAllCommands(wxArrayString * verbs, wxArrayString * commands,
                           const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
@@ -76,6 +85,9 @@ public:
     // explicitly.
     void MSWSuppressNotifications(bool supress);
 
+    wxString
+    GetExpandedCommand(const wxString& verb,
+                       const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
 private:
     // helper function: reads the command corresponding to the specified verb
     // from the registry (returns an empty string if not found)
diff --git a/include/wx/osx/core/mimetype.h b/include/wx/osx/core/mimetype.h
index 7f92a990ff..2a97b3cda6 100644
--- a/include/wx/osx/core/mimetype.h
+++ b/include/wx/osx/core/mimetype.h
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ public:
     bool SetDefaultIcon(const wxString& strIcon = wxEmptyString, int index = 0);
     bool Unassociate(wxFileType *ft);
 
+    wxString
+    GetExpandedCommand(const wxString& verb,
+                       const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
 private:
 
     // All that is needed to query type info - UTI and pointer to the manager
diff --git a/include/wx/unix/mimetype.h b/include/wx/unix/mimetype.h
index df76534aa5..27b303bbe7 100644
--- a/include/wx/unix/mimetype.h
+++ b/include/wx/unix/mimetype.h
@@ -157,11 +157,10 @@ public:
     bool SetCommand(const wxString& cmd, const wxString& verb, bool overwriteprompt = true);
     bool SetDefaultIcon(const wxString& strIcon = wxEmptyString, int index = 0);
 
-private:
     wxString
     GetExpandedCommand(const wxString & verb,
                        const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
-
+private:
     wxMimeTypesManagerImpl *m_manager;
     wxArrayInt              m_index; // in the wxMimeTypesManagerImpl arrays
 };
diff --git a/interface/wx/mimetype.h b/interface/wx/mimetype.h
index 0b220ca107..18426b6f68 100644
--- a/interface/wx/mimetype.h
+++ b/interface/wx/mimetype.h
@@ -376,6 +376,22 @@ public:
     bool GetPrintCommand(wxString* command,
                          const MessageParameters& params) const;
 
+
+    /**
+        The returned string is the command to be executed in order to
+        open/print/edit the file of the given type.
+
+        If the string is empty, the lookup for the @a verb failed.
+
+        The name of the file is retrieved from the MessageParameters class.
+
+        @see wxExecute()
+
+        @since 3.1.1
+    */
+    wxString GetExpandedCommand(const wxString& verb,
+                                const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const;
+
     /**
        Returns the number of commands for this mime type, and fills the verbs
        and commands arrays with the command information.
diff --git a/samples/exec/exec.cpp b/samples/exec/exec.cpp
index 53f8535d06..ae59f17575 100644
--- a/samples/exec/exec.cpp
+++ b/samples/exec/exec.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     #include "wx/sizer.h"
 #endif
 
+#include "wx/filename.h"
 #include "wx/txtstrm.h"
 #include "wx/numdlg.h"
 #include "wx/textdlg.h"
@@ -1078,7 +1079,7 @@ void MyFrame::OnFileExec(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
     if ( !AskUserForFileName() )
         return;
 
-    wxString ext = gs_lastFile.AfterLast(wxT('.'));
+    wxString ext = wxFileName(gs_lastFile).GetExt();
     wxFileType *ft = wxTheMimeTypesManager->GetFileTypeFromExtension(ext);
     if ( !ft )
     {
@@ -1088,8 +1089,15 @@ void MyFrame::OnFileExec(wxCommandEvent& WXUNUSED(event))
     }
 
     wxString cmd;
-    bool ok = ft->GetOpenCommand(&cmd,
-                                 wxFileType::MessageParameters(gs_lastFile));
+    bool ok = false;
+    const wxFileType::MessageParameters params(gs_lastFile);
+#ifdef __WXMSW__
+    // try editor, for instance Notepad if extension is .xml
+    cmd = ft->GetExpandedCommand(wxT("edit"), params);
+    ok = !cmd.empty();
+#endif
+    if (!ok) // else try viewer
+        ok = ft->GetOpenCommand(&cmd, params);
     delete ft;
     if ( !ok )
     {
diff --git a/src/common/mimecmn.cpp b/src/common/mimecmn.cpp
index c6904c3d3a..ae86108b92 100644
--- a/src/common/mimecmn.cpp
+++ b/src/common/mimecmn.cpp
@@ -428,6 +428,13 @@ wxFileType::GetPrintCommand(wxString *printCmd,
     return m_impl->GetPrintCommand(printCmd, params);
 }
 
+wxString
+wxFileType::GetExpandedCommand(const wxString& verb,
+                               const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const
+{
+    return m_impl->GetExpandedCommand(verb, params);
+}
+
 
 size_t wxFileType::GetAllCommands(wxArrayString *verbs,
                                   wxArrayString *commands,
diff --git a/src/msw/mimetype.cpp b/src/msw/mimetype.cpp
index a94214c990..380a2807ed 100644
--- a/src/msw/mimetype.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/mimetype.cpp
@@ -338,33 +338,19 @@ wxString wxFileTypeImpl::GetCommand(const wxString& verb) const
     return command;
 }
 
-bool
-wxFileTypeImpl::GetOpenCommand(wxString *openCmd,
-                               const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params)
-                               const
+
+wxString
+wxFileTypeImpl::GetExpandedCommand(const wxString & verb,
+                                   const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params) const
 {
-    wxString cmd = GetCommand(wxT("open"));
+    wxString cmd = GetCommand(verb);
 
     // Some viewers don't define the "open" verb but do define "show" one, try
     // to use it as a fallback.
-    if ( cmd.empty() )
+    if ( cmd.empty() && (verb == wxT("open")) )
         cmd = GetCommand(wxT("show"));
 
-    *openCmd = wxFileType::ExpandCommand(cmd, params);
-
-    return !openCmd->empty();
-}
-
-bool
-wxFileTypeImpl::GetPrintCommand(wxString *printCmd,
-                                const wxFileType::MessageParameters& params)
-                                const
-{
-    wxString cmd = GetCommand(wxT("print"));
-
-    *printCmd = wxFileType::ExpandCommand(cmd, params);
-
-    return !printCmd->empty();
+    return wxFileType::ExpandCommand(cmd, params);
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/src/osx/core/mimetype.cpp b/src/osx/core/mimetype.cpp
index 7d5de4bba9..dce5997464 100644
--- a/src/osx/core/mimetype.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/core/mimetype.cpp
@@ -699,6 +699,12 @@ bool wxFileTypeImpl::Unassociate(wxFileType *WXUNUSED(ft))
     return false;
 }
 
+wxString
+wxFileTypeImpl::GetExpandedCommand(const wxString& WXUNUSED(verb),
+                                   const wxFileType::MessageParameters& WXUNUSED(params)) const
+{
+    return wxString();
+}
 
 #endif // wxUSE_MIMETYPE