cdesktopenv/cde/doc/C/guides/sysAdminGuide/ch08.sgm

<!-- $XConsortium: ch08.sgm /main/8 1996/09/08 19:33:24 rws $ -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Hewlett-Packard Company. -->
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<!-- (c) Copyright 1995 Sun Microsystems, Inc. -->
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<Chapter Id="SAG.IntAc.div.1">
<Title Id="SAG.IntAc.mkr.1">Introduction to Actions and Data Types</Title>
<Para><Emphasis><IndexTerm>
<Primary>actions</Primary>
<Secondary>introduction</Secondary>
</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
<Primary>data types</Primary>
<Secondary>introduction</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>Actions</Emphasis> and <Emphasis>data types</Emphasis> are powerful components for integrating applications
into the desktop. They provide a way to create a user interface for starting
applications and manipulating their data files.</Para>
<InformalTable Id="SAG.IntAc.itbl.1" Frame="All">
<TGroup Cols="1">
<ColSpec Colname="1" Colwidth="4.0 in">
<TBody>
<Row Rowsep="1">
<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Introduction To Actions128'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="SAG.IntAc.div.3"></Para></Entry>
</Row>
<Row Rowsep="1">
<Entry><Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Introduction to Data Types135'--><XRef Role="JumpText" Linkend="SAG.IntAc.div.7"></Para></Entry>
</Row>
</TBody>
</TGroup>
</InformalTable>
<Para>This chapter introduces the concepts of actions and data types. It describes:</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para>Why you may want to create actions and data types for applications.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>How actions and data types are related to each other.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>How actions and data types are related to desktop printing.</Para>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
<Sect1 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.2">
<Title>See Also</Title>
<Para>The procedures and rules for creating actions and data types are covered in
three chapters in this manual.</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;9'--><XRef Role="ChapterNumber" Linkend="SAG.dtCrA.div.1"> explains how to create actions and data types using the desktop
application Create Action.</Para>
<Para>You can use Create Action to create actions and data types for most
applications without having to learn the syntax rules for their definitions.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para><!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;10'--><XRef Role="ChapterNumber" Linkend="SAG.CrAct.div.1"> and
<!--Original XRef content: 'Chapter&numsp;11'--><XRef Role="ChapterNumber" Linkend="SAG.CrDT.div.1"> explain how to create actions and data types
manually by creating and editing configuration files.</Para>
<Para>It is necessary to create actions and data types manually when you want to
use advanced features not supported by Create Action.</Para>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
</Sect1>
<Sect1 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.3">
<Title Id="SAG.IntAc.mkr.2">Introduction To Actions<IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>introduction</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>Actions are instructions written that automate desktop tasks such as running
applications and opening data files. Actions work much like application
macros or programming functions. Each action has a name that is used to run
the action.</Para>
<Para>Once you define an action, it can be used to adapt the desktop user interface so
that tasks are easier to do. The desktop provides the ability to attach user
interface components such as icons, Front Panel controls, and menu items to
actions.</Para>
<Figure>
<Title>Uses for actions</Title>
<Graphic Entityref="SAG.IntAc.fig.1" Id="SAG.IntAc.grph.1"></Graphic>
</Figure>
<Para>For example, the Desktop_Tools application group in Application Manager
contains icons that start various utilities.</Para>
<Figure>
<Title>Action icons in the Desktop_Tools application group</Title>
<Graphic Entityref="SAG.IntAc.fig.2" Id="SAG.IntAc.grph.2"></Graphic>
</Figure>
<Para>Each of these icons runs an action when the icon is double-clicked. For
example, here's a portion of the definition of the action that runs when the user
double-clicks the icon labeled Xwd Display. The action is defined in the
configuration file <Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/xclients.dt</Filename>:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Xwud
{
 LABEL        Xwd Display
 TYPE         COMMAND
 EXEC_STRING  /usr/bin/X11/xwud -noclick -in \
              &percnt;(File)Arg_1&ldquo;Xwd File To Display:&ldquo;&percnt;
 &hellip;
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>The command in the action's <Filename>EXEC_STRING</Filename> is run when the user double-clicks
the icon.</Para>
<Para><IndexTerm>
<Primary>actions</Primary>
<Secondary>used by Front Panel</Secondary>
</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
<Primary>Front Panel</Primary>
<Secondary>using actions</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>The Front Panel also uses actions. For example, here's a portion of the
definition of the control labeled Terminal in the Personal Applications
subpanel. The control is defined in the configuration file
<Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/dtwm.fp</Filename>:</Para>
<programlisting>CONTROL Term
{
 ICON         Fpterm
 LABEL        Terminal
 PUSH_ACTION  Dtterm
 &hellip;
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>The <Filename>PUSH_ACTION</Filename> field specifies the action to run when the user clicks the
control&mdash;in this case, an action named Dtterm.</Para>
<Para><IndexTerm>
<Primary>actions</Primary>
<Secondary>used in menus</Secondary>
</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
<Primary>menus</Primary>
<Secondary>using actions</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>Another common use for actions is in menus. Data files usually have actions in
their Selected menu in File Manager. For example, XWD files (files with names
ending in<Filename>.xwd</Filename> or<Filename>.wd</Filename>) have an Open action that displays the screen image by
running the Xwud action.</Para>
<Figure>
<Title>Open action for files of data type XWD</Title>
<Graphic Entityref="SAG.IntAc.fig.3" Id="SAG.IntAc.grph.3"></Graphic>
</Figure>
<Para>The actions in the<IndexTerm>
<Primary>Selected menu</Primary>
</IndexTerm>
Selected menu are specified in the data type definition for
XWD files. The definition is located in the configuration file
<Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/xclients.dt.</Filename></Para>
<programlisting>DATA_ATTRIBUTES XWD
{
 ACTIONS  Open,Print
 ICON     Dtxwd
 &hellip;
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>The XWD data type, and its associated Open and Print actions, are explained
in
<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;How Data Types Connect Data Files to Actions&xd3; on page&numsp;136'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="SAG.IntAc.div.9">.</Para>
<Sect2 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.4">
<Title>How Actions Create Icons for Applications<IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>creating icons for applications</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>applications</Primary><Secondary>creating icons for</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>icons</Primary><Secondary>for applications</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>Consider the Xwd Display icon in the Desktop_Tools application group.
Double-clicking this icon runs the X client <Command>xwud</Command>. However, this icon does not
directly represent the actual <Command>xwud</Command> executable <Filename>/usr/bin/X11/xwud</Filename>.</Para>
<Para>The icon labeled Xwd Display appears in the application group because there
is a file in that directory named <Command>Xwud</Command> (see
<!--Original XRef content: 'Figure&numsp;8&hyphen;4'--><XRef Role="CodeOrFigureOrTable" Linkend="SAG.IntAc.mkr.1">). This file represents an
underlying action with the same name&mdash;Xwud. In the action definition, the
action name is the name following the <Command>ACTION</Command> keyword:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Xwud
{
 LABEL        Xwd Display
 TYPE         COMMAND
 WINDOW_TYPE  NO_STDIO
 EXEC_STRING  /usr/bin/X11/xwud -noclick -in \
              &percnt;(File)Arg_1&ldquo;Xwd File To Display:&ldquo;&percnt;
 DESCRIPTION  The Xwd Display (Xwud) XwdDisplay action \
              displays an xwd file that was created using the \
              Xwd Capture (Xwd) action. It uses \
              the xwud command.
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para><IndexTerm>
<Primary>action file</Primary>
<Secondary>definition</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>The file is called an <Emphasis>action file</Emphasis> because it represents an action. A file is an action
file when it is an executable file with the same name as an action. Its icon in
Application Manager (or File Manager) is called an<IndexTerm>
<Primary>action icon</Primary>
</IndexTerm>
<Emphasis>action icon</Emphasis>, or<IndexTerm>
<Primary>application icon</Primary>
<Secondary>creating</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>
<Emphasis>application
icon</Emphasis>, because double-clicking it starts an application.</Para>
<Figure>
<Title Id="SAG.IntAc.mkr.3">Application (action) icon representing an action file</Title>
<Graphic Entityref="SAG.IntAc.fig.4" Id="SAG.IntAc.grph.4"></Graphic>
</Figure>
<Para>When Application Manager detects an executable file, it looks through the
actions database to see if there are any actions whose names match the file
name. If a match is found, Application Manager knows that the file is an action
file.</Para>
<Para><IndexTerm>
<Primary>action file</Primary>
<Secondary>contents</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>The content of the action file is irrelevant; action files usually contain
comments describing their desktop function.</Para>
<Note>
<Para>The <Emphasis>action file</Emphasis> is not the same as the <Emphasis>action definition file</Emphasis>. The <Emphasis>action file</Emphasis> is
a file with the same name as the action. It is used to create the <Emphasis>application icon</Emphasis>
in File Manager or Application Manager. The <Emphasis>action definition file</Emphasis> is the file
named <Symbol Role="Variable">name</Symbol><Filename>.dt</Filename> containing the definition of the action.</Para>
</Note>
<Para>Once the desktop determines that a file is an action file, the underlying action
definition is used to define the appearance and behavior of the action file.</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para>The <Filename>EXEC_STRING</Filename> field specifies the behavior of the application icon. In the
case of the Xwd Display icon, the <Filename>EXEC_STRING</Filename> specifies that the action
icon runs the <Command>xwud</Command> X client with certain command-line arguments.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>The <Command>LABEL</Command> field specifies the label for the application icon.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>The <Command>DESCRIPTION</Command> field describes the text displayed when the user requests
On Item help.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>The Xwud application icon uses the default icon image for actions because
its action definition does contain an <Command>ICON</Command> field to specify a different image.</Para>
<Para>In contrast, the icon labeled Compress File uses a different icon image
because its underlying action definition contains an <Command>ICON</Command> field:</Para>
<Para>For example:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Compress
 LABEL  Compress File
 ICON   Dtcmprs
 &hellip;
}
</Programlisting>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
<Figure>
<Title>Icon image specified by the ICON field in the action definition</Title>
<Graphic Entityref="SAG.IntAc.fig.5" Id="SAG.IntAc.grph.5"></Graphic>
</Figure>
<Para>The Xwud action is called a <Symbol Role="Variable">command</Symbol> action because its definition contains the
command (<Filename>EXEC_STRING</Filename>) to be run. The <Command>TYPE</Command> field in the action definition
defines the action type.</Para>
<Para>Initially, the Xwd Display icon appears in the Desktop_Tools application
group. However, you can create additional copies of the action icon in any
directory for which you have write permission. As long as the Xwud action
definition is part of the database, any executable file you create named <Command>Xwud</Command>
will be an action file representing that action, and its icon in File Manager or
Application Manager can be used to run the action.</Para>
</Sect2>
<Sect2 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.5">
<Title Id="SAG.IntAc.mkr.4">How Actions Use Data Files as Arguments<IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>file arguments</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>arguments</Primary><Secondary>of actions</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>An<IndexTerm>
<Primary>arguments</Primary>
<Secondary>of actions</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>
<Symbol Role="Variable">argument</Symbol> of a command is the thing, usually a<IndexTerm>
<Primary>file argument</Primary>
<Secondary>used in actions</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>
file, that the command acts
upon. Actions can be written to accept file arguments.</Para>
<Para>For example, the <Filename>EXEC_STRING</Filename> of the Xwud action specifies that a file
argument is required:</Para>
<programlisting>EXEC_STRING  /usr/bin/X11/xwud -noclick -in \
             &percnt;(File)Arg_1&ldquo;Xwd File To Display:&ldquo;&percnt;
</ProgramListing>
<Para>The term <Command>Arg</Command> stands for the word <Symbol Role="Variable">argument.</Symbol> The syntax<IndexTerm>
<Primary>Arg_1 syntax</Primary>
</IndexTerm>
<Filename>Arg_1</Filename> means the first
argument, and <Filename>(File)</Filename> means that the action treats that argument as a file.</Para>
<Para><IndexTerm>
<Primary>application icon</Primary>
<Secondary>dropped files</Secondary>
</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
<Primary>actions</Primary>
<Secondary>accepting dropped files</Secondary>
</IndexTerm><IndexTerm>
<Primary>application icon</Primary>
<Secondary>double-clicking</Secondary>
</IndexTerm>The easiest way for the user to provide a file argument is to drop a data file on
the application icon. The desktop determines the path of the dropped file and
substitutes it into the command line in place of the text between the <Filename>&percnt;</Filename> symbols
(<ComputerOutput>&percnt;(File)Arg_1&ldquo;Xwd File To Display:&ldquo;&percnt;</ComputerOutput>). Thus, the command that gets
executed is:</Para>
<ProgramListing>/usr/bin/X11/xwud -noclick -in <Symbol Role="Variable">file_path</Symbol></ProgramListing>
<Para>When the user double-clicks the application icon, the desktop determines from
the <Filename>EXEC_STRING</Filename> that a file argument is required, and displays a dialog box
prompting the user to enter a file name or path. In the case of the Xwud action,
the prompt is:</Para>
<ProgramListing>Xwd File To Display:</ProgramListing>
<Para>The file name or path supplied by the user is used as the file argument.</Para>
</Sect2>
<Sect2 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.6">
<Title>Additional Uses for Actions<IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>uses</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>In addition to starting applications, actions are used throughout the desktop to
create functionality in:</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para>The Front Panel.</Para>
<Para>The definition for a Front Panel control includes fields that specify the
action that runs when the user clicks the control or drops a file on it. For
more information, see
<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Defining Front Panel Controls&xd3; on page&numsp;228'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="SAG.FrPC.div.34">.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>Menus.</Para>
<Para>The syntax for the Window and Workspace menu definitions allows you to
specify the action to be run by a menu item. For more information, see
<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;Workspace Manager Menus&xd3; on page&numsp;246'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="SAG.WMCnf.div.13"> and the <Filename MoreInfo="RefEntry">dtwmrc(4)</Filename> man page.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>Communication between applications.</Para>
<Para>An application can be designed to send and receive information using a
special type of action called ToolTalk message (<Filename>TT_MSG</Filename>). <Filename>TT_MSG</Filename> actions are
described in the developer environment documentation for the desktop.</Para>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
</Sect2>
</Sect1>
<Sect1 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.7">
<Title Id="SAG.IntAc.mkr.5">Introduction to Data Types<IndexTerm><Primary>data types</Primary><Secondary>introduction</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>When the user creates a new data file, the appearance and behavior of the file's
icon in File Manager varies depending on the type of data file the user has
created. This ability to create custom appearance and behavior for files and
directories is provided by the desktop's data typing mechanism.</Para>
<Sect2 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.8">
<Title>What Is a Data Type?<IndexTerm><Primary>Create Action</Primary><Secondary>data type creation</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>data types</Primary><Secondary>created with Create Action</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>A data type is a construct that is defined within the desktop database. For
example, here is the definition of the XWD data type. The definition is in the
configuration file <Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/xclients.dt</Filename>:</Para>
<programlisting>DATA_ATTRIBUTES XWD
{
 ACTIONS        Open,Print
 ICON           Dtxwd
 NAME_TEMPLATE  &percnt;s.xwd
 MIME_TYPE      application/octet-stream
 SUNV3_TYPE     xwd-file
 DESCRIPTION    This file contains a graphics image in the XWD \
                format. These files are typically created by \
                taking snapshots of windows using the XwdCapture \
                action. Its data type is named XWD. XWD files \
                have names ending with `.xwd' or `.wd'.
}
DATA_CRITERIA XWD1
{
 DATA_ATTRIBUTES_NAME  XWD
 MODE                  f
 NAME_PATTERN          *.xwd
}

DATA_CRITERIA XWD2
{
 DATA_ATTRIBUTES_NAME  XWD
 MODE                  f
 NAME_PATTERN          *.wd
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>Every data type definition has two parts:</Para>
<InformalTable>
<TGroup Cols="2" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
<colspec colwidth="161*">
<colspec colwidth="367*">
<TBody>
<Row>
<Entry><Para><Filename>DATA_ATTRIBUTES</Filename></Para></Entry>
<Entry><Para>Describes the appearance and behavior of the data
type.</Para></Entry>
</Row>
<Row>
<Entry><Para><Filename>DATA_CRITERIA</Filename>,</Para></Entry>
<Entry><Para>Specifies the rules (naming or content) for categorizing
a file as belonging to that data type.</Para></Entry>
</Row>
</TBody>
</TGroup>
</InformalTable>
<Para>The <Filename>DATA_ATTRIBUTES_NAME</Filename> field connects the criteria to the attributes.</Para>
<Para>There can be multiple <Filename>DATA_CRITERIA</Filename> for a <Filename>DATA_ATTRIBUTE</Filename>. For example,
the XWD data type has two criteria to specify two different naming criteria
(<Filename>NAME_PATTERN</Filename>)&mdash;names ending with <Filename>.xwd</Filename> or <Filename>.wd</Filename>.</Para>
</Sect2>
<Sect2 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.9">
<Title Id="SAG.IntAc.mkr.6">How Data Types Connect Data Files to Actions<IndexTerm><Primary>data types</Primary><Secondary>relationship to actions</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>relationship to data types</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>Consider the XWD data type. The user creates an XWD-type file by giving the
file one of two file-name suffixes (extensions): <Filename>.xwd</Filename> or<Filename>.wd</Filename>. The desktop uses
the file name as the <Emphasis>criteria</Emphasis> for designating a file as that type.</Para>
<Para>The XWD data type supplies each file of that data type with:</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para>A unique icon image that helps users recognize the data files.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>On Item help that tells you about the data type.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>A customized Selected menu in File Manager containing the actions Open
and Print. The Open action for XWD files runs the Xwud action.</Para>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
<Sect3 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.10">
<Title>Running Actions from the Selected Menu<IndexTerm><Primary>Selected menu</Primary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>The Selected menu in File Manager is active only when a file or directory is
selected. The commands at the bottom of the Selected menu depend on the
data type. For example, if an XWD file is selected, the Selected menu includes
the items Open and Print.</Para>
<Para>The <Command>ACTIONS</Command> field in the data type definition specifies the commands added to
the bottom of the data type's Selected menu.</Para>
<programlisting>DATA_ATTRIBUTES XWD
{
        ACTIONS  Open,Print
        &hellip;
}
</programlisting>
<Para><IndexTerm>
<Primary>Selected menu</Primary>
</IndexTerm>The contents of the Selected menu depends on the data type. However, many
different data types provide an Open action&mdash;that is, when you select a file of
that particular data type in File Manager and display the Selected menu, you
see an Open command.</Para>
<Figure>
<Title>The Selected menu for an XWD file</Title>
<Graphic Entityref="SAG.IntAc.fig.6" Id="SAG.IntAc.grph.6"></Graphic>
</Figure>
<Para>The<IndexTerm>
<Primary>Open action</Primary>
</IndexTerm>
Open action usually runs the application with which the data file is
associated. For example, opening an XWD file runs the Xwud action, which in
turn runs the xwud X client to display the screen image. In other words, for the
XWD data type, the Open action is synonymous with the Xwud action.
Likewise, opening a file of data type TEXTFILE runs the Text Editor, and
opening a BM (bitmap) or PM (pixmap) file runs Icon Editor.</Para>
<Para>The ability to create a variety of Open actions that do different things uses two
features of action definitions:</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para>Action mapping.<IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>mapping</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>MAP actions</Primary></IndexTerm>
</Para>
<Para>Action mapping lets you create an action that runs another action, rather
than directly running a command. For example, you can create an Open
action that maps to (runs) the Xwud action.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>Data-type restrictions on an action.<IndexTerm><Primary>actions</Primary><Secondary>restricted by data type</Secondary></IndexTerm>
</Para>
<Para>Action definitions can include an <Filename>ARG_TYPE</Filename> field that limits the action to
certain data types. For example, you can specify that the Open action that
maps to the Xwud action applies only to files of data type XWD.</Para>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
<Para>Here is the definition of the action that maps the Open action to the Xwud
action for the XWD data type. It is located in the database configuration file
<Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/<Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol>/xclients.dt</Filename>:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Open
{
 LABEL       Open
 ARG_TYPE    XWD
 TYPE        MAP
 MAP_ACTION  Xwud
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>The <Command>TYPE</Command> field specifies that this is a map action; the <Filename>MAP_ACTION</Filename> field
specifies this action runs the Xwud action. The <Filename>ARG_TYPE</Filename> field specifies that
this action applies only to files whose data type is XWD.</Para>
<Para>Compare the previous definition of the Open action to the next definition,
which appears in the database file <Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/<Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol>/dt.dt</Filename>:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Open
{
 LABEL       Open
 ARG_TYPE    BM
 TYPE        MAP
 MAP_ACTION  Dticon
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>This definition applies to files of data type (<Filename>ARG_TYPE</Filename>) BM (bitmap files). The
definition maps the Open action to the Dticon action, which runs Icon Editor.</Para>
</Sect3>
<Sect3 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.11">
<Title><IndexTerm><Primary>data types</Primary><Secondary>double-click behavior</Secondary></IndexTerm>Defining the Double-Click Behavior of the Data Type</Title>
<Para>The data type's double-click behavior is defined by the first entry in the
<Command>ACTIONS</Command> field. For example, for the XWD data type, the double-click behavior
is to run the Open action, which in turn runs the Xwud action.</Para>
</Sect3>
<Sect3 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.12">
<Title>Dropping a Data File on an Action Icon<IndexTerm><Primary>data types</Primary><Secondary>drop behavior</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>When the user drops a data file on an action icon, the system runs the action
using that data file as the argument for the action (see
<!--Original XRef content: '&xd2;How Actions Use Data
Files as Arguments&xd3; on page&numsp;133'--><XRef Role="SecTitleAndPageNum" Linkend="SAG.IntAc.mkr.4">).</Para>
<Para>For example, when an XWD data file is dropped on the Xwd Display icon, the
Xwud action is run using the data file argument. This runs the <Command>xwud</Command> X client
with that data file.</Para>
</Sect3>
</Sect2>
<Sect2 Id="SAG.IntAc.div.13">
<Title>Creating Desktop Printing for a Data Type<IndexTerm><Primary>data types</Primary><Secondary>printing</Secondary></IndexTerm><IndexTerm><Primary>printing</Primary><Secondary>configuring for data type</Secondary></IndexTerm></Title>
<Para>Desktop printing provides these ways to print a data file:</Para>
<ItemizedList Remap="Bullet1">
<ListItem>
<Para>Using the Print command, if available, in the File Manager Selected menu.</Para>
</ListItem>
<ListItem>
<Para>Dropping a data file on a desktop printer drop zone (the Front Panel Printer
control or a printer icon in Print Manager).</Para>
</ListItem>
</ItemizedList>
<Para>In addition to desktop printing, many applications provide a way to print from
within the application.</Para>
<Para>Desktop printing uses actions named Print. Print, like Open, is an action name
that is used for many different types of data. Therefore, Print actions use action
mapping and the <Filename>ARG_TYPE</Filename> field to customize printing for each data type.</Para>
<Para>For example, here is the Print action for the XWD data type. The definition is
located in <Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/xclients.dt</Filename>:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Print
{
 LABEL       Print
 ARG_TYPE    XWD
 TYPE        MAP
 MAP_ACTION  NoPrint
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>This Print action, specific to XWD files, is mapped to a NoPrint action. NoPrint
is a special action defined in <Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/dt.dt</Filename>.
The<IndexTerm>
<Primary>NoPrint action</Primary>
</IndexTerm>
NoPrint action displays a dialog box telling the user that this data type
cannot be printed.</Para>
<Para>Compare the XWD Print action with the following Print action for PCL files:</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION Print
 LABEL       Print
 ARG_TYPE    PCL
 TYPE        MAP
 MAP_ACTION  PrintRaw
}
</ProgramListing>
<Para>The PrintRaw action, defined in the configuration file
<Filename>/usr/dt/appconfig/types/</Filename><Symbol Role="Variable">language</Symbol><Filename>/print.dt</Filename>, contains the command
line for printing the PCL files.</Para>
<programlisting>ACTION PrintRaw
{
 TYPE         COMMAND
 WINDOW_TYPE  NO_STDIO
 EXEC_STRING  /usr/dt/bin/dtlp -w &percnt;(File)Arg_1&percnt;
}
</ProgramListing>
</Sect2>
</Sect1>
</Chapter>
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