Changing the Text Editor and Terminal Emulator

Both the text editor and terminal emulator applications can be started by choosing a control in the Front Panel, or by double-clicking an icon in Application Manager.

These applications are also started by other desktop activities.

• The text editor application opens when the user selects a text file in File Manager and chooses Open from the Selected menu. The default text editor is dtpad.

• A terminal emulator runs when a user chooses Open Terminal from File Manager's File menu, or when an action opens a terminal emulator window. The default terminal emulator is dtterm.

You can configure the desktop to use a different text editor or terminal emulator application in these situations.

To Change the Default Text Editor or Terminal Emulator

1. If the change is system-wide, log in as root.

2. Create an action for the new text editor or terminal emulator application.

   • You can use the Create Action application. Figure 4–3shows a Create Action window filled in for an application named TextPad. For more information about Create Action, see Chapter 11, Creating Actions and Data Types Using Create Action.

   Figure 4–3 Create Action window

   
   

   • Or, you can create the action definition manually; for example:.

   ACTION TextPad
       {
           LABEL                TextPad
           TYPE                 COMMAND
           WINDOW_TYPE          NO_STDIO
           EXEC_STRING          /usr/TP/bin/TextPad %(File)Arg_1%
           DESCRIPTION          Double-click this icon to start the \
               TextPad application.
       }

   For information on creating action definitions manually, see Chapter 12, Creating Actions Manually.

3. Place the configuration file containing the new action in the proper directory:

   • System-wide: /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language

   • Personal: HomeDirectory/.dt/types

4. If it doesn't already exist, create the appropriate user-prefs.dt file by copying /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/user-prefs.dt to:

   • System-wide: the /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language directory

   • Personal: the HomeDirectory/.dt/types directory

5. Edit the TextEditor or Terminal action in the system-wide or personal user-prefs.dt file. Modify the MAP_ACTION line to map the action to the new action.

   For example, change the line:

   	MAP_ACTION Dtpad

   to:

   	MAP_ACTION TxtPd

6. Save the user-prefs.dt file.

7. Double-click Reload Actions in the Desktop_Tools application group to reload the actions database.