Reasons You Must Create an Action Manually

There are three basic types of actions:

• COMMAND

• MAP

• TT_MSG

The Create Action tool is designed to create certain types of COMMAND and MAP actions. All TT_MSG actions must be created manually.

For more information, see Limitations of Create Action.

COMMAND Actions

A command action executes a command that starts an application or utility, runs a shell script, or executes an operating system command. The definition of the action includes the command to be executed (the EXEC_STRING).

The Create Action tool can be used to create the most common types of command actions. However, there may be some situations where you must create the action manually; for example, you must create a COMMAND action manually if the action specifies:

• Multiple-file arguments with a different prompt for each argument.

• Action invocation—the ability of actions to invoke other actions.

• Argument-count dependent behavior—the ability to create an action that has very different behaviors for different numbers of file arguments.

• A remote execution host—the ability to run an application on a system other than the one containing the action definition.

• Change of user—the ability to run the action as a different user (for example, to prompt for the root password and then run as root).

MAP Actions

A map action is an action that is ``mapped'' to another action rather than directly specifying a command or ToolTalk message

Mapping provides the ability to specify alternative names for actions. For example, a built-in command action named IconEditor starts Icon Editor. The database also includes an Open action, restricted in the definition to bitmap and pixmap files (by the ARG_TYPE field), that is mapped to the IconEditor action. This lets the user start Icon Editor by selecting a bitmap or pixmap file in File Manager and then choosing Open from the Selected menu.

Create Action provides limited mapping for Open and Print actions. All other map actions must be created manually.

TT_MSG (ToolTalk Message) Actions

TT_MSG actions send a ToolTalk message. All TT_MSG actions must be created manually.