Icon Search Path

The icon search path directs the desktop to search specified locations for files containing bitmap and pixmap image files used by the desktop.

Default Icon Search Path

The default icon search path includes personal, system-wide, and built-in locations. The default language is C.

Personal location—HomeDirectory/.dt/icons

System-wide location—/etc/dt/appconfig/icons/language

Built-in location—/usr/dt/appconfig/icons/language

How the Application Search Path Affects the Icon Search Path

When a location is added to the application search path, the appropriate icon subdirectory is automatically added to the icon search path (see How the Application Search Path Affects the Database, Icon, and Help Search Paths).

For example, if the application server hosta: is added to the application search path, the directory hosta:/etc/dt/appconfig/icons/language is automatically added to the icon search path.

Icon Search Path Environment Variables

The database search path is assembled from the built-in locations and the following input variables:

DTSPSYSICON—system-wide icon search path input variable

DTSPUSERICON—personal icon search path input variable

Use these input variables to specify locations outside the application search path.

The assembled database search path is specified by two output variables:

XMICONSEARCHPATH—used by color displays

XMICONBMSEARCHPATH—used by monochrome displays

Syntax for the Icon Search Path Input Variables

The syntax for the variables DTSPSYSICON and DTSPUSERICON is:

VARIABLE=location [,location...]

where location can have the syntax:

/path—specifies a directory on the local (session server) system. Use this syntax to add a local directory.

To specify a location on another system, use its network file name—for example, /nfs/servera/projects/icons.

How the Icon Search Path Is Assembled

The value of the icon search path (XMICONSEARCHPATH and XMICONBMSEARCHPATH) is created by assembling the following locations, listed in order of precedence:

• Locations specified using the DTSPUSERICON variable

• Locations derived from the DTSPUSERAPPHOSTS variable

• The default personal location: HomeDirectory/.dt/icons

• The default location: /etc/dt/appconfig/icons/language

• Locations specified using the DTSPSYSICON variable

• Locations derived from the DTSPSYSAPPHOSTS variable

• /usr/dt/appconfig/icons/language

  The color and monochrome search paths differ only in the precedence given to pixmap and bitmaps. The XMICONSEARCHPATH variables lists pixmaps before bitmaps; XMICONBMSEARCPATH lists bitmaps before pixmaps.