Icon Properties

The Icon Properties window displays all the information used by DeskSet applications to display and operate on files. The icon properties determine how files of a particular type are displayed by DeskSet applications (such as File Manager), and what happens when files of that type are opened or printed.

You display the Icon Properties window by selecting an entry in the base window scrolling list and choosing Icon from the Props menu. The default Icon Properties window shows only the information needed to display a type of files, as shown in Figure 16-4.

Figure 16-4 Default Icon Properties Window

You can click SELECT on the plus sign (+) button at the lower right of the window to expand the window to display the full set of properties, including information needed to open and print a class of files, as shown in Figure 16-5.

Figure 16-5 Expanded Icon Properties Window

You can shrink the window back down to the smaller size by clicking SELECT on the minus sign (-) button at the bottom of the expanded window.

This section describes the fields in the expanded Icon Properties window.

Icon and Binder Entry Name

The Icon field shows the current icon and Binder database entry name. Use the text field to modify the entry name, and use the following fields to modify the appearance of the icon. Double-click SELECT on the temporary unique name to the right of the icon to modify the icon.

Image File

The Image File text field displays the path of the 32 by 32 pixel (XView format) icon that is bound to the current Binder entry. The icon is displayed in the base window scrolling list and the Icon field. This is the same icon displayed by the File Manager, Mail Tool, and other applications in the DeskSet environment.

Mask File

The Mask File text field displays the path of an icon color mask. A color mask defines the region of the icon to which the background color is applied. You can think of this as a stencil cut out overlaid on top of your icon before the background color is applied to the icon. If no icon mask file is specified, the entire icon is colored with the background color.

The icon mask does not have to be a 32 by 32 (XView format) pixel icon. If it is larger, only the first 32 by 32 (XView format) pixels in the top left corner of the icon are used.

For example, Figure 16-6shows the icon and the icon mask for the printtool-prog Binder entry. The image on the left is the icon image, and determines what is outlined in the foreground color. The image on the right is the icon mask, and determines the area of the icon colored with the background color.

Figure 16-6 The printtool-prog Icon and printtool-prog Icon Mask

Image File and Mask File Line

These text lines specify the path (directory location) to the icon and the icon's mask--a stencil of the image that determines the area of the icon colored with the background color. To modify the current icon in its appearance on the workspace, do not modify these paths.

Foregr (Foreground) Color

The foreground color is the color that the icon itself is drawn (icon outline) within the File Manager and other DeskSet applications. If no value is given for this field, the foreground color is black.

If you want to pick a new foreground color, click SELECT on the window button to the right of the Foregr Color text field to invoke the Color Chooser application. See "Using the Color Chooser Palette with Binder " for more information.

Alternatively, you can type three numbers in the Foregr Color text field to indicate the amount each of red, green, and blue in the foreground color. Color saturation values range from 0 through 255. For example, 255 0 0 represents a bright, solid red color.

Backgr (Background) Color

The background color is the color the icon is colored within (the lines of the icon) the File Manager and other DeskSet applications. If no value is given for this field, the background color is white.

If you want to pick a new background color, click SELECT on the button to the right of the Backgr Color text field to invoke the Color Chooser. See the section "Using the Color Chooser Palette with Binder " for more information.

Alternatively, you can type three numbers in the Backgr Color text field to indicate the amount of red, green, and blue, respectively, of the background color. Color saturation values range from 0 through 255. For example, 0 255 0 represents a bright, solid green color.

Application

The Application text field defines the application that is invoked whenever any file defined by the current binding is opened in File Manager or other applications in the DeskSet environment. This text field is on the expanded portion of the Icon Properties window.

If there is a ToolTalk method available, applications do not use this field. Refer to the Desktop Integration Guide.

Print Method

The Print Method defines how a file is printed in the DeskSet environment. If no Print Method is specified, the default print method of the application the file is being printed from is used. This field is on the expanded portion of the Icon Properties window.

DeskSet applications such as File Manager and Print Tool expect print methods to be in this format: cat $FILE | (pipe1) | (pipe2) ... Defining a print method of another type may produce unexpected results with the deskset tools. See also Chapter 10, Print Tool, for information on overriding a default Print Method.