silvert@dalcs.UUCP (Bill Silvert) (01/09/87)
I've recently discovered some useful features of the Install Application option on the desktop menu. For one thing, it interfaces with the file selector box function of GEM (Fsel_input for C programmers, FileSelectInput in Modula-2), so that if you have a program that uses the file selector box to open a file, it will automatically be processed. Also, the extension associated with the application can include wild cards. And, although the application path is not specified when you save the information with the Save Desktop option, you can add it with an editor (as well as changing the file description I suppose). For example, suppose that you use EZSQUEEZ.PRG to unsqueeze files from a RAMdisk. You click on it, then go to Install Application, and give the file extension ?Q?. Then you save the desktop and edit DESKTOP.INF by inserting the path C:\BIN\ before EZSQUEEZ.PRG. Next time you boot from that disk, any time you click on a squeezed file it will be automatically unsqueezed, so long as the file C:\BIN\EZSQUEEZ.PRG is available. This procedure can be used to speed up invoking certain applications. For example, TDI/Modula-2 has a linker which uses the selector box to identify the file to link. If you install the program with extension LNK then you only have to click on the link file to run LINKER.PRG. This is even more useful if you have your link files on a RAMdisk and don't have room for the linker, since you can install it but keep it on another disk, e.g., B:\BIN\LINKER.PRG. If anyone can add more tips about this feature of GEM, please post to the net (or mail to me, and I will collect and post). Also, if anyone knows what the APP extension means, it would be nice to know -- it seems the same as PRG.
ignac@electro.UUCP (Ignac Kolenko) (04/08/89)
just wondering: is it possible to install an accessory as an application in the desktop inf file??? ie: if you install (say X.ACC) as an application that takes a *.C file as input, and you then click on a *.C file, will that accessory (which should have been loaded at bootup time) then take control??? or am i wishing too much from the good old desktop?? also, what is the limit on a desktop.inf file size. i've been using a test file that is about 1300 bytes long, and the desktop doesn't seem to mind. does the aes automatically allocate enough memory for the desktop.inf file size, plus some extra for additional changes made to the desktop information (ie: adding more drive icons, installing more applications), or is there a fixed limit on the size?? is this documented anywhere?? finally, does anyone have any information on the meaning of the cryptic characters in the desktop.inf file? ie: each line of the .inf file begins with a '#' and then a letter of the alphabet. what is the complete list of valid characters that come after the '#'?? i remember seeing something in a compute st, but i can't remember which one. thanx y -- Ignac A. Kolenko (The Ig) watmath!watcgl!electro!ignac "Those who can't, criticize" (author unknown) "ain't it ironic that according to Rushton, Suzuki is right!"