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Icons are moveable graphic representations of disks, drawers, files, and programs that you manipulate with the mouse.

To learn more about the different types of icons click here.

Not only are you able to display the information about a selected icons, you can also draw and edit icons using a tool called IconEdit. IconEdit can be found in the Tools Drawer of Workbench.

Working with Icons:
This section describes the mouse operations that can be done with icons, including selecting, dragging, and copying.

Selecting an Icon:
To work with an icon you must first select it. Once an icon is selected, you can make a copy of it, change its name, or delete it. All icons are surrounded by a box.

When an icon is not selected, the box appears raised above the screen or window surface. When you select an icon, the box appears to sink into the screen or window surface.

Icons also change colour or shape when selected.

For example, drawer icons change from a closed drawer to an open drawer when selected. To select an icon:

  1. Point to the icon, making sure the pointer tip is within the icon's box.
  2. Click the selection button. The icon changes to show that it is selected.
  3. If you click the selection button while the pointer is elsewhere on the screen or window, the icon is deselected and returns to its original appearance.
Selecting Multiple Icons:
You can select several icons at one time. When multiple icons are selected, you can treat them as a single entity, deleting, moving, or copying the entire group in one operation.

The two methods for selecting multiple icons using the mouse are drag selection and extended selection.

Drag selection uses the mouse to draw a box around all of the icons that you wish to select, as follows:

Move the pointer just outside of the outermost icon to be included in the box. That point is one corner of the box.

Make sure it is not on an icon or gadget. Hold down the selection button and move the mouse to place the opposite corner of the box. A dotted outline of the box is shown as you move the pointer.

When the box encloses all the icons to be selected, release the mouse button. All of these icons are now selected.

The extended selection method is for selecting icons that are not in a group that can be enclosed in a box, as follows:

  1. Select the first icon.
  2. Hold down Shift.
  3. While holding down Shift, select each of the other icons.
  4. Release Shift. All of the chosen icons remain selected until you select a different icon or click within a Workbench window while not holding down Shift.
Dragging an Icon:
You can move icons within a window or to another window by dragging them.

To drag an icon:

  1. Point to the icon.
  2. Hold down the selection button and move the mouse. An image of the selected icon moves with the pointer.
  3. Release the selection button when the icon is in position. If you selected several icons, you can drag all of them at once. Hold down Shift, point to one of the icons, hold down the selection button, and move the mouse. All the selected icons move as you move the mouse.
Copy by Dragging:
Copy a drawer, project, or tool to another disk by dragging the icon over the other disk's icon or into the other disk's window.

The original icon stays on the original disk and a copy is created in the destination disk's window.

You cannot make a copy of an icon on the same disk with this method. To copy something onto the same disk, select its icon, and then use the Copy menu item.

You can copy several icons at once using drag selection or extended selection.

When the icons to be copied are selected:

  1. Hold down Shift.
  2. Point to one of the selected icons and then drag it over the other disk's icon or into the other disk's window. As you drag one icon, the rest follow.
  3. Release the selection button to copy the icons.
Note: When drag-copying several icons, be sure the tip of the pointer is over the icon or window to which you are copying when you release the selection button.

Icon Tool Types:
Tool Types specify parameters used by a program.

Tool Types are usually in the form of KEYWORD = argument. Case differences do not matter when entering the information.

Do not use any spaces around the equals sign in a Tool Type entry.

Any changes you make to a program's Tool Types take effect the next time you run the program. Tool Types are found in an icon's Information window.

To use Tool Types:

  1. Select the appropriate icon.
  2. Choose Information from the Icons menu.
  3. When the window appears, you can add, delete, or change Tool Types in the Tool Types field.
For convenience, Workbench programs usually have all their possible Tool Types already entered. The Tool Types that are optional or do not set default values are disabled or commented.

Commented Tool Types are enclosed in parentheses and are ignored when the icon is opened.

All icon programs provide the DONOTWAIT Tool Type. Normally the Workbench waits for one program to finish before it opens the next.

The DONOTWAIT option overrides this delay, which can cause unwanted requesters after booting. DONOTWAIT does not take an argument.

Uncommenting:
Uncomment or make available Tool Types by removing the parentheses. Where there are angle-bracketed parameters in the Tool Type, the parameter and brackets must be replaced with an appropriate value or option.

Changing a Tool Type:

  1. Select the appropriate icon and choose Information from the Icons menu.
  2. Select the Tool Type that you want to change from the list. It is copied to the text gadget below.
  3. Edit the text in the text gadget and press Return.
  4. Select the Save gadget. Be sure to make all your changes before selecting Save because it closes the Information window.
Adding a Tool Type:
  1. Select the appropriate icon and choose Information from the Icons Menu.
  2. Select the New gadget.
  3. Type in the new Tool Type and press Return.
  4. (Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for each additional Tool Type you want to add.)
  5. Select the Save gadget to save the new information. If you do not wish to save your changes, select Cancel or the window's close gadget.
Deleting a Tool Type:
  1. Select the appropriate icon and choose Information from the Icons menu.
  2. Select the Tool Type to be deleted.
  3. Select the DEL gadget.
  4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for each Tool Type you wish to delete.
  5. Select the Save gadget to save the change. If you do not wish to save your changes, select Cancel or the window's close gadget.
Note: Commenting out Tool Types that you do not currently need rather than deleting them makes recalling them easier the next time you need them.

Applcons:
An AppIcon is an icon that is created by an application program. The function of these icons is determined by the application.

For specific information on how a particular AppIcon works, read the documentation that came with the application that uses it.


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