Creating an Action for Multiple Dropped Files

To accept multiple dropped file arguments and execute a command line in the form:

command file 1 file 2 ...

use the syntax:

%Args%

Examples

• This execution string executes a script named Checkout for multiple files:

  EXEC_STRING /usr/local/bin/Checkout \ %Arg_1"Check out what file?"% %Args%

• This execution string executes lp -oraw with multiple files:

  EXEC_STRING lp -oraw %Arg_1"File to print:"% %Args%

Windowing Support and Terminal Emulators for COMMAND Actions

There are several ways that COMMAND actions support windows on the desktop.

• If the application has its own window, the action can be written to provide no additional window support. This option is also used when an action runs a command that requires no direct user input and has no output.

• If the application must run in a terminal emulator window, the action can be written to open a window and then run the application. There are several terminal options.

Specifying the Window Support for the Action

Use the WINDOW_TYPE field to specify the type of windowing support required by the action as shown in Table 12-2.

Table 12-2 WINDOW_TYPE Field and Windowing Support Provided

Specifying Command-Line Options for the Terminal Emulator

Use the TERM_OPTS field in the action definition to specify command-line options for the terminal emulator.

For example, the following action prompts for the execution host:

ACTION OpenTermOnSystemUserChooses
 {
 	WINDOW_TYPE					PERM_TERMINAL
 	EXEC_HOST    				%(String)"Remote terminal on:"%
 	TERM_OPTS    				-title %(String)"Window title:"%
 	EXEC_STRING  				$SHELL
 }

Specifying a Different Default Terminal Emulator

The default terminal emulator used by actions is dtterm. You can change this to another terminal emulator. The default terminal emulator is used when the action does not explicitly specify a terminal emulator to use.

The terminal emulator used by actions must have these command-line options:

• -title window_title

• -e command

  Two resources determine the default terminal emulator used by actions:

• The localTerminal resource specifies the terminal emulator used by local applications.

  *localTerminal: terminal

  For example:

  *localTerminal: xterm

• The remoteTerminal resource specifies the terminal emulator used by remote applications.

  *remoteTerminal: host:terminal [,host:terminal...]

  For example:

  *remoteTerminal: sysibm1:/usr/bin/xterm,syshp2:/usr/bin/yterm

Restricting Actions to Certain Arguments

Restricting an action to a particular type of argument refines the action. For example, you should restrict an action that invokes a viewer for PostScript files to only PostScript file arguments; with the restriction, the action will return an error dialog if a non-PostScript file is specified.

You can restrict actions based on:

• The data type of the file argument.

• The number of file arguments--for example, no arguments versus one or more arguments. This provides different drop and double-click behavior for the action icon.

• The read/write mode of the argument.

Restricting an Action to a Specified Data Type

Use the ARG_TYPE field to specify the data types for which the action is valid. Use the data attribute name.

You can enter a list of data types; separate the entries with commas.

For example, the following action definition assumes a GIF data type has been created.

ACTION Open_Gif
 {
 	TYPE					COMMAND
 	LABEL					"Display Gif"
 	WINDOW_TYPE			NO_STDIO
 	ARG_TYPE				Gif
 	ICON					xgif
 	DESCRIPTION			Displays gif files
 	EXEC_STRING			xgif
 }