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List:       kde-user
Subject:    Re: Adding applications to kpanel
From:       Tim Bird <tbird () bird ! org>
Date:       1998-11-30 15:12:49
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On Sun, Nov 29, 1998 at 12:55:09AM -0800, Jim Osborn wrote:
> I know I can copy that file with a cli in an xterm, but since we're
> in gui mode here, perhaps I could get a quick explanation of how the
> right-mouse copy function works - when I select that menu item, the
> menu simply disappears, and I see no graphical evidence that anything
> was copied - no little icon saying "copy of" a la Mac, or dialog box
> for further interaction.  Where's that copy?

The Copy option on the context menu (the right-click menu) is slightly
misnamed.  It would be more appropriately named "Mark".  No actual
copy of the file(s) is made, until you select Paste from the context
menu of a directory, or the Desktop.  The documentation says that
the files are copied to the clipboard, but it would be more accurate
to say that a _reference_ to the files is put in the clipboard, and
the copy actually occurs on the Past operation.

> Immensely!  I take it that dragging an icon from the Templates folder
> to the desktop icon panel at the bottom of the screen doesn't make a
> copy of the thing in the Templates folder, which can be edited to new
> properties.  But rather, all the things on the desktop have their
> "parent" in the Templates folder and those parents stay in Templates,
> and get their properties edited there, before getting dragged to
> the desktop panel?

That's basically correct.  The Panel isn't a directory that actually
holds files.  Instead, in the kpanelrc file (somewhere under
$(HOME)/.kde/share/apps, I think), references are stored to the actual
kdelnk files that define the programs on the Panel.  The apparent
intention was that Panel should consist of some subset of items that are
on the applications starter menu.  These items are located in the
personal or system applnk directory.

As a design decision, this has its plusses and minuses.  Although I
haven't tested it, I believe you can causes problems for the Panel by
removing a kdelnk file it refers to.  Since there's no indication that
a kdelnk file is being used by the Panel, this can potentially lead to
confusing situations, where the user doesn't know how he broke something.
On the other hand, you want to avoid a proliferation of kdelnk files.
When you change the properties of an item on the Panel, you probably want
to change the properties of the application on the menu also.  If there
were two sets of kdelnk files, this would lead to all kinds of confusing
behaviours, trying to keep the two in sync.

You definitely don't want to drag something straight from Templates to
the Panel, because if you ever edit the properties of that Template object
again, it will change the behavior of the item on the Panel.  First make
a copy of the item in the Templates directory (either by dragging or by 
selecting New on the Desktop or file manager context menu).  Then change
the attributes of the copy, then drag it to the Panel.

Tim Bird

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