Integrating Your Application Into the Desktop

Integrating Your Application Into the Desktop

Integrating your application into the desktop is an important step in creating your product. Since your users are already familiar with the appearance and behavior of applications in the desktop environment, you can simplify their use of your application by conforming to this standard. Here are the steps to follow to integrate your application:

Achieve the Indigo Magic look and feel
Create desktop icons for your application
Package your application for installation

Achieving the Indigo Magic Look and Feel

Here are some of the things you want to consider to achieve the Indigo Magic look and feel:

Use schemes--Silicon Graphics includes schemes in its implementation of Xt. Schemes allow you to provide default colors and fonts for your application while also ensuring that users can easily select other colors and fonts according to their individual needs and preferences. If you provide default colors, your application will use the same colors and fonts as other applications on the desktop using default colors.
Use enhanced widgets--IRIS IM provides new and enhanced widgets that are part of the Indigo Magic look and feel. Some of these widgets are the Color Chooser, the Dial, and the Thumbwheel. You can use these widgets by linking to the appropriate library.
Provide window, session, and desk management for your application--Most users of Silicon Graphics systems use 4Dwm, which is based on mwm (the Motif window manager).
Create minimized windows--You can customize the minimized version of your application's window so it's easily recognized when a user clicks the minimize button.

Creating Desktop Icons

When you create icons for your application, perform these tasks:

Draw the icons--Use IconSmith(TM), a tool for drawing desktop icons.
Program the icon--Define the look and behavior of the icons in your application, for example, the actions to be taken if a user double-clicks an icon.
Install the icon in the icon catalog--Use the iconbookedit command to install your icon in the desktop's Icon Catalog.

Packaging Your Application for Installation

Silicon Graphics recommends that you use the software packaging tool Software Packager (swpkg) to package your application for installation. This allows your users to easily install your application using Software Manager (swmgr), Silicon Graphics software installation program.