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Finder Notes: "Get Info" Default & Icon Masks

Technote OV 06 July 1987

Revised by: March 1988
Written by: Bryan Stearns July 1987

The Finder has undergone a couple of changes you should keep in mind when creating the "bundle" information for your application.

Creator String will be the default "Get Info" comment text

The "creator" (or "signature") string (contained in a resource whose type is your application's four-character creator type, and whose ID is 0) will be used as the default for the comment text displayed by the Finder's "Get Info" command. Thus, you should set up this string (when you build your application) to contain the name of your program and a version number and date.

Icon Masks should match their icons

Your application's BNDL ("bundle") resource ties the file types that it uses for its documents with the icons to be displayed for those documents. For each icon, a "mask" icon is also provided; this mask is used to punch a hole in the gray desktop before drawing the icon.

Some applications use a cleverly-modified mask to provide an "action icon" that looks different when it's selected. This causes problems; it is important that the mask be what it's supposed to be (a solid black copy of the icon).

Further Reference:

* M.TB.Bundles

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