Inside Macintosh: Macintosh Toolbox Essentials /

Chapter 7 - Finder Interface

The Finder is an application that works with the system software to keep track of files and manage the user's desktop display. This chapter describes the programming interface your application should use to interact with the Finder.

To use this chapter, you should be familiar with the Resource Manager. See the chapter "Introduction to the Macintosh Toolbox" in this book for general information about resources; detailed information about the Resource Manager and its routines is provided in the chapter "Resource Manager" in Inside Macintosh: More Macintosh Toolbox. Virtually all software intended for Macintosh computers must use the Finder-related resources described in this chapter.

Read this chapter to learn how to

• set up the resources the Finder needs to display and start up your application
• set up the resources the Finder uses to display information about other files related to your application
• check or change Finder-related information stored in a volume's catalog file
• support stationery pads
• use the directories generally organized within the System Folder

This chapter does not explain how to use Apple events to communicate with the Finder. When a user opens or prints a file from the Finder, the Finder sends information to your application so that it can open or print the file. In System 7, applications that support high-level events receive this information through the required Apple events.

Refer to Inside Macintosh: Interapplication Communication for instructions on how
your application should respond to these required Apple events that the Finder sends
to your application: Open Application, Open Documents, Print Documents, and Quit Application. In addition, your application can use another set of Apple events--called Finder events--to request services from the Finder. For example, your application can ask the Finder to perform such operations as launching another application on your behalf. Refer to Inside Macintosh: Interapplication Communication for more details.

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Chapter Contents

Introduction to the Finder Interface

About the Finder Interface

Using the Finder Interface

Giving a Signature to Your Application and a Creator and a File Type to Your Documents

Creating Icons for the Finder

Creating Customized Document Icons

Creating File Reference Resources

Creating a Bundle Resource

How and When the Finder Launches Your Application

Displaying Messages When the Finder Can't Find Your Application

Providing Version Resources

Using Finder Information in the Catalog File

Supporting Stationery Pads

Distributing Fonts, Sounds, and Other Movable Resources

Providing Balloon Help for Nondocument Icons

Using Aliases

Using the System Folder and Its Related Directories

The Desktop Database

Finder Interface Reference

Data Structures

File Information Record

Extended File Information Record

Directory Information Record

Extended Directory Information Record

Routines

Resolving Alias Files

Finding Directories

Resources

The Signature Resource

The Icon List Resource

The Small Icon List Resource

The Large 4-Bit Color Icon Resource

The Small 4-Bit Color Icon Resource

The Large 8-Bit Color Icon Resource

The Small 8-Bit Color Icon Resource

The Icon Resource

The Color Icon Resource

The File Reference Resource

The Bundle Resource

The Missing-Application Name String

The Application-Missing Message String

The Version Resource

Summary of the Finder Interface

Pascal Summary

Constants

Data Types

Routines

C Summary

Constants

Data Types

Routines

Assembly-Language Summary

Data Structures

Result Codes