The Actions and Filetype Database

Database files. Actions and filetypes are defined in a database that consists of a collection of files. The files must:

Have file names name.vf.
Be located in directories along the specified search path.

Action icons and toolboxes. Actions are represented visually by action icons. An action icon is simply an executable file with the same name as the action. The contents of the file doesn't matter—the file can be empty.

Action icons can be placed in any directory. However, special directories, called toolboxes, are designed to act as a central, known location.

The default toolboxes are:

Personal Toolbox.
General Toolbox.
Network Toolbox.

Figure 19-3 Use the Tools control and Toolboxes subpanel to display the three toolboxes.

File Manager navigation within a toolbox is restricted to subdirectories of the toolbox.

The local database directories

The database is created from definitions in these directories.

/HomeDirectory/.vue/types, the personal database.
/etc/vue/config/types, the general database.
/usr/vue/types, the built-in general database. These files may be overwritten by subsequent updates.

Subdirectories of these directories are used for language-dependent definitions.

Precedence in the database. Where duplicate definitions exists, the definition read first is used.

Personal definitions are read before general definitions. Built-in definitions are read last.
Within a given directory, the .vf files are read in alphabetical order.

Example. The following list shows the order in which a hypothetical database would be read.

   1.  /HomeDirectory/.vue/types/user-prefs.vf

   2.  /HomeDirectory/.vue/types/vue.vf

   3.  /etc/vue/config/types/print.vf

   4.  /etc/vue/config/types/vue.vf

   5.  /usr/vue/types/laserrom.vf

See Also.

“Localizing actions and filetypes” describes the location for local-language action and filetype definitions.

The location of the toolboxes

The toolboxes are special directories:

Personal Toolbox: /HomeDirectory/.vue/types/tools.
General Toolbox: /etc/vue/config/types/tools.
Network Toolbox: /etc/vue/config/imports. The imports directory contains directory links to directories /etc/vue/config/export/tools on other systems.

You can add an action icon to a toolbox from the command line by creating an executable file with the action name in the toolbox directory. (You must be superuser to write to subdirectories of /etc/vue.)

See Also.

“To add a host to the Network Toolbox” describes how to configure the Network Toolbox.

To add an action to a toolbox

If the action was defined using the Create Action utility, the action icon is automatically created. You can copy the icon to other directories.
If the action was defined by editing a database file:
1. Create a file named Action_name in the toolbox.
2. Make the file executable.

Superuser permission is required to write to the system-wide database and General Toolbox.

You can also create the action icon directly in the toolbox directory—for example, by creating an executable file in /HomeDirectory/.vue/types/tools.

To reload the database

Open the System_Admin subdirectory of the General Toolbox and double-click ReloadActions.
Or, log out and back in.

You must reread the database after you've manually edited the database. (The Create Action utility automatically rereads the database.)

The Actions and Filetype Database

Technical documentation

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The local database directories

The location of the toolboxes

To add an action to a toolbox

To reload the database