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Topic       : User Manual for TeraDesk
Author      : Wout Klaren, Henk Robbers, Djordje Vukovic
Version     : February 2017
Subject     : Documentation/Utilities
Nodes       : 87
Index Size  : 2746
HCP-Version : 3
Compiled on : Atari
@charset    : atarist
@lang       : en
@default    : Main
@help       : 
@options    : -i -t4 +z
@width      : 75
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   Contents

index=85
      Conventions and background

3.2  Types of program files                                   TeraDesk

Several types of programs (applications) can be encountered.

The  type  of  a  given  program  depends  on how it is written and is
beyond  your control;  usually  the type of a program  is indicated by
its extension but, be warned, this is not always so.

The types are:

             Type  Usual       Description
                   extensions

        1.   GEM   .PRG, .APP  Program uses GEM and does not require
                               parameters.

        2.   GTP   .GTP        Program   uses   GEM   and   requires
                               parameters;  the GTP extension is not
                               recognised  in older versions  of the
                               built-in desktop.

        3.   TOS   .TOS        Program does not use GEM and does not
                               require parameters.

        4.   TTP   .TTP        Program does not use GEM but requires
                               parameters.

        5.   ACC   .ACC        Accessory program.

Parameters are items of data,  often file names,  that are sent to the
program as you invoke it.

A desktop program recognizes these program types from  their extension
and reacts appropriately when you open them. With TTP and GTP programs
it displays a dialog box in which you can enter command parameters.

While it is possible  to rename program files giving them an extension
that  does  not  properly  reflect  their  type,  this is inadvisable.
Nevertheless  Tera Desktop  will  allow  you  to define  the type of a
program.

Thus,  If  a  GEM  or  TOS type program file is given the .GTP or .TTP
extension, anything you enter  in the parameter dialog box is ignored.
Conversely,  a GTP or TTP type program that has not been provided with
the parameters it expects may not work properly.

See also:  Set applications...  Set program types...  Open...
The program type dialog  The command line dialog