DesktopX 2.4 Developer’s Guide
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2.3 Object Types
To change the object type, click the 'Change' button next to where it says 'Type of object' in the
‘Object properties’ dialogue.
This will present you with a list of the other basic object types you can use without having to
even consider plugins or script.
Once a type is defined, the activity associated with that object type will occur when an object is
clicked, though the object's ‘Start with’ parameter can be changed to alter when this occurs.
Doing this is sensible as you can’t be sure what the default activation action is defined by the
user. More on this later.
We will go through each of these items in turn and explain how to use them. I encourage you to
try them out as you go and experiment with the functionality on offer. This is the best way to
learn.
Different object types will have a range of options. For a layer, you can choose to make it
'Accept Drag & Drop'.
Layer
The default type of object created is a 'Layer'. A layer object doesn't interact with the user in any
way. There are several reasons why you may want objects of this type. It may be a text label
proving information to the user, or it may just be a graphic enhancing the visual experience for
the user.
Normally, you can drag files from applications (e.g. Explorer) onto the desktop to create a
DesktopX object which links to that file. If you select this option for a layer, it means that if you
drag a file on top of it, it becomes ‘Contained’ within that object and moves when the ‘Parent’
object moves.
