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Inside Macintosh: Macintosh Toolbox Essentials /

Chapter 7 - Finder Interface / Using the Finder Interface

Distributing Fonts, Sounds, and Other Movable Resources

If you create fonts, sounds, keyboard layouts, and script system resource collections, you can distribute them in individual, movable resource files.

Movable resources such as fonts, keyboard layouts, and sounds are represented on the screen by icons. To install these resources, the user drags their icons to the System Folder icon. The Finder puts font resources in the Fonts folder, and it puts the other resources
in the System file. The user can determine which fonts are currently installed by double- clicking the System Folder to open it and then double-clicking the Fonts folder. By double-clicking the System file so that it opens like a folder, the user can see which other movable resources are installed. (For a description of the new organization of the System Folder, see "Using the System Folder and Its Related Directories" beginning on page 7-39.)

To make one of these resources visible on the screen, assign it one of the special file types defined by the Finder for movable resources. The following list shows the resources that can be moved, their assigned file types, and their icons:

Resource	File type	Large black- and-white icon
Font	'ffil'	graphics/NewArtNeeded.jpg
Keyboard layout	'kfil'	graphics/NewArtNeeded.jpg
Script system resource collection	'ifil'	graphics/NewArtNeeded.jpg
Sound	'sfil'	graphics/NewArtNeeded.jpg
TrueType font	'tfil'	graphics/NewArtNeeded.jpg

Note

You or your users can give customized icons to these file types (as described in "Creating Customized Document Icons" beginning on page 7-16) as long as the files are not installed in the System file
or in a suitcase file. As soon as users install them in the System file or
in a suitcase file, the Finder displays them using the icons shown in
the previous list. Font and TrueType font movable resources retain
their custom icons when installed in the Fonts folder.

The user can still store fonts (as well as desk accessories) in files that have suitcase icons, which is how they were distributed for installation or saved by the user using the
Font/DA Mover in versions of system software that preceded System 7. A suitcase file that holds desk accessories is of type 'DFIL', and a suitcase file that holds fonts is of type 'FFIL'. All suitcase files have a creator of 'DMOV'.

In your documentation, tell users to install fonts, sounds, or script system resource collections by dragging their icons to the System Folder icon. A dialog box appears asking the user to verify that the resource should be installed in either the Fonts folder
or the System file. The user clicks OK to accept the installation. The user also has the option to click Cancel to prevent the installation.

Note

If users drag icons to the open System Folder window instead of to the System Folder icon, the Finder copies or moves the files into the System Folder directory instead of installing them into either the Fonts folder or the System file.