Creating Custom Icons for Documents Generated by a Plug-In

Q I developed a plug-in MyPlugIn for an application TheApplication. I'd like to make a special icon for the documents created by this plug-in (which is a TheApplication document).

If I add a BNDL resource in my plug-in, all other plug-ins become MyPlugIn documents. What can I do?

A Since your plug-in is a TheApplication document, you can't add a BNDL resource in it, otherwise you create a conflict with the TheApplication's BNDL.

The only way to construct special icons for the documents your plug-in creates is to use Custom Icons. In each document you create, add an icon family (icl4, icl8, ICN#, ics#, icl4, icl8) with resource ID: -16455. Don't forget to set the HasCustomIcon bit in the document's Finder flags.

You could also add a 'vers' 1 and 2 resource to further help the user identify the documents your plug-in creates.

This way, all plug-ins will still be TheApplication documents, and all the documents your plug-in creates will have a custom icon as well as 'vers' information.

See Also:

For an explanation of customized document icons, see pages 7-17 to 7-18 of Inside Macintosh: Macintosh Toolbox Essentials.

Updated: 3-July-96

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