Application and File Type Registries

In order for applications to be useful, users need to be able to find and run them. Users of the GNOME desktop may run applications using the applications menu, or they may run them by accessing files in the file manager. The GNOME desktop allows you to add applications and file types when you install your application. The mechanism for these is specified on freedesktop.org, so the same data will allow your application to function in other desktop environments.

Adding your application is as simple as providing a desktop entry file with the necessary information. Desktop entry files use a simple key-value syntax, with extra provisions for providing translated content of particular values. Your application's desktop entry file will contain the following information:

  • A name and a comment, each translated into as many languages as your application supports,
  • A list of categories from a fixed list, which are used to place your application in the applications menu,
  • An icon, either as a full file path or as a simple name for the icon theme system,
  • Seznam typů podporovaných vaší aplikací a
  • Příkaz spouštějící vaši aplikaci

If your application handles custom file types that are not already known by the system, you will need to add those types to the file type registry. All file types are accessed with MIME types. For example, Ogg Vorbis audio files have the MIME type application/ogg. To add a MIME type, you need to provide a description of the type using a MIME information XML file. These files provide a translated name for the type as well as information on how to determine which files are of the type, either by matching the file name or by inspecting the contents of the file.

For more information on applications, see The Desktop Entry Specification and The Desktop Menu Specification. For more information on file types, see The Shared MIME Info Specification.