Zeus Tech Note
Shortcuts, Icons, PIFs and Aliases

It is often convenient to have a placeholder which refers to a file elsewhere on your system.

On Macintosh, the placeholders is called an alias, and under Windows 95, it is called a shortcut. Windows 3.1 did not support shortcuts, but it did use Program Group Icons to refer to Windows applications, and PIF files to refer to DOS applications. Throughout this technote, the term "shortcut" is often used in the generic sense to refer to these placeholder files. Do not confuse these "pointer files" with the term "keyboard shortcut" which refers to keystrokes that quickly perform an operation without requiring you to use the menu system.

Shortcuts offer the following advantages:

• A shortcut on the desktop, for example, makes it easy to access a file buried in some other folder. You can even create multiple shortcuts to a single file for easy access from various places.
  
  
• Shortcuts are small, so they require less disk space than a separate copy would.
  
  
• If the original file changes, the shortcuts pointing to it will remain up to date.
  
  
  
• A shortcut can have a different name than the original file, making it easier to remember or find.
  
  
• Shortcuts can point to removable media, such a CDs
  
  
• Shortcuts can point to folders
  
  
  
• Shortcuts can point to printers or other computers on a network.

Macintosh Aliases

• Hilight one or more files, folders or drives in the Finder, and then choose "Make Alias" from the File menu.
  
  
• In recent versions of the Mac OS, the Command-M keyboard shortcut will create an alias of the hilighted item(s)
  
  
• When you use an item, the Mac OS automatically creates aliases to the most recent documents, applications and servers you have used for easy access. These are shown under the Apple Menu (the Apple icon at the leftmost edge of the mnue bar). The number of items remembered is set in the "Apple Menu Options" Control Panel.

1. Hilight the alias in the Finder
2. Choosing "Get Info" from the File Menu (or Command-I).
3. Hit the "Find Original" button in the File Info dialog box

• You can move the alias and it will still point to the original item.
  
  
• You can move or rename the original item and it will still be pointed to by the alias. The is not true of shortcuts under Windows.
  
  
• Some operations do not function properly with aliases. For example, Director's Lingo open command will not open a program via it's alias.
  
  
• You can not edit a Macintosh alias. If you want to change the file it points to, you must delete the alias and create a new one
  
  
• If you attempt to access an item that no longer exists (such as a deleted file or a CD that has been removed), you will get the error message "The alias could not be opened because the original item could not be found." If you attempt to The alias "Drive X" could not be opened because the shared disk "Drive F" could not be found on the network.
  
  
• You can add an item to the Apple Menu by placing its alias (or the original) in the "Apple Menu Items" folder within the System Folder
  
  
• You can create an alias to an alias, but if the intervening alias is deleted, the secondary alias will not be able to find the original item. It is best to create all aliases directly to the original item.

Windows 95 Shortcuts

• Hilight a file in the File Explorer, and then choosing "Create Shortcut" from the File menu. In recent versions of the Mac OS, the Command-M keyboard shortcut will create an alias.
  
  
• Click and drag a file with the right mouse button. Choose "Create Shortcut(s) Here" from the pop-up menu that appears.
  
  
• Click on the desktop with the right mouse button. Choose "New....Shortcut" from the pop-up menu . You will need to enter information about the shortcut in the "Create Shortcut" dialog that appears.
  
  
• Dragging an item with the left mouse button will automatically create a shortcut in the destination folder in some cases. If you attempt to move a large executable file with the left mouse button it will create a sho
• You can move the shortcut and it will still point to the original item.
  
  
• You can move the original and it will still be pointed to by the alias
  
  
• Some programs do not function properly with aliases. For example, the Lingo open command will not open a program via it's alias.
  
  
• You can not edit a Macintosh alias. If you want to change the file it points to, you must delete the alias and create a new one
  
  
• If you delete the original file, or if the original is not available (as in the case of an alias to a CD), and try to access it via that alias, you will get the error message "The alias could not be opened because the original item could not be found."
  
  
• The alias "Drive X" could not be opened because the shared disk "Drive F" could not be found on the network.
  
  
• You can add an item to the Apple Menu by placing its alias (or the original) in the "Apple Menu Items" folder within the System Folder
  
  
• The Apple Menu creates aliases to the most recent documents, applications and servers you have used for easy access. The number of items remembered is set in the "Apple Menu Options" Control Panel.

1. Hilight the DOS executable in the File Explorer window
2. Select "Properties..." from the File menu
3. File in the necessary values under the various "tabs" that appear in the Properties dialog box. Most notably, you may need to set the working directory under the "General" tab.
4. Click OK to save the values you entered

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(This document last revised June 17, 1997)