Integrating Applications on the Sun Desktop

Abstract

Desktop integration is the name given to a suite of technologies that allow seamless cooperation and interoperability between applications on the desktop. Desktop integration allows the following:

• Users can select data from one application, and drop it into a different application without regard to format.

• A data object on the desktop can be dragged to the Print Tool where it will be printed in the appropriate format.

• A user can attach an icon representing a desktop publishing file to a mail message. The message receiver could then open the document into the desktop publishing application by simply double-clicking the icon.

• Groupware. Applications can be developed that allow several people to work simultaneously on a document or program while the system automatically performs the various housekeeping chores such as updating files on the fly and informing other users of file changes.