Glossary
Every concept in DeskDrawer, defined once and properly. Each term has its own page with the full explanation.
Showing all 35
Desktop organizer
A desktop organizer is a utility that groups the icons on a computer's desktop into labelled containers so the desktop stays…
DeskDrawer
DeskDrawer is a lightweight desktop organizer for Windows 10 and 11 that groups desktop icons into transparent boards without…
Board
A board is a transparent, frameless container that DeskDrawer draws on the Windows desktop to hold a group of desktop icons;…
Drawer
Drawer is the everyday name for a DeskDrawer board — the two words refer to the same object, with 'board' used in the…
Board membership
Board membership is DeskDrawer's record of which board a desktop item belongs to; it is stored separately from the file…
Default board
The default board is the board that holds every desktop item not explicitly assigned elsewhere, including anything newly…
Board widget
The board widget is the compact control cluster in a board's bottom-right corner — fold arrow, board name and corner grip —…
Corner grip
The corner grip is the resize handle at the right end of a board's widget; dragging it resizes the board in whole icon-grid…
Folded board
A folded board is a board collapsed to a small square that shows only its name, freeing the screen space its icons occupied…
Board menu
The board menu is DeskDrawer's own icon-only menu, opened by right-clicking a board's name block, containing new board,…
Tray menu
The tray menu is DeskDrawer's application-level menu, opened from its system tray icon, containing new board, fix misplaced…
Shell context menu
The shell context menu is the genuine Windows right-click menu that DeskDrawer shows for items on a board, including Open…
Native icon layer
The native icon layer is the icon view that Windows Explorer draws on the desktop; DeskDrawer hides it while running so that…
View mode
View mode is DeskDrawer's toggle between board view, where boards are shown and the native icon layer is hidden, and desktop…
Sort mode
A sort mode is the per-board rule that determines icon order — manual, name, type, file size or date created, each ascending…
Icon size
Icon size is a per-board setting offering four sizes, which changes how large icons are drawn on that board and therefore how…
Icon grid
The icon grid is the invisible lattice of cells that positions icons inside a board; board sizes snap to it so that no board…
Board outline
The board outline is the optional thin border drawn around a board; with it hidden, a board shows only its icons on the…
Marquee selection
Marquee selection is dragging a selection rectangle from empty board space or bare desktop; in DeskDrawer the rectangle spans…
Drag into folder
Drag into folder is the gesture of dropping a file onto a folder icon shown on a board, which moves the file into that folder…
Shortcut
A shortcut is a small Windows .lnk file that points at another file, folder or program; DeskDrawer treats shortcuts as…
Reparse point
A reparse point is a Windows file-system object — such as a junction or symbolic link — that redirects to another location;…
Cloud placeholder
A cloud placeholder is a file that appears on disk but whose contents live in the cloud until first opened; DeskDrawer reads…
Icon cache
The icon cache is DeskDrawer's in-memory store of already-resolved desktop icons, which lets boards draw immediately on…
config.json
config.json is the single local file in which DeskDrawer stores every board, its icon assignments, geometry and preferences;…
Configuration folder
The configuration folder is the per-user directory holding DeskDrawer's config.json and error.log; it is opened from the tray…
error.log
error.log is a local plain-text file in DeskDrawer's configuration folder recording unexpected internal errors; it is never…
Run at startup
Run at startup is DeskDrawer's option to launch when you sign in, implemented through the official Windows startup-task…
Work area
The work area is the part of a monitor not occupied by the taskbar or other appbars; DeskDrawer keeps boards inside it so a…
Per-monitor DPI awareness
Per-monitor DPI awareness is the Windows display mode in which an application rescales itself correctly when moved between…
Single-file self-contained executable
DeskDrawer ships as one self-contained executable that embeds the .NET runtime it needs, so no framework has to be installed…
MSIX package
MSIX is the Windows application-packaging format DeskDrawer is distributed in through the Microsoft Store, which gives it a…
One-time purchase
DeskDrawer is sold as a one-time purchase: a single payment through the Microsoft Store grants permanent use of the…
Telemetry
Telemetry is automatic transmission of usage or diagnostic data from an application to its developer; DeskDrawer contains…
Portable build
A portable build is a DeskDrawer executable that runs without installation and stores its configuration in…