YAD icons dialog

Back to YAD Guide

1. Yad icons Dialog

Display a box with all of the installed desktop applications

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480

Figure 1. Icon dialog

1.1. --read-dir=PATH

Read data from .desktop files in specified directory

1.2. --monitor

Watch for changes in directory and automatically update content of iconbox.

1.3. --generic

Use field GenericName instead of Name for shortcut label.

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480 --item-width=100 --generic

Figure 2. Icons dialog with --generic

1.4. --sort-by-name

Use field Name instead of filename for sorting items.

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480 \
  --item-width=100 --sort-by-name

Figure 3. Icons sorted by name

1.5. --descend

Sort items in descending order.
If data reads from stdin this option is useless without --sort-by-name.

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480 \
  --item-width=100 --descend

Figure 4. Icons sorted in descending order

1.6. --listen

Read data from stdin.
Data must be in order - Name, Tooltip, Icon, Command, InTerm separated by newline. InTerm is a case insensitive boolean constant (TRUE or FALSE). Sending FormFeed character clears iconbox.

1.7. --item-width

Set the width of dialog items.

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480 --item-width=100

Figure 5. Icons dialog with --items-width set to 100

1.8. --icon-size=SIZE

Force using specified icon size

As you maby noticed in the earlier screenshoots some icns where very big, this can be fixed with the --icon-size option.

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480 \
  --item-width=100 --icon-size=48

Figure 6. Icons dialog with --icon-size set to 48

1.9. --compact

Use compact mode.
Icon and name of each item is placed in a single row.

Command

yad --icons \
  --read-dir=/usr/share/applications \
  --width=600 --height=480 --compact

Figure 7. Icons dialog in compact mode

1.10. --single-click

Activate items by single mouse click.
This option may not works properly in case of compact mode.

1.11. --term=PATTERN

Pattern for terminal.
By default use `xterm -e %s' where %s is replaced by the command.