I am experimenting with folder views, and I noticed some (minor) discrepancies between what I observe and what is shown in the tutorial http://blip.tv/file/1638324/.

More precisely, I am trying to add an application icon to a folder view. I select an application in the KDE menu, drag its icon to my folder view, and drop it there. I am given two choices:
- copy: the application icon is then added to the folder view, with an small red exclamation mark in the lower right corner, suggesting an error. If I then click on the icon, I am asked to confirm the launch, after which the application is actually launched and the small exclamation mark disappears from the icon,
- link: a shortcut icon is then created, no exclamation mark, but a small arrow that indicates that it is a shortcut. If I click on it, no confirmation required.

My questions:
- the behaviour I describe above seems to be different from what is shown in the tutorial: is this expected? (I understand the tutorial may be out of date),
- what does this red exclamation mark mean?
- why two different behaviour between copy and link, i.e. confirmation required in the former case, and not in the latter?
- in both cases, the icon is labelled <application>.desktop, instead of just <application> as shown in the tutorial. I understand I can just rename the icon, but why is this different from what is shown in the tutorial?

Hm, did you link to the wrong page, or are you a clever spambot?

- what does this red exclamation mark mean?

It means that the desktop file hasn't been set to executable and could potentially be dangerous, e.g. if someone sent it to you in an email. More information here, for example.

- why two different behaviour between copy and link, i.e. confirmation required in the former case, and not in the latter?

In the latter case you create a symlink to the original *.desktop file, which is already set as executable.

- in both cases, the icon is labelled <application>.desktop, instead of just <application> as shown in the tutorial. I understand I can just rename the icon, but why is this different from what is shown in the tutorial?

Don't know about this one.

Thanks, I was not aware of these security issues.
(Sorry for the wrong URL, I fixed it...)

The easiest way to add anything to Folder View is not to drag it to the Folder View but to drag it to the folder at which Folder View points; it you have Folder View set to default, that is the Desktop folder; otherwise, it is the folder you have specified in the Folder View settings. Folder view is simply a widget than allows you to view a single folder.

I find it extremely helpful when I am attending a meeting or giving a presentation; I link it to the folder which holds all the files relating to the meeting or presentation so that they are all instantly available on my desktop during the meeting/presentation.

john_hudson wrote:The easiest way to add anything to Folder View is not to drag it to the Folder View but to drag it to the folder at which Folder View points

How is it different from dragging directly to Folder View?

In theory it should not be different because the folder view is effectively just a link but my experience has been that the action of dragging to the folder view has not always been interpreted as one would expect.

I admit that I encountered this problem on earlier versions of KDE4 when I found that dragging directly the folder avoided such confusions. Possibly the more recent versions have solved the problem.