Any user of the operating system,regardless of its origin, knows that on the workspace or in the Quick Launch panels icons (icons) corresponding to some programs or objects can be located. Each such icon is called "Label". This, by the way, is not just an icon, but a means of quick access to certain actions in the form of launching programs, opening files or Internet pages. Next, let us dwell on the concept of labels in more detail.
A shortcut in Windows: what is it?
Let's start with the simplest.In general, it is a mistake to consider a shortcut to Windows or any other operating system as a picture with the logo of a certain program or an object being opened. In the Russian version, all such icons are called labels, but English terms may vary.

For example, for Windows in English translationa shortcut is a shortcut, in Linux - freedesktop, in a Mac - or shortcut, or alias. Despite the different names, the purpose of all the labels is the same - to communicate with objects that need to be opened or launched without searching for the file to which it is attached, in various menus, file managers or browsers.
In addition, like any other object in the system,A shortcut is a file that has a size of 10 to 100 bytes, which does not take up much space, but contains information about the location of the file, folder, or resource that it refers to.
Types of labels
If we consider the main types of shortcuts for Windows-based systems, we can distinguish three main groups:
- shortcuts that refer to files (including executables) and folders, have the extension .lnk;
- The labels for the MS-DOS environment are defined by the .pif extension;
- shortcuts related to online resources use the extension .url.
It is impossible to determine the type of the label visually, because by default the extension is hidden in Windows. To display it, you will have to disable hiding extensions for registered file types.
Launch shortcuts
In Windows settings, opening or launching any object by using a shortcut is done through a double click, in fact, as for any other file or directory.
Depending on which objectrefers to a shortcut, one or more sequential actions will be performed. So, for example, if the shortcut corresponds to the executable file of the program, the application will start. In the case of links to directories, individual files or web pages, the main program (office or other editor, "Explorer", web browser) will be launched first, after which the application itself will open the required file or link.
References to objects
As you can see, a shortcut is a means of quickly accessing a specific object, no matter where it is located on a hard disk or on the Internet.

As already mentioned, communication is carried out throughreference to the location of the object being opened. You can check it using the PKM menu on the shortcut with the selection of the property line. In the window on the tab that appears, you can see what type of object the shortcut is associated with, the full path to the file or Internet resource, using the special button, find out the location of the file on the hard disk, if necessary, install a quick start immediately on behalf of the administrator,

Typically, in Windows, creating shortcutsis carried out through the PCM menu on the file with sending to the "Desktop". After that, the shortcut can be dragged, for example, into the panel for quick launch. But that's interesting. Creating shortcuts allows you to add custom programs to the system's startup. To do this, the shortcut from the "Desktop" is simply copied to the corresponding system folder. Sometimes such actions are the simplest solution, when it is impossible to automatically start the desired application with the usual operating system.
For pages on the Internet, you do not have to copy the address. It's enough just to highlight it and drag it to the desired location when the left mouse button is pressed. But the browser window will have to be reduced.
Unfortunately, many inexperienced usersquite often make gross mistakes. Often, when they copy to removable media only shortcuts without the main objects. For example, on the "Desktop" there is a shortcut for the movie, which is stored in user documents. The user directly from the "Desktop" copies, as it seems to him, the whole movie and is happy that he takes up so little space, forgetting that this is just a link to the main file. Naturally, then on another computer nothing is opened, because the attached file is missing.
The same can be said about deleting objects. If the same program file on the hard drive is missing, the shortcut will not work. Usually he even the icon is replaced by an ordinary white square.
Labels in other operating systems
Now, briefly about the shortcuts in other operating systems. In Linux, they are created in a KDE or GNOME environment using a text file and have a .desktop extension.

Functionality here is much higher, becauseyou can not only arbitrarily change the name, but also add special comments (for example, about what the intended application is intended for, when it is used, etc.).
On Mac shortcuts are complete analogsWindows-objects, but if desired, the user can be created in any location, not only on the "Desktop". By the way, it is Apple that is the founder of the use of shortcuts for quick access to the right objects.
Android also has shortcuts in the workspace, but it's impossible to change them or delete them without uninstalling the main application without special tools.