Shortcuts are very commonly placed on a desktop, in an application launcher panel such as the Microsoft Windows Start menu, or in the main menu of a desktop environment. The shortcut might additionally specify parameters to be passed to the target program when it is run.
Shortcuts are typically implemented as a small file containing a target URI or GUID to an object, or the name of a target program file that the shortcut represents. Similarly, an Internet shortcut allows the user to open a page, file or resource located at a remote Internet location or Web site. In computing, a file shortcut is a handle in a user interface that allows the user to find a file or resource located in a different directory or folder from the place where the shortcut is located.
