Chapter 16
Working with Your Window Manager
Overview
This section is written for users not familiar with the Motif and OpenLook window managers and is designed to provide basic information on how to use them.
The Motif Window Manager
Familiar Concepts
The Motif window manager (mwm) works similar to many popular personal computer windowing interfaces, such as Microsoft’s Windows or Apple Computer’s MacOS. Similar features include the following:
- Applications operate within windows.
- You can move, resize, and close most windows.
- You can directly manipulate applications as icons.
- You can directly manipulate documents as icons.
The Desktop
The desktop, or workspace, is the area where all of your windows and icons may appear.
The Mouse
You use the mouse to interact with applications and tools running on your workstation.
Your mouse pointer will often change its appearance to reflect its current function.
Button Layout
The standard mouse features three buttons. Each button performs a specific function. By default, the buttons are labeled Button 1, Button 2, and Button 3 from left to right (the labels can be rearranged).
Mouse Actions
The following actions are used throughout the Communique! documentation:
Point—Move the mouse, changing the position of the arrow pointer to a specified location.
Click—Position the mouse pointer over an object and quickly press and release Button 1.
Double click—Position the mouse pointer over an object and click Button 1 twice in rapid succession.
Press—Hold down Button 1 while the pointer is positioned directly on top of the object to be pressed.
Drag—Press and hold Button 1 on an object; move the mouse without releasing the mouse button.
Cut and Paste Clipping—Cutting and Pasting allows you to grab information in one window and paste it in another. Information on Cutting and Pasting can be found in Chapter 15, "OpenDVE Clipboard," of this guide.
Windows
Windows are the primary component for using applications with the Motif interface. Communique! and many other applications run in a base window and create several pop-up windows. All of these windows are functionally similar.
Menus
Most windows feature one or more menus. These menus are labeled in the menu bar. In addition to these application menus, each window features a Window Menu button, the small square in the upper left corner of every window, which provides access to the standard Motif window management controls.
When you click on a menu button, the menu appears. You can then click on the option you wish to select. Optionally, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to highlight a selection and press the space bar to activate it. If an option has an underlined letter, holding down the Alt key and pressing that letter on the keyboard also selects that option.
Window Menu Options
Restore—restores a window’s original size from an icon or from a maximized, full-screen window
Move—allows you to move the window to a different location on the desktop
Size—enables the Resizing Border, allowing you to change the size of the window
Minimize—iconifies a window
Maximize—enlarges the window so that it occupies the entire desktop display area
Lower—moves a window beneath all other windows on the desktop
Close—terminates an application, causing its window(s) to disappear
The Title Bar
The title bar displays the name of the window and usually identifies the application or function it performs. The Title Bar is located at the top of a window.
The Menu Bar
The Menu Bar displays an application’s menus. The Menu Bar is always located directly beneath the Title Bar.
Active Window
The window you are currently working with is known as the active window. The border of the active window may be highlighted in a different color than the other windows. Depending on how your window manager has been set up, a window may become active when the mouse pointer is positioned over it, or it may require the window to be selected by a mouse click before it becomes active. Windows can always be made active and brought to the top of the desktop by clicking on their title bar.
Moving a Window
You can reposition a window on the desktop by either selecting Move from the Window Menu or by dragging the window around by the Title Bar. The window is represented by a bounding box, an outline of the window, that you position anywhere on the screen. A small box displays the coordinates of the present location as the window moves.
Resizing a Window
You can resize windows in two ways. You can either select the resize option from the window menu or use the resize border handles. The resize border handles are located in the corners of the window. Drag the corner in or out, and a bounding box appears corresponding to your pointer’s movement. A bounding box is simply a line that represents the borders of the newly resized window. A small box displays the size of the proposed window. When you release the mouse button, the window snaps to the selected size.
If you wish to resize in only one direction, position the mouse pointer along any of the window’s edges until the resize icon appears (the resize icon is represented by an arrow touching a perpendicular line). Dragging a border in shrinks the window; dragging it out enlarges it. Some windows resist resizing or require minimum or maximum sizes to preserve their functionality.
Minimizing (Iconifying) Windows
You can shrink windows to small icons on the desktop when you wish to get them out of the way but do not want to exit the application. Later, when you again need access to the application, you can restore the window to its full size. To minimize a window, select Minimize from the Window Menu, or click on the Minimize Window box in the upper right hand corner of the window. An icon representing the window appears at the bottom of the desktop.
Restoring a Window
When you want to access an application window that has been iconified, double-click on the icon.
Scrollbars
The scrollbars allow you to pan the display region of a window to view its contents when the contents are larger than the window’s display space. The raised area of the scrollbar represents the displayed region with respect to the entire region. You can use the mouse to drag the scrollbar to view different portions of the display.
Buttons and Sliders
Many windows feature buttons and sliders. Buttons are activated by clicking them; sliders are activated by dragging them.
The OpenLook Window Manager
Familiar Concepts
The OpenLook window manager (olwm) is functionally similar to many popular personal computer windowing interfaces, such as Microsoft’s Windows or Apple Computer’s MacOS. Some similarities are:
- Applications operate within windows.
- You can move, resize, and close most windows.
- You can directly manipulate applications as icons.
- You can directly manipulate documents as icons.
The Desktop
The desktop, or workspace, is the area where all of your windows and icons appear.
The Mouse
You use the mouse to interact with applications and tools running on your workstation.
Your pointer may change its appearance to reflect the functions it will perform in the active application.
Button Layout
The standard Sun mouse features three buttons. The buttons each perform a specific function. From left to right as you hold the mouse, the buttons are labeled by default as SELECT, ADJUST, and MENU (the labels can be rearranged).
Select—Used to "select" objects on the screen. Selects objects, activates buttons, chooses items, moves icons and windows.
Adjust—Used to increase or decrease the number of items in a selection, or to paste clipped text. With Communique! you will use this button primarily for the text clipping.
Menu—Used to display a menu and to select options from it. Hold the menu button down, then move the mouse until your desired selection is highlighted. Releasing the menu button on an item selects that option.
Mouse Actions
The following actions are used throughout the Communique! documentation:
Point—Move the mouse, changing the position of the arrow pointer to a specified location.
Click—Position the mouse pointer over an object and quickly press and release Button 1.
Double click—Position the mouse pointer over an object and click Button 1 twice in rapid succession.
Press—Hold down Button 1 while the pointer is positioned directly on top of the object to be pressed.
Drag—Press and hold Button 1 on an object; move the mouse without releasing the mouse button.
Drag and Drop—this refers to dragging information between applications or windows. This is accomplished by DRAGGING the information, such as a file’s icon from the file manager, into a drop box or other designated drop site and then releasing the select button to drop it. Drop sites are designated by small recessed squares in the corner of an application. In addition, Communique! allows you to drop many types of objects directly onto the personal icons of conference members.
Cut and Paste Clipping—Cutting and Pasting allows you to grab information in one window and paste it in another. Information on Cutting and Pasting can be found in Chapter 15, "OpenDVE Clipboard," of this guide.
Windows
Windows are the primary component for using applications with the OpenLook interface. Communique! and many other applications run in a base window and create several pop-up windows. All of these windows work the same (for the most part) and have similar features.
Menus
Most windows feature one or more menus. These menus are labeled in the menu bar. In addition to these application menus, each window features a Window Menu button, the small triangle in the upper left corner of every window providing access to the standard OpenLook window management controls.
When you click the left mouse button on a Menu button, the first entry in the menu will be selected. By pressing the right mouse button on a menu button, you can drag the selection bar through the menu and select an entry. Optionally, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to highlight a selection and press the space bar to activate it.
If an option has a small diamond and letter to the right, holding down the diamond key (either key immediately to the left or right of your spacebar) and pressing that letter is a shortcut to that action without accessing the menu.
Window Menu Options
Restore Size—restores a window’s original size from a maximized window
Move—allows you to move the window to a different location on the desktop
Resize—enables the Resizing Border, allowing you to change the size of the window
Close—shrinks a window to an icon on the desktop
Full Size—enlarges the window so that it occupies the entire desktop display area
Back—moves a window beneath all other windows on the desktop
Refresh—repaints the window
Quit—terminates an application, causing its window(s) to disappear
The Title Bar
The title bar displays the name of the window and usually identifies the application or function it performs. The Title Bar is located at the top of a window.
The Menu Bar
The Menu Bar displays an application’s menus. The Menu Bar is always located directly beneath the Title Bar.
Active Window
The window you are currently working with is known as the active window. The active window’s Title Bar may be highlighted indicating its primacy. Depending on how your window manager has been set up, a window may become active when the mouse pointer is positioned over it, or it may require the window to be selected by a mouse click before it becomes active.
Moving a Window
You can reposition a window on the desktop by dragging the window around by the Title Bar. The window is represented by a bounding box, an outline of the window, that you position anywhere on the screen. Alternatively, you can move the window by choosing Move from its Window Menu and using the arrow keys on your keyboard to precisely place the window.
Resizing a Window
You resize windows in a couple of ways. You either select the resize option from the window menu or use the resize border handles. The resize border handles are located in the corners of the window. Drag the corner in or out, and a bounding box appears corresponding to your pointer’s movement. Again, you may also change a window’s size with the Resize menu selection combined with your arrow keys.
Some windows resist resizing or require minimum or maximum sizes to preserve their functionality.
Minimizing (Iconifying) Windows
You can shrink windows to small icons on the desktop when you wish to get them out of the way but do not wish the application to be exited. Later, when you again need access to the application, you can restore the window to its full size. To minimize a window, select Close from the Window Menu. An icon representing the window appears at the bottom of the desktop. You can minimize several windows, and the icons are positioned beside each other.
Restoring a Window
When you want to access an application window that has been iconified, double-click on the icon.
Scrollbars
The scrollbars allow you to pan the display region of a window to view its contents when the contents are larger than the window’s display space. The raised area of the scrollbar represents the displayed region with respect to the entire region. You can use the mouse to drag the scrollbar to view different portions of the display.
Buttons and Sliders
Many windows feature buttons and sliders. Buttons are activated by clicking them; sliders are activated by dragging them.