3 Using the Front Panel

The Front Panel is the horizontal display located at the bottom of your workspace. It displays the controls (or tools) that you use to start applications, manage tasks in a desktop session, or change workspaces. Each control is represented by an icon that indicates its purpose.

This chapter provides descriptions of the controls available by default on the Front Panel and discusses how to use subpanels and workspaces.

3.1 Touring the Front Panel

By default, the Front Panel provides several controls that you can use to manage your desktop sessions. Some controls, such as the Clock, are indicators only. Indicators do not perform actions. Others, such as the Mail control, perform actions. That is, you can use mail to send and receive messages.

The controls available on the Front Panel are described in Table 3-1. For detailed information on the use of each tool, see the Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

Table 3-1: Front Panel Controls

Application	Use of Application
Clock	Displays the time of day in analog format. Clicking on this control does not perform an action.
Calendar	Displays the current month and day. Use this application to schedule appointments and To Do Items, set reminders, browse other calendars, and schedule group appointments. Dropping an appointment file on the Calendar control adds the appointment to your calendar database.
File Manager	Provides a view of directories (folders) and files. Dropping a directory on the File Manager control opens a view of that directory.
Text Editor	Opens a Text Editor window where you can create letters or notes. Dropping a file on the Text Editor icon opens that file in a Text Editor window.
Mailer	Starts the Mailer application. Use this application to send, receive, save, and forward mail messages. Dropping a file on this control displays the contents of the file in a New Message window.
Lock	Pauses a session indefinitely. Pausing a session locks the workstation display, but applications continue to run. To resume a session, enter your password.
Workspace Switches	Changes workspaces. Use this switch to move to different work areas. There are four workspaces by default.
Busy Light	Indicates that an action is being performed. For example, when you start an application, the light blinks. Once the call to the application is complete, the busy light stops blinking. Clicking on this icon does not produce an action.
Printer	Displays the status of the default printer. Dropping a file on the Printer icon, prints that file on the default printer.
Exit	Starts the logout process for a session.
Style Manager	Opens the Style Manager application. Use this application to change the characteristics of your environment.
Application Manager	Starts the Application Manager, which is a container for applications and other tools available on your system.
Help Manager	Displays the top level of available online help information. Dropping a master help volume file (`*.sdl`) onto the Help Manager opens a help viewer window and displays the contents of that volume.
Trash Can	Opens the Trash Can application. Use this application to delete files. Dropping a file on the Trash Can control moves the file to a discard directory.

3.2 Using Front Panel Menus and Workspaces

A view of the Front Panel shows that some controls by default have arrows above them. Arrows indicate that a subpanel is available. A subpanel is a menu that provides access to other controls which you can use to manage your desktop session. For more information on subpanels, see Section 3.2.1.

All controls on the Front Panel have a pop-up menu. Usually, pop-up menus contain a control that you can use to add or remove a subpanel, and a control to view an online help volume. Controls, that perform actions, such as the Text Editor, also provide a control on the pop-up menu that you can use to start that action from the menu. See Table 2-2 for general information on using menus.

To manage workspaces, you can use the Workspace Menu. The workspace menu is a pop-up menu, which you can use to manage windows, the Front Panel, and more. See Section 3.2.2 and Section 3.2.3 for more information.

3.2.1 Using Subpanel Menus

Subpanel menus provide you further access to other tools and controls for the Front Panel. Each subpanel on the Front Panel also provides an Install Icon, which you can use to add other tools to the subpanel.

By default, there are three subpanels available from the Front Panel. They are the Personal Applications, Personal Printer, and Help Manager subpanels. To open a subpanel, point to a control icon that has an arrow above it, then click on mouse button 1.

The following sections discuss the default subpanels. For more information on using and customizing the subpanels, see the Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide.

3.2.1.1 Personal Applications Subpanel

The Personal Applications subpanel contains applications that you use frequently. It is located above the Text Editor control on the Front Panel. The menu items available on this subpanel include:

Install icon
Use this control to add items to the Personal Applications subpanel. To add an item, drag an icon from the File Manager or Application Manager onto the Install Icon, then release. The item is then added to the subpanel.
Text Editor
Use this control to create text files such as notes and messages. This control is a duplicate of the Text Editor control available on the Front Panel.
Terminal
Use this control to start the terminal emulator, dtterm, which emulates that portion of a VT220 terminal that is consistent with ANSI and ISO standards. By using the terminal emulator, you can enter operating system commands, UNIX commands, copy and paste text, or communicate with remote systems.
Note
In certain locales, the DECwindows Motif terminal emulator dxterm is available on this subpanel instead of dtterm. See Chapter 9 for more information.
Icon Editor
Use this control to create or modify either bitmap or pixmap image files. Icons can be dropped onto the Icon Editor and used as a base for creating a new image.

3.2.1.2 Personal Printers Subpanel

The Personal Printers subpanel lists default printers. It is located above the Printer control on the Front Panel. The menu items include:

Install icon
Use this control to add items such as other printers to the Personal Printers subpanel. To add an item, drag an icon from the File Manager or Application Manager onto the Install Icon, then release. The item is then added to the subpanel.
Default Printer
Use this control to display the status of print jobs on the default printer. If you drag and drop a file on this menu item, the job is printed on the default printer or a printer of your choice.
Print Manager
Use this control to obtain a view of available printers on the system. This control is the same as the Print Manager control on the Front Panel.

3.2.1.3 Help Subpanel

The Help Manager subpanel lists other available help volumes. It is located above the Help Manager control on the Front Panel. The menu items include:

Install icon
Use this control to add items to the Help Manager subpanel. To add an item, drag an icon from the File Manager or Application Manager onto the Install Icon, then release. The item is then added to the subpanel.
Help Manager
Use this control to display the top level of help information. This control is the same as the Help Manager control on the Front Panel.
Desktop Introduction
Use this control to display the introductory help volume for the desktop.
Front Panel Help
Use this control to display help for the Front Panel.
On Item Help
Use this control to obtain on-item help for controls in the Front Panel. To obtain on-item help, click on the On Item Help control. The pointer turns into a question mark (?). Position this question mark over an object on the Front Panel, then release. Help is then displayed for that object.

3.2.2 Using Workspaces

Workspaces offer you a method of organizing your work into categories. To move between workspaces, you use the workspace switch available on the Front Panel. By default, the workspace switch has four buttons, labeled one through four. To move between workspaces, click on one of the workspace buttons.

Each workspace offers you a view of the Front Panel. Thus, you can easily locate applications and tailor each workspace to suit your needs. Often it is useful to rename a workspace. To rename a workspace:

Click on the workspace button that you want to change. The workspace selected is displayed.
Click on the workspace button again. This changes the button to an input text field.
Enter the new name in the text field and then press the Return key.

You can also use the workspace button pop-up menu to rename, add, or remove workspaces. To use the workspace button pop-up menu:

Point to the workspace button that you want to change and press mouse button 3.
Choose the option you want from the pop-up menu.

If you add a workspace, it is labeled New. You can rename the workspace using either of the previous methods.

If you remove a workspace that contains windows, the windows are moved to the next workspace. If it is the last workspace and it has windows, removing the workspace causes all windows to be moved to the first workspace (labeled one by default).

3.2.3 Using the Workspace Menu

CDE provides a Workspace menu. The Workspace menu is a pop-up menu that contains items for managing each of your workspaces. To open the Workspace menu, point to any blank area on your screen, then click on mouse button 3. Use the Workspace menu to:

Manipulate the location of windows
Refresh the display
Minimize or restore the Front Panel
Restart the Window Manager (if you customized configuration files)
Move objects between workspaces
Log out of the session

You can customize the Workspace menu by adding or removing items as you choose. See the Common Desktop Environment: User's Guide for more information.