The Front Panel is a special desktop window that contains a set of controls for doing common tasks. The Front Panel moves with you as you switch workspaces. The two main elements of the Front Panel are the Main Panel and the subpanels. The Main Panel includes the workspace switch. The Main Panel is the horizontal window at the bottom of the display. It contains a number of controls you use often, including the workspace switch workspace switch, which contains buttons for changing to other workspaces. Many of the controls in the Front Panel start applications when you click them—for example, the File Manager and Style Manager controls. Front Paneldrop zones Some controls are drop zones—for example, the Printer and Trash Can controls. You can drag a file from File Manager or Application Manager to the control. Certain controls, such as the clock and busy light, are indicator controls indicators that tell you something about the state of your system. Other controls have a dual purpose; for example, the Calendar and Mailer controls are both indicators (showing today's date and the arrival of new mail, respectively) and buttons for starting applications. If a control in the Main Panel has an arrow button on top of it, then that control has a subpanel. Subpanels always contain: Install IconcontrolAn Install Icon control. Use this control to customize the subpanel. A labelled copy of the control in the Main Panel. The workspace switch contains the buttons you use to change from one workspace to another. The workspace switch also contains several controls. Each workspace occupies the entire display, as though your display has several layers. Workspaces multiply the amount of display area available for windows. This section covers basic skills for using Front Panel controls and subpanels. Click or double-click the control. Some controls do not have a click action—for example, the Clock control and the busy light. openingsubpanels Controls that have subpanels have an arrow button on top of the control.subpanelsdisplaying displayingsubpanels Click the arrow button above the control. closingsubpanels The subpanel closes automatically when you choose a control unless you have moved the subpanel from its original location. Click the arrow control for the subpanel. Or, double-click the window button in the upper left corner of the subpanel pop-up menusFront Panel displayingFront Panel pop-up menusEach control in the Front Panel has a pop-up menu. The menu is different for each control. Point to the control. Press and hold down mouse button 3. The contents of the pop-up menu depend on the behavior of the control and its location. If the control starts an application, the first entry in the menu is a command that starts the application. Choosing the menu item has the same effect as clicking the control. In addition, the pop-up menu may contain these items: Add Subpanel Adds a subpanel to the control Delete Subpanel Removes the subpanel and its contents Help Displays On Item help for the control The switch area is the portion of the workspace switch not occupied by other controls or workspace buttons. workspace switchswitch area ofThe switch area pop-up menu contains these items: Add Workspace Adds a workspace and creates a workspace button in the workspace switch Help Displays help for the workspace switch Use the workspace buttons to change workspaces. Each button has its own menu. The workspace button pop-up menu includes these items: Add Workspace Adds a workspace to your list of workspaces Delete Deletes the workspace workspaces renamingrenaming workspacesRename Changes the button into a text field for editing the name workspace switchhelp forHelp Displays help for the workspace switch The pop-up menus for subpanels include a command for making the control the current Main Panel control. pop-up menusfor subpanelsThe pop-up menu for subpanel controls includes these items: Copy to Main PanelMain Panelmoving subpanel control to Duplicates the control in the Main Panel, replacing the current Main Panel control controls deletingdeleting controls from subpanelsDelete Deletes the control from the subpanel Help Displays On Item help for the control You can get help on: Individual controls Using and configuring the Front Panel Choose Help from the control's pop-up menu. Or: Display the Information Manager subpanel. Click the On Item Help control. The pointer changes shape. Click the control for which you want help. Display the Information Manager subpanel. Click the Front Panel Help control. This displays the Help Viewer and Front Panel help volume. Subpanels are moved like other windows—by dragging the title bar. movingsubpanels movingFront Panel The Main Panel is moved using its move handles. Minimizing the Front Panel turns it into an icon.minimizingFront Panel Click the Front Panel's minimize button. The Front Panel window icon is labeled with the workspace name. This section introduces the contents of the Main Panel and the subpanels: Personal Applications subpanel Personal Printers subpanel Information Manager subpanel Your Front Panel may be customized with different or additional controls. The Main Panel is the horizontal window at the bottom of the display describes the Main Panel controls. Name Click Behavior Drop Behavior Indicator Behavior Clock control Clock None None Current time of day Calendar controlCalendar Starts the desktop Calendar application Dropping an appointment file adds the appointment to the calendar Current date File Manager controlFile Manager Opens a File Manager view of your home folder Dropping a folder opens a File Manager view of that folder None Text Editor controlPersonal Applications control Personal Applications (Text Editor) Starts the desktop Text Editor application Opens the file in a new Text Editor window None Mailer controlMailer Starts the desktop Mailer application Opens the contents of the file in Mailer's New Message window Changes appearance when new mail arrives Lock control Lock Locks the display and keyboard. You must type your password to unlock the system. None None Workspace switch Changes workspaces None Indicates current workspace Busy light Busy light None None Blinks when the system is running an action Printer (Default)Printer control Displays the status of the default printer Prints the file on the printer Activates when file is dropped on printer Exit control Exit Begins logout from the current session None None Style Manager controlFront PanelStyle Manager controlStyle Manager Opens the desktop Style Manager application None None Application Manager controlApplication Manager Opens an Application Manager window None None Information ManagerInformation Manager control Opens a Book List window displaying the available information libraries Dropping an Information Library icon opens a Book List window for that information library None Trash Can controlTrash Can Opens the Trash Can window Moves the file to the Trash Can Different appearance when empty and non-empty Use the Personal Applications subpanel for applications you use frequently. The default applications are Text Editor, Terminal, and Icon Editor. describes the Personal Applications subpanel controls. NameClick BehaviorDrop BehaviorIndicator Behavior Install Icon controlInstall Icon None Installs an icon dragged from File Manger or Application Manager into the subpanel None Text Editor controlText Editor (duplicate of control in Main Panel) Starts the desktop Text Editor application Opens the file in a new Text Editor window None Terminal controlTerminal Starts the desktop Terminal Emulator None None Icon Editor controlIcon Editor Starts the desktop Icon Editor application Opens a bitmap or pixmap file in a new Icon Editor window None Use the Personal Printers subpanel for printers you use frequently. describes the Personal Printers subpanel controls. NameClick BehaviorDrop BehaviorIndicator Behavior Install Icon controlInstall Icon None Installs an icon dragged from File Manger or Application Manager into the subpanel None Printer controldefault printercontrolDefault printer (duplicate of Main Panel control) Display the status of print jobs on the default printer Prints the file on the default printer or another printer of your choice None Print Manager controlPrint Manager Starts the desktop Print Manager Prints the file on the default printer None The Information Manager subpanel enables you to access the Information Manager, Desktop Introduction, Front Panel help volumes, the Help Manager, and On Item help. describes the Information Manager subpanel controls. NameClick BehaviorDrop BehaviorIndicator Behavior Install Icon None Installs an icon dragged from File Manager or Application Manager into the subpanel None Information Manager controlInformation Manager (duplicate of Main Panel control) Opens a Book List window displaying the available information libraries Dropping an Information Library icon opens a Book List window for that information library None Desktop Introduction controlDesktop Introduction Displays the help volume “Introducing the Desktop” None None Front Panel Help controlFront Panel Help Displays the Front Panel help volume None None Help Manager controlHelp Manager Opens a Help Viewer window displaying the top level of help information Dropping a master volume file (*.sdl) opens that help volume None On Item Help controlOn Item Help Provides on-item help for the Front Panel. Click this control, then click the control for which you want help. None None There are two types of Front Panel customization: Easy customization This is customization you can do using the desktop's interface, including: Adding controls to subpanels Interchanging Main Panel and subpanel controls Adding subpanels Adding and deleting workspaces Renaming workspaces Advanced customization This is customization that requires you to create or edit a Front Panel configuration file. For more information, see the Advanced User's and System Administration Guide. Point to the subpanel control you want to put in the Main Panel.movingcontrols to Main Panel Choose Copy to Main Panel from the control's pop-up menu. You can add any type of File Manager or Application Manager icon to the Front Panel. However, the most convenient use for this feature is adding application icons. Display the object's icon in File Manager or Application Manager.controlsadding with Install Iconadding controls with Install Icon Display the subpanel to which the object is to be added. Drag the object to the Install Icon control and drop it on the control. iconsbehavior of in Front PanelInstall Iconbehavior of icons installed withThe behavior of controls added to the Front Panel using the Install Icon control depend on the type of icon that was dropped. Type of Icon Installed Behavior File The same behavior as the file's icon in File Manager Folder Opens a File Manager view of the folder Application group Opens an Application Manager view of the application group Application icon The same behavior as the application's icon in File Manager or Application Manager Any control in the Main Panel can have a subpanel. Point to a control in the Main Panel that does not have a subpanel.subpanelsaddingaddingsubpanels Choose Add Subpanel from the control's pop-up menu. Point to the control whose subpanel you want to remove.subpanelsdeleting deletingsubpanels Choose Delete Subpanel from the control's pop-up menu. The easiest way to replace a control in the Main Panel is to exchange it with a subpanel control. If the control does not have a subpanel, you can create one temporarily or permanently. If the control you want to replace does not have a subpanel, create one by choosing Add Subpanel from the control's pop-up menu.controlsreplacing in Main Panelreplacing controls in Main Panel Display the new subpanel. If the control you want to put in the Main Panel is not already in the subpanel, add it to the subpanel. See . Choose Copy to Main Panel from the subpanel control's pop-up menu. This procedure does not affect advanced customizations made by manually editing Front Panel configuration files.removing Front Panel customizations made with the Install Icon control Open Application Manager and double-click the Desktop_Tools application group icon. Double-click Restore Front Panel. The screen will go blank for several seconds while the Workspace Manager is restarted.Front Panelremoving customizations made through the GUI The Restore Front Panel action removes all customization made using: removingFront Panel customizations made through the pop-up menus The Install Icon control The Front Panel's pop-up menus You can use the Front Panel workspace switch to rename workspaces and change the number of workspaces. Point to the workspace button of the workspace you want to rename. Choose Rename from the button's pop-up menu (displayed by presssing Shift+F10 or mouse button 3). The workspace button turns into a text field. Edit the text field. Press Return. Point to any area in the workspace switch and press mouse button 3 to display the pop-up menu.workspacesaddingaddingworkspaces Choose Add Workspace from the pop-up menu. The new workspace, named New, is placed at the end of the set of workspaces. Rename the workspace (see above). If you remove a workspace that contains windows, those windows are moved to the next workspace.workspacesdeletingremovingworkspacesdeleting workspaces Point to the workspace button of the workspace you want to remove. Choose Delete from the button's pop-up menu (displayed by presssing Shift+F10 or mouse button 3). This is an advanced task that requires you to create a Front Panel configuration file. Advanced customization is covered in the Advanced User's and System Administrator's Guide. Initially, the workspace switch has these four positions. controlscustomizing in the workspace switch <$startrange> workspace switchcustomizing controls in <$startrange> Use this procedure to replace one of these controls. (Blank is also a control.) Install the application you want placed in the switch into the Personal Applications subpanel. For example, if you want to add a Display System Load control to the switch, drag it from the Desktop_Tools application group to the Personal Applications subpanel. Locate the Front Panel configuration file created automatically when you installed the control in the Personal Applications subpanel. The definition is located in the directory HomeDirectory/.dt/types/fp_dynamic. For example, when Display System Load is added to the Personal Applications subpanel, it creates the file Xload1.fp. Move the file from the HomeDirectory/.dt/types/fp_dynamic directory to the HomeDirectory/.dt/types directory. Open the file in the HomeDirectory/.dt/types directory for editing. Edit the lines that define the CONTAINER_TYPE and CONTAINER_NAME to the following: CONTAINER_TYPE SWITCH CONTAINER_NAME Switch Edit the line that defines the position (POSITION_HINTS). For example, to put the control in the Blank location, set: POSITION_HINTS 3 Save the configuration file. Create another file in the HomeDirectory/.dt/types directory. The file name must end with .fp. For example, you might create a new file HomeDirectory/.dt/types/DeleteBlank.fp. Open the file for editing. Open the file /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/dtwm.fp in another editor window. This file is read-only. You will not have to write to it. In /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/dtwm.fp, find the definition for the switch control you are replacing. For example, this is the definition for the Blank control: CONTROL Blank { TYPE blank CONTAINER_NAME Switch CONTAINER_TYPE SWITCH POSITION_HINTS 3 ICON FpblnkS HELP_TOPIC FPOnItemSwitch HELP_VOLUME FPanel } Copy the definition for the control you are replacing from /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/dtwm.fp to the new configuration file. For example, you would copy the definition for the Blank control to the new file HomeDirectory/.dt/types/DeleteBlank.fp. Add the line DELETE True to the end of the definition, within the curly braces: CONTROL Blank { … HELP_VOLUME FPanel DELETE True } Save the file. Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu. controlscustomizing in the workspace switch <$endrange>workspace switchcustomizing controls in <$endrange>You will see the new control in the switchFront Panel <$endrange>.