path: root/gnome2-user-guide/C/gosoverview.xml

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<chapter id="overview">
<title>Desktop Overview</title>

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<highlights>
  <para>This chapter introduces you to the features and main components of the
  desktop. You should read this chapter to familiarize yourself with the various
  features, and how the main components work.  This chapter describes the default
  configuration.  Your vendor or system administrator may have configured your
  desktop to look different than what is described here.</para>
</highlights>

<section id="overview-intro">
  <title>Introduction</title>

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  <indexterm>
    <primary>GNOME Desktop components, introducing</primary>
  </indexterm>

  <para>When you start a desktop session for the first time,
  you should see a default startup screen, with panels, windows,
  and various icons.</para>

  <para>The major components of the desktop are as follows:</para>

  <variablelist>
    <varlistentry>
      <term>Panels</term>
      <listitem><para>Panels are usually located along the edges of the screen,
      although they can be configured to float on the desktop.  Panels can
      contain menus, launchers, and various other tools.  Panels can also
      contain small utility applications, called
      <firstterm>panel applets</firstterm>.  For example, you can configure
      your panel to display the current weather for your location.  For more
      information on panels, see <xref linkend="panels"/>.</para></listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>Windows</term>
      <listitem><para>Most applications run inside of one or more windows.
      You can display multiple windows on your desktop at the same time.
      Windows can be resized and moved around to accomodate your workflow.
      Each window has a <firstterm>titlebar</firstterm> at the top with
      buttons which allow you to minimize, maximize, and close the window.
      For more information on working with windows, see
      <xref linkend="overview-windows"/>.</para></listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>Workspaces</term>
      <listitem><para>You can subdivide your desktop into separate
      <firstterm>workspaces</firstterm>.  Each workspace can contain
      separate windows, allowing you to group related tasks together.
      For more information on working with workspaces, see
      <xref linkend="overview-workspaces"/>.</para></listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>File Manager</term>
      <listitem><para>The <application>Nautilus</application> file manager
      provides access to your files, folders, and applications.  You can
      manage the contents of folders in the file manager and open the files
      in the appropriate applications.  See <xref linkend="nautilus"/> for
      more information.</para></listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>Desktop</term>
      <listitem><para>The desktop is behind all of the other components on the
      desktop.  You can place objects on the desktop to access your files and
      directories quickly, or to start applications that you use often.  See
      <xref linkend="nautilus-desktop"/> for more information.</para></listitem>
    </varlistentry>

    <varlistentry>
      <term>Preferences</term>
      <listitem><para>You can customize your desktop using the desktop
      <firstterm>preference tools</firstterm>.  Each tool controls
      a particular part of the behavior of the desktop.  The preference
      tools can be found in the <guimenu>Preferences</guimenu> submenu
      of the <guimenu>Desktop</guimenu> top-level menu on your panel.
      See <xref linkend="prefs"/> for more information on the various
      preference tools.</para></listitem>
    </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>

  <para>Your vendor or system administrator can make configuration changes to
  suit your needs, so your desktop might not match exactly what is described
  in this manual.  Nevertheless, this manual provides a useful introduction
  to using the various components of your desktop.</para>
</section>

<section id="overview-windows">
  <title>Windows</title>

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  <indexterm>
    <primary>windows</primary>
    <secondary>overview</secondary>
  </indexterm>

  <para>Each application can run inside of one or more windows.  You can
  display multiple windows at the same time on your desktop.  Each window
  has a frame and titlebar which allow you to control the window.</para>

  <para>The following sections describe the types of windows and how you
  can interact with them.</para>

  <section id="windows-types">
    <title>Types of Windows</title>

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    <remark>This section needs work.</remark>

    <para>The GNOME Desktop features the following types of window:</para>
    
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Application windows</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>When you run an application, a frame usually borders the
            window.  The top edge of the application window contains a titlebar.
            The titlebar contains buttons that you can use to work with the
            window.  The buttons in an application window frame enable you to
            perform actions such as open the <guimenu>Window Menu</guimenu>,
            or close the window. The <guimenu>Window Menu</guimenu> provides
            commands that you can perform on the window.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Dialog windows</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Dialog windows are associated with interactive processes.
            A dialog window consists of the window frame, and a single
            interactive pane that provides information and controls for the
            user. This manual refers to the interactive part of a dialog
            window as a dialog. The frame of a dialog window contains buttons
            that enable you to open the <guimenu>Window Menu</guimenu>, or to
            close the dialog window.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </section>

  <section id="windows-manipulating">

    <title>Manipulating Windows</title>

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    <anchor id="gosoverview-32"/>

    <remark>This section needs work.</remark>

    <para>You use the frame of an application window or dialog window to perform
    various actions with the window. Most of the control elements are located on
    the top edge of the window frame. <xref linkend="fig-titlebar-anno-window"/>
    shows the top edge of a frame for a typical application window.</para>

    <figure id="fig-titlebar-anno-window">
      <title>Titlebar for a Typical Application Window</title>
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      <anchor id="gosoverview-FIG-33"/>
      <screenshot>
        <mediaobject>
          <imageobject>
            <imagedata fileref="figures/titlebar_anno_window.png" format="PNG"/>
          </imageobject>
          <textobject>
            <phrase>Titlebar of application window frame. Callouts: Window Menu
            button, Titlebar, Minimize, Maximize, Close Window buttons.</phrase>
          </textobject>
        </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>

    <para>The active control elements of the window frame are as follows: </para>

    <informaltable frame="topbot">
      <tgroup cols="2" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
        <colspec colname="colspec0" colwidth="41.65*"/>
        <colspec colname="colspec1" colwidth="58.35*"/>
        <thead>
          <row rowsep="1">
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Control Element</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Description </para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
              <para><guibutton>Window Menu</guibutton> button</para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
              <para>Click on the <guibutton>Window Menu</guibutton> button to
              open the <guimenu>Window Menu</guimenu>.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Titlebar</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>You can use the titlebar to move and roll up the window.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para><guibutton>Minimize</guibutton> button</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Click on the <guibutton>Minimize</guibutton> button to
              minimize the window.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para><guibutton>Maximize</guibutton> button</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>You can use the <guibutton>Maximize</guibutton>
              button to maximize and restore the window.</para>
              <para>To maximize a window click on the
              <guibutton>Maximize</guibutton> button. To restore the window
              click on the <guibutton>Maximize</guibutton> button again.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para><guibutton>Close Window</guibutton> button</para>
            </entry>
            <entry valign="top">
              <para>Click on the <guibutton>Close Window</guibutton> button to
              close the window. </para>
            </entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry colname="colspec0">
              <para>Border</para>
            </entry>
            <entry colname="colspec1">
              <para>Right-click on the border to open the <guimenu>Window
              Menu</guimenu>.</para>
            </entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </informaltable>

    <para>To change the size of windows grab the border of the window,
    but not the titlebar. Drag the border until the window is the size
    that you require.</para>
  </section>

    <section id="gosoverview-20">
      <title>Giving Focus to a Window</title>
      <para>A window that has focus can receive input from the mouse and the keyboard.
Only one window can have focus at a time. The window that has focus has a
different appearance than other windows. </para>
      <para>You can use the following elements to give focus to a window:</para>
      <informaltable frame="topbot">
        <tgroup cols="2" colsep="0" rowsep="0">
          <colspec colname="colspec0" colwidth="33.62*"/>
          <colspec colname="colspec1" colwidth="66.38*"/>
          <thead>
            <row rowsep="1">
              <entry valign="top">
                <para>Element</para>
              </entry>
              <entry valign="top">
                <para>Action</para>
              </entry>
            </row>
          </thead>
          <tbody>
            <row>
              <entry valign="top">
                <para>Mouse</para>
              </entry>
              <entry valign="top">
                <para>Click on the window, if the window is visible. </para>
              </entry>
            </row>
            <row>
              <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
                <para>Shortcut keys</para>
              </entry>
              <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
                <para>Use shortcut keys to switch between
the windows that are open. To give focus to a window, release the keys. The
default shortcut keys to switch between windows are <keycombo><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>Tab</keycap></keycombo>. </para>
              </entry>
            </row>
            <row>
              <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
                <para>
                  <application>Window List</application>
                </para>
              </entry>
              <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
                <para>Click on the button that represents the window in <application>Window List</application>. </para>
              </entry>
            </row>
            <row>
              <entry colname="colspec0">
                <para>
                  <application>Window Selector</application>
                </para>
              </entry>
              <entry colname="colspec1">
                <para>Click on the Window Selector icon, then select
the window that you want to give focus to from the list.</para>
              </entry>
            </row>
            <row>
              <entry colname="colspec0" valign="top">
                <para>
                  <application>Workspace Switcher</application>
                </para>
              </entry>
              <entry colname="colspec1" valign="top">
                <para>Click on the window that you want to give focus to in the <application>Workspace
Switcher</application> display.</para>
              </entry>
            </row>
          </tbody>
        </tgroup>
      </informaltable>
    </section>
  </section>
  <section id="overview-workspaces">
    <title>Workspaces</title>

    <!-- Maintained for 2.8 compatibility -->
    <anchor id="gosoverview-39"/>

    <indexterm>
      <primary>workspaces</primary>
      <secondary>overview</secondary>
    </indexterm>
    <para>You can display many windows at the same time in your GNOME Desktop.
Your windows are displayed in subdivisions of the GNOME Desktop that are called
workspaces. A workspace is a discrete area in which you can work. </para>
    <para>Every workspace contains the same desktop, the same panels, and the
same menus. However, you can run different applications, and open different
windows in each workspace. You can display only one workspace at a time in
the GNOME Desktop but you can have windows open in other workspaces.  </para>
    <para>Workspaces enable you to organize the GNOME Desktop when you run many
applications at the same time. When your current workspace becomes crowded
with windows, you can move your work to another workspace. You can also switch
to another workspace then start more applications.</para>
    <para>Workspaces are displayed in the <application>Workspace Switcher</application>
applet. In <xref linkend="gosoverview-FIG-42"/>, <application>Workspace Switcher</application> contains four workspaces. The first three workspaces contain
open windows. The last workspace does not contain currently active windows.</para>
    <figure id="gosoverview-FIG-42">
      <title>Workspaces Displayed in Workspace Switcher</title>
      <screenshot>
        <mediaobject>
          <imageobject>
            <imagedata fileref="figures/workspace_switcher_applet.png" format="PNG"/>
          </imageobject>
          <textobject>
            <phrase>Workspace Switcher. The context describes the graphic.</phrase>
          </textobject>
        </mediaobject>
      </screenshot>
    </figure>
    <section id="gosoverview-41">
      <title>To Switch Between Workspaces</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>workspaces</primary>
        <secondary>switching between</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>You can switch between workspaces in the following ways:</para>
      <itemizedlist>
        <listitem>
          <para>In <application>Workspace Switcher</application>, click on
the workspace where you want to work.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>Press <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>right arrow</keycap></keycombo> to switch to the workspace on the right of the current
workspace.</para>
        </listitem>
        <listitem>
          <para>Press <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>left arrow</keycap></keycombo> to switch to the workspace on the left of the current
workspace.</para>
        </listitem>
      </itemizedlist>
    </section>
    <section id="gosoverview-40">
      <title>To Add Workspaces</title>
      <indexterm>
        <primary>workspaces</primary>
        <secondary>specifying number of</secondary>
      </indexterm>
      <para>To add workspaces to the GNOME Desktop, right-click on the <application>Workspace Switcher</application> applet, then choose <guimenuitem>Preferences</guimenuitem>. The <guilabel>Workspace Switcher Preferences</guilabel> dialog
is displayed. Use the <guilabel>Number of workspaces</guilabel> spin box to
specify the number of workspaces that you require.</para>
    </section>
  </section>

  <section id="gosoverview-54">
    <title>Applications</title>
    <indexterm>
      <primary>applications</primary>
      <secondary>overview</secondary>
    </indexterm>

    <remark>This section needs work.</remark>

    <para>The applications that are provided with the GNOME Desktop
share several characteristics. For example, the applications have a consistent
look-and-feel. The applications share characteristics because the applications
use the same programming libraries. An application that uses the standard
GNOME programming libraries is called a <firstterm>GNOME-compliant application</firstterm>. For example, <application>Nautilus</application> and the <application>gedit</application> text editor are GNOME-compliant applications.</para>
    <para>GNOME provides libraries in addition to the libraries provided by your
operating system. The libraries enable GNOME to run your existing applications
as well as GNOME-compliant applications. For example, if your operating system
is UNIX-based, you can run your current X11 applications and Motif applications
from the GNOME Desktop.</para>
    <para>Some of the features of GNOME-compliant applications are as follows:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>Consistent look-and-feel</para>
        <para>GNOME-compliant applications have a consistent look-and-feel. GNOME-compliant
applications use the look-and-feel settings that you specify in the preference
tools. You can use the following tools to change the look-and-feel of your
GNOME-compliant applications:<itemizedlist><listitem><para><application>Menus &amp; Toolbars</application> preference
tool</para></listitem><listitem><para><application>Theme</application> preference tool</para></listitem></itemizedlist></para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Menubars, toolbars, and statusbars</para>
        <para>Most GNOME-compliant applications have a menubar, a toolbar, and a statusbar.
The menubar always contains a <guimenu>File</guimenu> menu and a <guimenu>Help</guimenu> menu. The <guimenu>File</guimenu> menu always contains an <guimenuitem>Quit</guimenuitem> menu item, and the <guimenu>Help</guimenu> menu always
contains an <guimenuitem>About</guimenuitem> menu item.</para>
        <para>A <firstterm>toolbar</firstterm> is a bar that appears under the menubar.
A toolbar contains buttons for the most commonly-used commands. A <firstterm>statusbar</firstterm> is a bar at the bottom of a window that provides information
about the current state of what you are viewing in the window. GNOME-compliant
applications might also contains other bars. For example, <application>Nautilus</application> contains a location bar.</para>
        <para>Some of the bars in GNOME-compliant applications are detachable. That
is, the bar has a handle that you can grab then drag the bar to another location.
You can drag the bar to snap to another side of the window, or to another
part of the screen. For example, you can detach the menubar, toolbar, and
location bar in the file manager. </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Default shortcut keys</para>
        <para>GNOME-compliant applications use the same shortcut keys to perform the
same actions. For example, to quit a GNOME-compliant application, press <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Q</keycap></keycombo>. To undo an action in a GNOME-compliant
application, press <keycombo><keycap>Ctrl</keycap><keycap>Z</keycap></keycombo>. </para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Drag-and-drop</para>
        <para>GNOME-compliant applications use the same protocol to implement drag-and-drop
operations. Therefore, GNOME-compliant applications provide consistent feedback
when you drag-and-drop items.</para>
        <para>The use of the same protocol also enables GNOME-compliant applications
to interoperate in a sophisticated manner. For example, GNOME-compliant applications
recognize the format of the items that you drag. When you drag a HTML file
from a <application>Nautilus</application> window to a web browser, the file
is displayed in HTML format in the browser. However, when you drag the HTML
file to a text editor, the file is displayed in plain text format in the text
editor. </para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
  </section>

</chapter>