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 some of the very basic components of the desktop. These components include <glossterm>Windows</glossterm>, <glossterm>Workspaces</glossterm>, and <glossterm>Applications</glossterm>. Almost all the work (or play) that you do in GNOME will involve these very basic components.</para>
  
  <note>
  <para>This chapter describes the default configuration of GNOME.
  Your vendor or system administrator may have configured your
  desktop to look different than what is described here.</para>
  </note>
</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>The <firstterm>panels</firstterm> are the two bars that run along the top and bottom of the screen. By default, the top panel shows you the GNOME main menu bar, the date and time, and the launcher for the GNOME help system, and the bottom panel shows you the list of open windows and the workspace switcher.</para>
      <para>Panels can be customized to contain a variety of tools, such as other menus and launchers, and 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>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>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>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>A <firstterm>window</firstterm> is a rectangular area of the screen, usually with a border all around and a title bar at the top. You can think of a window as a screen within the screen. Each window displays an application, allowing you to to have more than one application visible, and work on more than one task at a time. You can also think of windows as pieces of paper on your desktop: they can overlap, or be side by side, for example.</para>
  
  <para>You can control a window's position of the screen, as well as its size. You can control which windows overlap other windows, so the one you want to work with is completely visible. For more about moving and resizing windows, see <xref linkend="windows-manipulating"/>.</para>
  
  <para>Each window is not necessarily a different application. An application usually has one main window, and may open additional windows at the request of the user.</para>

  <para>The rest of this section describe the different types of windows and how you
  can interact with them.</para>

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

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    <anchor id="gosoverview-16"/>

    <para>There are two main types of window:</para>
    
    <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Application windows</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Application windows allow all the minimize, 
            maximize and close operations through the buttons on the titlebar. 
            When opening an application you will usually see a 
            window of this type appear.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Dialog windows</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Dialog windows appear at the request of an application window. A dialog window may alert you to a problem, ask for confirmation of an action, or request input from you.</para>
            
            <para>For example, if you tell an application to save a document, a dialog box will ask you where you want to save the new file. If you tell an application to quit while it is still busy, it may ask you to confirm that you want it to abandon work in progress.</para>
            
            <para>Some dialogs do not allow you to interact with the main application window until you have closed them: these are called <firstterm>modal</firstterm> dialogs. Others can be left open while you work with the main application window: these are called <firstterm>transient</firstterm> dialogs.</para>
            
            <tip><para>You can select the text in a dialog with the mouse. This allows you to copy it to the clipboard (CTRL-C to copy), and paste it into another application. You may wish to quote the text you see in a dialog box when requesting support on the internet.</para></tip>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>
  </section>

  <section id="windows-manipulating">

    <title>Manipulating Windows</title>

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    <para>You can change the size and position of windows on the screen. This allows you to see more than one application and do diferent tasks at the same time. For example, you might want to read text on a web page and write with a word procesor; or simple change to another application to do a diferent task or see the progress.</para> 
    
    <para>You can <firstterm>minimize</firstterm> a window if you are not currently interested in seeing it. This hides it from view. You can <firstterm>maximise</firstterm> a window to fill the whole screen so you can give it your full attention.</para> 
    
    <para>Most of these actions are carried out by using the mouse on different parts of the the window's frame (see <xref linkend="mouse-actions"/> for a recap of using the mouse). The top edge of the window frame, called the <firstterm>titlebar</firstterm> because it also displays the title of the window, contains several buttons that change the way the window is displayed. <xref linkend="fig-titlebar-anno-window"/> shows the titlebar 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>All actions can also be carried out from the Window Menu. To open this, click on the Window Menu Button at the left-hand edge of the titlebar. Common actions can also be carried out with keyboard shortcuts: see <xref linkend="shortcuts-window"/> for a simple list of these. The following lists all the actions you can carry out on a window, with the mouse or the keyboard:</para>

   <variablelist>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Move the window</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Drag the titlebar to move the window. You can click on any part of the titlebar except the buttons at either end to begin the drag action. The window will move on the screen as you drag the mouse. On less powerful systems, the movement of the window may be represented by moving an outline of its frame.</para>
            
            <para>You can also choose Move from the Window Menu, or press <keycombo>
            <keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F7</keycap>
            </keycombo>.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Resize the window</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Drag one of the borders to expand or contract the window on that side. Drag a corner to change two sides at once. The <link linkend="mouse-pointers">resize pointer</link> appears when your mouse is in the correct position to begin the drag action.</para>

            <para>You can also choose Resize from the Window Menu, or press <keycombo>
            <keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F8</keycap>
            </keycombo>.</para>            
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Minimize the window</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Click on the Minimize button in the titlebar, the leftmost of the group of three on the right. This removes the window from view. The window can be restored to its previous position and size on the screen from the <firstterm>Window List</firstterm> on the <link linkend="gospanel-3">bottom edge panel</link>.</para>
            
            <para>You can also choose Minimize from the Window Menu, or press <keycombo>
            <keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F9</keycap>
            </keycombo>.</para>  
            
            <tip>
            <para>A minimized window is shown in the window list 
            with [ ] around its title.</para>
            </tip>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Maximize the window</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Click on the Maximize button in the titlebar, the middle of the group of three on the right. This expands the window so it fills the screen (the panels remain visible).</para>
            <para>You can also choose Maximize from the Window Menu, or press <keycombo>
            <keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F10</keycap></keycombo>, or double-click any part of the titlebar except the buttons at either end.</para>

            <tip>
            <para>If you prefer, you can assign the double-click action to <firstterm>roll up</firstterm> the window: see <xref linkend="goscustdesk-58"/><!-- evil xref id -->.</para>
            </tip>            
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>    
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Unmaximize the window</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>When a window is maximized, click again on the Maximize button to restore it to its previous position and size on the screen.</para>

            <para>You can also choose Unmaximize from the Window Menu, press <keycombo>
            <keycap>Alt</keycap><keycap>F5</keycap></keycombo>, or double-click any part of the titlebar except the buttons at either end.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>          
      <varlistentry>
        <term>Close the window</term>
        <listitem>
            <para>Click the Close button, the rightmost of the group of three on the right. This could close the application too. The application will ask you to confirm closing a window that contains unsaved work.</para>
        </listitem>
      </varlistentry>                        
    </variablelist> 
       
    <remark>This is as far as I've got taking material from the wiki. Workspaces commands still to go in this section, perhaps</remark>

  </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>

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    <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>