Chapter 6. Working With Windows
This section describes the menus and applets that you can use to work with windows and workspaces.
The is a menu of commands that you can use to perform actions on your windows. To open the perform one of the following actions:
-
Click on the button on the window that you want to work with.
-
Press Alt-spacebar.
-
Press-and-hold Alt, then right-click on any part of the window that you want to work with.
Table 6.2, “Window Menu Commands and Submenus” describes the commands and submenus in the .
Table 6.2. Window Menu Commands and Submenus
|
Menu Item |
Function |
|---|---|
|
|
Minimizes the window. |
|
or |
Maximizes the window. If the window is already maximized, choose to restore the window to its previous size. |
|
|
Places the window above any other open windows on the desktop. |
|
|
Enables you to use the arrow keys to move the window. |
|
|
Enables you to use the arrow keys to resize the window. |
|
|
Closes the window. |
|
or |
Puts the window on all of your workspaces. If the window is already on all of your workspaces, choose to put the window on the current workspace only. |
|
or |
Move the window to the workspace to the right of the current workspace. If the window is already in the last workspace at the right of the Workspace Switcher, choose to move the window to the workspace to the left of the current workspace. |
|
|
Moves the window to another workspace. Select the workspace to which you want to move the window from the submenu. |
Window List displays a button for each application window that is open. You can use the Window List to perform the following tasks:
-
To minimize a window
Click on the button that represents the window.
-
To restore a minimized window
Click on the button that represents the window.
-
To give focus to a window
Click on the button that represents the window.
When you open an application window, Window List displays a button that represents the window. The window list buttons show which application windows are open. You can view which windows are open even if some windows are minimized, or other windows overlap a window. Window List can display buttons for the windows in your current workspace, or in all workspaces. To select this option, you must change the preferences of Window List.
You can also right-click on a window list button to open the for the window that the button represents. For more information on the commands, see the section called “Window Menu”.
Figure 6.2, “Window List Applet” shows Window List when the following windows are open:
-
gedit
-
Dictionary
-
GHex
-
GNOME Terminal
The buttons in the applet show the status of your windows. Table 6.3, “Window Status Information on Window List Buttons” explains the information that the window list buttons provide about the window. The examples in Table 6.3, “Window Status Information on Window List Buttons” refer to Figure 6.2, “Window List Applet”.
Table 6.3. Window Status Information on Window List Buttons
|
State |
Indicates |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Button is pressed in. |
The window has focus. |
gedit |
|
Square brackets around window title. |
The window is minimized. |
[Dictionary] |
|
Button is not pressed in, no square brackets around title. |
The window is displayed, and is not minimized. |
ghex |
|
Numeral on button, in parentheses. |
The button represents a group of buttons. |
Gnome-terminal (3) |
Window List can group the buttons that represent windows in the same class under one window list button. The button in Figure 6.2, “Window List Applet” is an example of a button that represents a group of buttons. The following figure shows an example of Window List with a button group open:
To open a list of the windows in a group, click on the window list button that represents the group. You can click on the items in the list to give focus to windows, minimize windows, and restore windows.
To open the for a window in a button group, right-click on the window list button that represents the group. A list of the windows in the group is displayed. To open the for a window in the group, point to the item in the list. For more information on the commands, see the section called “Window Menu”.
Workspace Switcher displays a visual representation of your workspaces, as shown in Figure 6.3, “Workspace Switcher Applet”. Figure 6.3, “Workspace Switcher Applet” shows the applet when the GNOME session contains four workspaces. Your workspaces appear as buttons on the applet. The background of the button in the applet that represents the current workspace is highlighted. The current workspace in Figure 6.3, “Workspace Switcher Applet” is the workspace at the left of the applet. To switch to another workspace, click on the workspace in the applet.
Workspace Switcher also displays the application windows and dialogs that are open in your workspaces.
The applet displays the workspaces in order from left to right across the rows of the applet. In Figure 6.3, “Workspace Switcher Applet”, the applet is set up to display the workspaces in one row. You can specify the number of rows in which your workspaces are displayed in Workspace Switcher. You can also change the default behavior of the applet to display the names of your workspaces in the applet.
You can view a list of all windows that are currently open. You can also choose a window to give focus to. To view the window list, click on the Window Selector applet. The following figure shows an example of the Window Selector applet:
To give focus to a window, select the window from the Window Selector applet.
The Window Selector lists the windows in all workspaces. The windows in all workspaces other than the current workspace, are listed under a separator line.
