Work with Windows

Work with Windows
	Chapter 2. Desktop

Abstract

Identify the different parts of a window: title bar, menu bar, toolbar, status bar, scroll bar.

The following screen uses OpenOffice.org Writer to illustrate the main components of an application window.

The title bar is where you can see the name of the application that is open. In this case OpenOffice.org. You will notice in the screen above the words Untitled 1 appear before the name of the application. This means that there is an unsaved document open. Once the document has been saved and has been given a name then the name will appear instead of Untitled 1.

Collapse, expand, resize, move, close a window

The icons relating to these functions are located in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Collapse a window

The first is the Minimize button. This collapses the current window and displays an icon with the application's name in the panel at the bottom of the screen.
To restore the application window, click on the application icon in the panel.

Close a window

Click the Close icon.

Resize a window

Click the Cascade windows icon.This displays the window so that it only occupies part of the screen.
Hover the mouse over one of the corners on the window.

This will display a resize handle.
Hold down the left mouse button and drag the corner to resize the window.
Release the mouse button when you have the desired size for the window.
Hover the mouse over one of the sides of the window.

This will also display a resize handle. However these handles limit your movement either vertically or horizontally.

Move a window

Click and hold down the left mouse button on the Title of the window. This is the blue area in the left hand top corner of the window.
Drag the window to the new position.
Release the mouse button.

Maximise a window

Click the Maximize window icon. This icon will only be available if the window has been cascaded.

	Note
	You cannot resize or move a window that has been maximized.

Switch between open windows

Where you have multiple open windows, each will be displayed as an icon on the panel at the bottom of the screen. Each icon will have a title. Usually the title is too long to be displayed in full.

Hover the mouse over the icon to display the full title.
Click on an icon to switch to that application.

Where there are several windows open at once, KDE will try to group these. In the above screen, GIMP has four windows associated with it.
Click on the icon containing multiple windows and select the window you wish to open.

Open another desktop

KDE goes one step further. You may open up to four different desktops at the same time. In each of these you may be doing a completely different type of work. The different desktops are also accessed from the panel.

Click the Desktop 2 icon to display a completely fresh desktop.You can operate in this desktop independently of what you are doing in desktop 1.

	Note
	The icons for open applications will be displayed in the panel irrespective of the desktop you are currently working in. If you click on one of these, you will automatically be taken to the desktop in which the window is open.