Think of your workstation screen as a desktop with overlapping sheets of paper on it. You can shuffle the sheets of paper to place them in front of or behind other papers.

In DECwindows, these sheets of paper are called windows. A window is an area on your workstation screen that represents all or part of an application. For example, you can open one window that displays Bookreader. In this window, you can read online documentation. Other windows can display such applications as Mail, which enables you to send and receive electronic mail, and DECterm, which looks and functions like a VT300-series terminal.

To find out how to move, size, and arrange windows, see Chapter 3, Interacting with DECwindows.

DECwindows is an environment in which all applications look and respond in a similar way. This means that you use the same kinds of graphic objects and the same techniques to interact with each application.

You can use either the mouse—the hand-held pointing device attached to your workstation monitor—or your keyboard to work with DECwindows applications. As you become familiar with DECwindows, you will develop a working style that fits your needs. You will find that some tasks are easier to perform with a mouse, some with the keyboard. For more details about interacting with DECwindows, see Chapter 3, Interacting with DECwindows.

DECwindows contains several components for performing specialized tasks. Figure 1.1, “DECwindows Components” illustrates these components;the descriptions that follow briefly explain them. For more information about working with Session Manager,File View, and the Window Manager,refer to the appropriate chapter in Part I, “Getting Started with DECwindows”.

You interact with DECwindows by finding an object on the screen that represents the task you want to perform,selecting that object, and completing the task. Typical interface objects include menu bars, resize borders, and buttons.

Figure 1.2, “Parts of a Window” shows the objects that you use to work with windows; the descriptions that follow briefly explain them. To find out how to use these objects to manage your windows, see Chapter 3, Interacting with DECwindows.

DECwindows applications “automate,” or perform automatically, basic tasks. For example, Mail automates sending and receiving interoffice mail; the Cardfiler automates creating and filing index cards.

This book doesn't include detailed instructions for using every application. Instead, it describes the techniques you use to run applications, work with windows, and manage your DECwindows environment. Once you are running an application, you can use DECwindows Help to find application-specific information. For more information about DECwindows Help, see Chapter 4, Performing Common Tasks.

The best way to learn DECwindows is to use it. You can do this by working through the online DECwindows tutorial or by working though the procedures in this book. To use the tutorial, see “ Section 2.2, “Starting the Online Tutorial”” in Chapter 2, Opening and Closing DECwindows. To practice the procedures,read Chapter 2, Opening and Closing DECwindows to learn how to start a DECwindows session. Then go to Chapter 3, Interacting with DECwindows.

If the system startup procedure has been successful, DECwindows displays Session Manager's Start Session screen.

The Start Session screen is the gate through which you become authorized to use your workstation. It prompts you for your user name and password. When you or your system manager installed DECwindows, you may also have established an account for yourself with an associated user name and password. Your user name is unique and identifies you to the system. In many cases, a user name is your first or last name. Your password is for your protection. Keep it secret so that other users cannot access your account.

If you provide wrong information or make a typing mistake and do not correct it, your system does not let you start a session. Instead, it displays a warning that some information is incorrect.

Press Return or click on the OK button to acknowledge the message. Then retype your information and press Return.

If your user information is correct, your session begins and DECwindows displays Session Manager's menu bar.

To find out how to use Session Manager to run applications and manage your session, see Chapter 5, Using Session Manager.

Now that you have started a DECwindows session, you can quickly gain some hands-on experience by running the online DECwindows tutorial.

To put your current session on hold, choose Pause from Session Manager's Session menu. Your screen is cleared and the Pause Session screen is displayed.

To continue your session, type your password. If you make a mistake while typing, click on the Clear button to cancel what you've entered so far. Then retype your password correctly and press Return.

Once the system verifies your password, your session resumes. If you make a typing mistake and do not correct it, DECwindows notifies you that your password is incorrect. Press Return to acknowledge the message. Then retype your password and press Return.

At this point, just as when you started a session,you may exceed the number of allowable attempts to resume it. This happens if you repeatedly make typing mistakes while typing your password. If you enter your password again and continue to make mistakes,you will exceed the number of allowable attempts. Then you won't be able to resume your session even when you enter the correct password. If you trigger this security feature, see your system manager.

To end your session, choose End Session from Session Manager's Session menu. Even if you choose End Session, you can still return to your session. Session Manager displays a dialog box asking you to confirm that you want to end your session.

To return to your session, click on the No button. To end your session, click on the Yes button. All windows are closed. DECwindows displays the DIGITAL logo and the Start Session screen.

Traditional computing requires you to interact with your screen by typing text and pressing keyboard keys. A mouse makes using DECwindows as easy as pointing to an object on your screen and clicking a button. You can use the mouse to choose commands from a menu, to enlarge and shrink windows, and to rearrange windows on your screen.

A mouse has three buttons. MB1 (for “mouse button 1”) is on the left, MB2 is in the middle, and MB3 is on the right. Most often you use MB1to interact with applications. This button arrangement naturally suits right-handed users; if you are left-handed, you can easily rearrange this configuration. See Chapter 5, Using Session Manager for information about customizing the mouse buttons.

When you work with the mouse, make sure that the cable connecting it to the workstation is pointing away from you. Place the mouse on a smooth surface. As you move the mouse, watch your screen to see how moving the mouse moves the pointer on the screen in exactly the same way. If you are using the mouse and run out of room on your desk, just lift the mouse and put it down where you have more room. The pointer does not move when you lift the mouse.

Usually the pointer is shaped like an arrow, but it can change shape to reflect the state of an application. For example, it becomes an hourglass or a wristwatch when DECwindows is performing a task that needs a little more time to complete.

Menus contain items that let you tell DECwindows what you want to do or what you want to work with. To interact with DECwindows,you select a menu and choose a menu item from that menu. The names of menus available in an application appear on the menu bar.

Each of these types of menus can contain submenus. An arrow next to a menu item indicates that DECwindows will display a submenu when you choose that menu item.

Any menu item followed by three periods (...) is your cue that a dialog box will be displayed if you choose that menu item.(More information about dialog boxes appears later in this chapter.)

The following sections describe how to work with menus and submenus.

3.2.1. Selecting Menus

To select a menu:

1. On the menu bar, point to the name of the menu you want to display.

2. Press and hold MB1.

   This highlights the menu name and displays or pulls down the menu.

3. If you click MB1 on the menu name, the menu will be displayed until you choose a menu item or click MB1 outside the menu.

Note

Menus contain two shortcuts that you can use with your keyboard: accelerators and mnemonics.

An accelerator is a key on your keyboard that you can use to execute a function in a menu. Accelerators are listed in the menu to the right of the function items if they are available for that function.

A mnemonic is an underlined letter in a menu name or a menu item. Mnemonics let you display menus and perform tasks by typing letters on your keyboard.

For more information about using keyboard accelerators, see “Section 3.3.9, “Additional Ways to Manage Windows”” and Appendix C, Using DECwindows with a Keyboard.

3.2.2. Choosing Items from Pull-Down Menus

Some pull-down menus contain commands. Others list the names of items you can work with.

To choose an item from a pull-down menu:

1. On the menu bar, point to the name of the menu you want to display.

2. Press and hold MB1.

3. While holding MB1, drag to the menu item you want.

4. Release MB1.

If you change your mind while looking at a pull-down menu, drag the pointer outside the menu and release MB1. The menu disappears and no action is taken.

Tip

Some applications, such as Mail, offer rectangular push buttonsto duplicate frequently used commands that are also available as menu items. Push buttons are usually found underneath an application's work area—where the application's text and graphics are displayed. To execute these commands quickly, click MB1 on the push button.

3.2.3. Choosing Items from Pop-Up Menus

Pop-up menus make it easier for you to work with files and applications by giving you quick, direct access to an application's commands and functions. Pop-up menus duplicate commands and functions available on pull-down menus. Unlike pull-down menus, which require you to move the pointer to the menu bar, you can display a pop-up menu anywhere in an application's work area.

To display a pop-up menu:

1. Press and hold MB3 on the application's work area.

2. Drag to the menu item you want.

3. Release MB3.

If you change your mind while looking at a pop-up menu, drag outside the menu and release MB3. The menu disappears and no action is taken.

3.2.4. Choosing Items from Options Menus

An options menu is a menu that appears in a dialog box and is represented by a graphic rectangle next to the option. An options menu allows you to choose one option from many. In the dialog box, only the current option is displayed. To see the other options from which you can choose, you display the option menu.

To display an options menu:

1. Press and hold MB1 on the current option.

   The options menu is displayed.

2. Drag to the menu item you want.

3. Release MB1.

   The options menu disappears. The option you chose is now the current option.

If you decide not to change the original option, drag outside the menu and release MB1. The menu disappears and no changes occur.

3.2.5. Choosing Items from Submenus

A menu item with a submenu icon—an arrow pointing to the right—indicates that a corresponding submenu is available. If you choose that menu item, the submenu is displayed and you need to refine your choice by choosing a menu item from that submenu.

To display a submenu and choose a menu item from it:

1. On the application's menu bar, press and hold MB1 to display the pull-down menu

2. Drag to the menu item you want.

3. If the menu item has a submenu associated with it, the submenu will appear to the right of the menu.

4. Drag to the menu item you want to choose from the submenu.

5. Release MB1.

When you work with DECwindows, you can have one window or many windows open at the same time. Using multiple windows lets you work with many applications and switch between them. This section explains how to move, size, and arrange windows.

If you're not familiar with the basic components of a window, see Section 1.4, “Parts of a Window” in Chapter 1, Introduction.

3.3.1. Making Windows Active

When you have more than one window open, DECwindows needs to know which one you're currently working on so that the commands you choose and the text you type end up in the right place. To work with a window,you must make it active, or give it input focus.When you make a window active, by default it moves to the front of the stack of overlapping windows and its window frame is highlighted. Any keystrokes you type appear in this window. When you make another window active, the new window is given input focus. Only one window can have input focus at a time.

To make a window active:

1. Point to a location in the window or window frame.

2. Click MB1.

DECwindows provides two ways to give windows input focus: explicit focus and implicit focus. With an explicit-focus policy, you must move the pointer to a window and click on a mouse button or press a key on the keyboard. This is the default focus policy for DECwindows. With an implicit-focus policy, moving the pointer into a window gives the window input focus. For more information about changing your input focus policy, see Chapter 10, Customizing the Window Manager.

3.3.4. Minimizing Windows

If you have several applications running at the same time,you can “free up” space on your screen to run another application by minimizing a window, which means that you shrink the window to an icon.An icon is a symbol on your screen that represents an application or window.

When you minimize a window, the application it represents continues to run and remains easily accessible. All processes continue to execute while the application is stored as an icon.

To minimize a window:

1. Point to the window's minimize button.

2. Click MB1.

   The window closes and its icon appears on the Workspace.

Tip

You can also minimize a window by double clicking MB1on the window's title.

3.3.9. Additional Ways to Manage Windows

The preceding sections describe how to manage your windows by using the buttons and resize borders on the window frame. You can also access many of these window features by using the Window menu and the Workspace menu.

The Window menu contains menu items for working with windows. To display the Window menu, click on the Window Menu button on the left corner of the title bar.

The Workspace menu contains general information for arranging windows and customizing the Window Manager. To display the Workspace menu, click MB1 or MB3 on the Workspace. You can also display the Workspace menu by choosing Workspace... from the Window menu.

DECwindows displays a dialog box whenever it needs additional information from you to carry out a task. Sometimes you need to type text; at other times, you need only click on a button to change a setting.

3.4.4. Making Selections from List Boxes

A list box is part of a dialog box that contains a list of items,often file names, from which you can choose. Many applications display a list box when you open or save a file.

To select an item from a list box, point to the item and click MB1. The item you select is highlighted.

Some application windows display scroll bars, which let you view the text that does not fit in a single window. Some windows have both horizontal and vertical scroll bars.

A scroll bar consists of stepper arrows at either end of the scroll region. The slider is the thicker box that overlays some of the scroll region. If the slider is at the top of the scroll region, the beginning of the file or list is visible. If the slider is at the bottom of the scroll region, the end of the file or list is visible.

The length of the slider is relative to the total amount of text in the document and indicates how much more text remains to be displayed. For example, a short slider indicates that much text remains to be displayed. A long slider that completely fills the scroll bar indicates that all the text is currently displayed.

You can get help in DECwindows applications by using the application's Help menu,the Help button in a dialog box, or the Help key on the keyboard (for some applications).

You can also copy help text and paste it in another window, save help information in a file, and print help text.

In addition, most applications provide an Edit menu that allows you to cut,copy, and paste text and graphics.

Finally, most applications define specific keys to let you perform basic text editing. These keys, described in “ Section 4.2.5, “Text Editing Key Definitions”,” let you move the cursor and delete small amounts of text efficiently.

DECwindows allows you to print the files that you create and work with in applications. For example, you can print a mail message or a drawing you created in Paint. This section describes how to print files.

Whenever you choose the Print command in an application, the application creates a file that it then sends to the printer. You can also specify further printing instructions if you want to execute more sophisticated printing tasks. While your job is being printed, you can continue to work in your current application or go on to other tasks.

4.3.1. Printing Files from Applications

To print something currently being displayed on your screen—for example,a mail message—choose Print from the application's menu options. The file is sent to a print queue,which holds jobs that are waiting to be printed. Your print job is sent to the next available printer that can accept print jobs from that application.

DECwindows also lets you provide additional information about how you want your job printed. For example, you can specify the print queue to which you want your job sent and how many copies you want printed.

To provide this additional printing information, choose Print... from the application's File menu. The application displays a dialog box.

From the Print dialog box, you can change any of the following settings: By default, one copy of a job is printed. To print more copies, type the number of copies you want. When you print a file, the entire file is printed. However, if you want to see page 2 of a five-page mail message, you can save paper by printing only that page. To change the page number at which the file starts printing, type a number in the From entry box. Do the same in the To entry box. For example, to print only page 2 of a five-page mail message, type a 2 in both entry boxes. The Print Format list box contains the file formats produced by the current application for printing. These formatted files can be printed only on printers that recognize the specific format.

If your system manager assigned the appropriate print queues to each print format, the Printer list box displays only those printers that can support the chosen print format. If you choose another print format, the Printer list box changes its display accordingly.

For example, card files you create with Cardfiler are formatted as text files. Every print queue that can accept text files—from line printers to sophisticated laser printers—is listed in the Printer list box. Paint,however, produces files formatted for PostScript and ANSI2 output. If the chosen print format is PostScript, the Printer list box displays LN03Rand LPS40 print queues. If the chosen print format is ANSI2, only LN03,LN03R, and LPS40 print queues are displayed.

Note that FileView and Mail display all print formats that are supported by DECwindows, no matter what the file type of the file you selected for printing. Neither FileView nor Mail converts files from one format to the print format you choose. For example, if you select a TXT file in FileView,choose the Print command from FileView's Files menu, click on the Show Queue Options button in the Print dialog box, and click on OK, the Print Format list box displays all print formats, not just the text format.

The first print format in the list is the default option. If your system manager assigned the appropriate print queues to each print format, the Printer list box lists the print queues that can accept the chosen print format.

If the queue defined on your system as SYS$PRINT can accept print jobs in the chosen print format, that queue is listed first. The first print queue in the list is the default option; your print job is sent to the chosen queue. To change the print queue to which your print job is sent, select another print queue. Use the scroll bars to view the list of available print queues. All printers except line printers can print pages in two different page orientations—portrait and landscape. In portrait orientation,characters print parallel to the short edge of the paper. For example, this page is printed in portrait orientation. In landscapeorientation, characters print parallel to the long edge of the paper. Note that the definitions of portrait and landscape can be altered if you choose advanced print settings.

Your system manager has assigned each printer a default orientation. The printer uses this default orientation when it prints your job. To change the orientation for your print job, point to the portrait or landscape option and click MB1. Once you choose your print settings, your job is immediately submitted to the chosen print queue. You can change the time at which your job is actually printed by changing the information in the Print After entry box. By requesting that a print job be held until a specific time, you can ensure that a large print job is printed after hours, when fewer users are sharing printers.

To change the time at which your job is printed, double click on the Print After entry box and type the time, using the following format:

19-APR-1993 14:32

This print job will be held for printing until 2:32 p.m. on April 19, 1993.When you tell DECwindows to print a text or graphics file, it sends a copy of that file to the printer. These print files are not deleted once they are printed. This setting is indicated by an unshaded button. If you want to delete the print file after it is printed, click on the Delete File When Printed button.

This button might not be displayed in all applications.

Many applications let you change default colors by choosing your own colors. If an application provides this option, it displays a color-mixing dialog box when you choose certain settings.

This section describes color-mixing dialog boxes and explains how to use them to specify your own colors.

4.4.1. Color Models

The color mixer offers the following color models for selecting and defining colors:

• Picker color model

• Hue, Lightness, Saturation (HLS) color model

• Red, Green, Blue (RGB) color model

• Browser color model

• Greyscale color model

You can use each of these models alone, or you can use them in any combination. For example, you can use any color model to select a color and then use the Picker color model to blend the selected color.

The following subsections describe how to use each of the color models to choose your own colors.

4.4.1.1. Picker

The Picker is the default color model for the color mixer. It contains the following components:

The color display box displays colors as you mix them.

The color spectrum is a static collection of colors.

The Spectrum options menu lets you set the spectrum to one of the following common color palettes:

• “Rainbow” spectrum (white, red, orange, yellow,green, blue, blue-violet, violet, brown, and black)

• Pastels

• Vivids

• Earthtones

These four color palettes provide a wide variety of colors from which you can choose. The Spectrum options menu also includes any palettes specific to an application.

When you click MB1 on a spectrum tile or interpolator tile,that color becomes the new color. The tile also becomes highlighted, which identifies it as the currently selected color.

You can use the selected color without modification, or you can do one or more of the following tasks:

• Use the interpolator to smear (blend) the selected color into various shades.

• Use the arrow buttons to make the color lighter or darker,warmer or cooler.

• Switch to another color model and use the features of that model to modify the current selection.

Use the two paint buckets to load the interpolator with the colors to blend:

1. Click MB1 on a spectrum tile or interpolator tile.

   The color display box displays the color of that tile.

2. Click on a paint bucket, which fills the interpolator end tile below it with the selected color.

3. Fill both interpolator end tiles or only one; the color of the empty interpolator end tile defaults to white.

As an alternative to the paint buckets, you can use the eyedropper to load the interpolator. Clicking and holding MB1 on a spectrum or interpolator tile, the original-color tile, or the new-color tile causes the pointer to become an eyedropper filled with the color of that tile.

You can move this eyedropper to the interpolator and use it to fill one of the two end tiles by clicking MB1 on one of the tiles. If you do not position the eyedropper directly on one of the two end tiles, the tile closest to the end is filled with the eyedropper color. Note that the cursor must be inside the interpolator.

Use the Undo button to reverse the last interpolator action, which can be a smear, the filling of an end tile, or the activation of one of the warmth or lightness adjustment buttons.

4.4.1.2. Hue, Lightness, Saturation (HLS)

In the Hue, Lightness, Saturation (HLS) color model, you specify a color in terms of three characteristics: hue, lightness, and saturation.

• Hue is color.

• Lightness is color intensity—that is, the amount of the color.

• Saturation is the purity of the color, or how much the color is diluted by white.

The HLS color model contains three scales that represent the ranges of hue, lightness, and saturation.

4.4.1.3. Red, Green, Blue Color Model

In the RGB color model, you specify a color as a mixture of different intensities of red, green, and blue.

The RGB color model contains three scales that represent the ranges of intensity of red, green, and blue.

The RGB color model is the default color model on monochrome systems.

4.4.1.4. Browser

The Browser color model is a scrolled window that displays a list of X11 named colors. Each button in the scrolled window shows the name of anX11 color. Use the scroll bar to scroll through this color list.

When you click MB1 on a color in the list, the color display box becomes filled with that color.

The color browser is available on all systems.

4.4.1.5. Greyscale

The Greyscale color model contains a scale that lets you mix gray shades ranging from black to white. Note that switching to the Greyscale color model converts the current new color to gray.

4.4.2. Scratch Pad

The scratch pad lets you store intermediate colors for later use in color mixing.

To access the scratch pad, click on the scratch pad button in any of the color models.

To store the currently selected color in the scratch pad, click on the paint bucket above the scratch pad color tile. The scratch pad adds that color to its list of stored colors. You can scroll through the list with the scroll bar.

Use the Clear button to cancel this list and return the scratch pad to its initial state.

Note that the currently selected color can be one of many color tiles on the Picker model. When using other color models, however, you can select only the new-color and original-color tiles.

To set the new-color tile to a scratch pad color, scroll to the new color and click on the scratch pad color tile. The new-color tile changes, and the scratch pad tile is highlighted. In the Picker model, this highlighting indicates that you can now dump the scratch pad color into one of the interpolator end tiles by using the paint bucket buttons.

As noted in Chapter 1, Introduction, you can get help on any DECwindows application by using DECwindows Help. For more information about DECwindows Help, see Chapter 4, Performing Common Tasks.

By default, Session Manager runs applications by using a set of default qualifiers. To change theway DECwindows runs an application,choose the ellipsis (...) next to the application on Session Manager's Applications menu. Session Manager displays the application's Qualifiers dialog box.

From the application's qualifier dialog box, you can change the following settings: When you start an application, the application automatically runs as a subprocess of Session Manager's process or as a detached process. A subprocess of Session Manager's process shares Session Manager's quotas and environment. A detached process is a fully independent process.

By default, an application runs with the same display parameters as Session Manager. For more information about using display parameters to run remote applications, see Chapter 12, Running Applications Across the Network.

Session Manager keeps track of your currently running applications and FileView tasks in a Work in Progress dialog box.

To display the Work in Progress dialog box, choose Work in Progress... from Session Manager's Session menu.

Session Manager displays the Work in Progress dialog box.

The Work in Progress dialog box remains open until you close it.

Logical names let you give frequently used files, directories, and devices meaningful names that are easier to remember and type than the full file specifications. For example, you can define WORK as the logical name for your device DUA0, or STAFF as the logical name for the file specification $USERS:[JONES.STAFF].

This section describes how to use Session Manager to define logical names. For more information about how you can use logical names, see Appendix D, Understanding Files, Directories, and Devices.

Your process privileges determine what commands and functions you are authorized to execute from your account. Your system manager authorized these privileges when your account was created.

Some tasks require more powerful privileges. You can see which privileges are currently authorized by choosing Privileges... from Session Manager's Session menu.

Click on the privileges you need to perform a specific task. You are granted only those privileges you are authorized to hold; privileges that you are not authorized to hold are dimmed.

You can use Session Manager's Options menu to customize your DECwindows environment. To find out how to do this, see Chapter 7, Customizing Session Manager.

When you use the Apply button to create a new file list,you can use a wildcard in the File Filter or in another directory specification in the Directory entry box. For example, to list only the TXT files in your current directory, type *.TXT in the File Filter entry box and click on the Apply button. The file list displays the files you requested.

The Apply button changes to an Update button when you make changes to the contents of the current directory. If that change affects your file list,clicking on the Update button displays the altered version of the file list. For example, if you rename or delete a file in the file list, the Apply button changes to an Update button to remind you to update the file list. You can continue to work with other files and perform other tasks, updating the file list at your convenience.

When you start an update operation, the Apply or Update button becomes a Cancel button. Clicking on the Cancel button stops the file search as soon as possible. FileView displays whatever file information was already collected, along with a pop-up message box that indicates what information is missing.

To perform a FileView task, you must select the file with which you want to work. FileView highlights the selected file, and the next command you choose affects that file. When you select or filter files,FileView displays the number of currently selected and filtered files on the File Selection menu bar.

If you do not select a file name before choosing a FileView command, FileView displays a dialog box that asks you to type the name of the file or files on which you want to perform the command.

When you choose a command from FileView's Commands menu, you can execute the command immediately or you can choose to display a command dialog box. From a command's dialog box you can choose options to tailor the file operation. For example, you can request that the Copy command display a confirmation prompt each time you copy a file.

To execute a command without displaying a dialog box,select a file and choose the command you want to use from FileView's Commands menu.

6.3.2. Comparing the Contents of Files

To compare the contents of two files and to view a listing of the lines that do not match:

1. Select the first file you want to compare.

2. Choose the ellipsis (...) next to the Compare command on the Commands menu.

   FileView displays a dialog box.

   

   By default, the selected file will be compared with its previous version. To compare the selected file with a file other than its previous version, double click on the text in the To entry box and type another file specification.

3. To perform a simple compare operation, click on OK.

   To alter the way each compare operation matches lines, choose any of the following options and click on OK.
   

   Enable this option	To
   Parallel Output	List the lines with differences side by side.
   Match Size	Specify the number of lines that should again indicate matching data after differences are found. Once the Compare command finds unmatched lines, it considers the files matching once again after it finds three sequential lines that match. Use the Match slider to override the match size of 3.
   Maximum Differences	Terminate the compare operation after the specified number of unmatched lines is found. This number can be from 0 to100, where 0 indicates no maximum.
   Search Limit	Specify how many lines should be searched before aline is considered unmatched. Unless you specify otherwise, the Compare command searches to the ends of both files being compared before it lists aline as unmatched. This number can be from 0 to 100, where 0 indicates no maximum.

If you choose the Compare command without first selecting a file, type the names of the file you want to compare with its previous version.

The following example shows the results of an operation in which the files PROJECTIONS.LIS;2 and PROJECTIONS.LIS;1 are compared.

From: $USERS:[JONES]DIRECTIONS.TXT;1,$USERS:[JONES]PROVISIONS.LIS;1
To: $USERS:[JONES]HOLIDAY.*;*

Files: FORECAST1.DDIF;*,FORECAST2;*,FORECAST3;*

Files: DIRECTIONS.TXT,CURRENCY,*.COM

Files: *L*.COM

From: DIRECTIONS.TXT
To: [.SCHEDULES]

From: *.TXT;*
To: $USERS:[JONES]*.OLD;*

Files: [.SCHEDULES]MORTGAGE.EXE

Files: *.COM
Strings: WRITE

6.3.13. Displaying Information About Files

You can obtain information about a file or group of files by using the Show File command. This information can include the file's size, creation date,protection settings, and last backup date.

To obtain information about a file:

1. Choose the ellipsis (...) next to the Show File command on the Commands menu.

2. Type the name of the file about which you want information.

FileView displays a dialog box.

To use wildcards in the file specifications of the files you want information about, choose the Show File command without first selecting any files. In the following example, choosing the Show File command and entering the file specification as shown display information about all files in the $USERS:[JONES]with the file type PS.

Show File: $USERS:[JONES]*.PS

Output from the Show File command looks similar to this:

You can open a new FileView window that maintains the file and directory context of the current FileView window. When you choose New View... from FileView's File menu, FileView copies the display from the current FileView window into the new window and updates it, leaving the current FileView window in its original state. Any changes you make to the current FileView window(such as deleting a file or changing the information in the File Filter entry box)without applying them are reflected in the new FileView window.

A new FileView window is opened that reflects the new file and directory information you specified. The File Filter and Directory entry boxes in the current FileView window are reset to the original text.

FileView gives you two shortcuts for accessing files and applications quickly: pop-up menus and double-click commands.

To access files on your system, you need to work with and navigate the directory structure. You might alsoneed to work with devices other than your default device.

You can access your own and other directory structures that have been set up to allow public access. With the correct process privileges, you can access files and directories on other devices or nodes. Your privilege classification controls what commands and functions you are authorized to execute from your account. For more information about setting process privileges, see Chapter 5, Using Session Manager.

File Filter: [JONES...]
Directory: $USERS:[JONES.STAFF]

File Filter: [JONES...]DIRECTIONS.TXT
Directory: $USERS:[JONES.STAFF]

File Filter: [...PROJECT]SALARIES.LIS
Directory: $USERS:[JONES]

File Filter: [...]HOLIDAYS.LIS
Directory: $USERS:[JONES]

File Filter: [.LETTERS]OFFER.TXT
Directory: $USERS:[JONES]

File Filter: [*...]
Directory: $USERS:[JONES]

File Filter: [-]
Directory: $USERS:[JONES.STAFF]

File Filter: [-.STAFF]FUNDING.TXT
Directory: $USERS:[JONES.SCHEDULES]

File Filter: [–]
Directory: $USERS:[JONES.SCHEDULES.CURRENT]

You can execute a DCL command directly from FileView by choosing DCL Command from the Utilities menu. FileView opens a DCL Command window and displays the DCL prompt ($). Any DCL command you enter is executed in the context of the current directory.

To close the DCL Command window temporarily, shrink the window to an icon by clicking MB1on the window's minimize button. By continuing to choose DCL Command from FileView's Utilities menu, you create additional Task Output windows that you can close and reopen.

If you begin every workday by logging in and starting the same few applications—perhaps DECterm, Calendar, and Mail—you can save yourself the effort of re-creating that environment by customizing Session Manager to start them for you.

To change your keyboard settings, choose Keyboard... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the Keyboard Options dialog box.

From the Customize Keyboard dialog box, you can change any of the following settings:

Bell Volume

Keyclick Volume

Cursor Blink

Auto Repeat

Lock Key State

Operator Window Keys

Keyboard Type

The system default keyboard type is North American. When you installed DECwindows, you might have chosen another keyboard type, such as French, to correspond to your keyboard model. This keyboard type became the new system default. This means that every DECwindows session that is started on that workstation uses the French keyboard type.

If the keyboard on your workstation does not match the keyboard type that was specified when DECwindows was installed, you must set the keyboard type to match the keyboard model. This changes the keyboard type temporarily without permanently changing the system default keyboard type. (For example, you might plug an Austrian German keyboard into a workstation whose system default keyboard type,specified when DECwindows was installed, is French.)

To find your keyboard model number, turn the keyboard upside down and look fora label that specifies the model number. The model number should be in a format similar to LK201- xx. (The model number might also be listed as simplyLK201. In this case, the xx you need is in another place on the label. Look for a number similar to nn-nnnnn-xx.) Use this number to select a keyboard type from the Keyboard Type list box. For example, if you are using an Austrian German keyboard and your keyboard model is LK201-NG, select the Austrian German LK201-NG keyboard type.

For any language other than North American or U.S., you can also specify whether you want your keyboard to act as a data processing (DP) or typewriter (TW)keyboard. Selecting a data processing keyboard type enables the characters on the right half of the keycaps. Selecting a typewriter keyboard enables the characters on the left half of the keycaps.

To use this new keyboard type for subsequent sessions, you must save the new setting before you end the current session. The new keyboard type is in effect for your sessions only after DECwindows verifies your password at the start of each new session.

DECwindows applications are displayed in American English,but they are available in multiple languages. If you have the correct language support installed on your system, you can use DECwindows in another language.

To set another session language, choose Language... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the Language Options dialog box.

Scroll through the list of languages and select the one you want. The next application you start is displayed in that language. If your system does not support the selected language, the application is displayed in American English.

Language capabilities might vary between systems. For example, your system might have the language support required to display applications in French. If you select French as your session language, any applications you run on your workstation are displayed in French. However, if you run an application on a remote node that does not support French, and you direct the display to your workstation with the SET DISPLAY command, the application is displayed in American English.

To find out whether an application is available in another language, see the documentation for that application.

You can change the shape and color of the pointer, as well as certain mouse characteristics. To change your mouse and pointer settings, choose Pointer... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the Pointer Options dialog box, which looks like this on a monochrome system:

The Customize Pointer dialog box looks like this on intensity and color systems:

From the Pointer Options dialog box, you can change any of the following settings.

Pointer Acceleration

Mouse Double-Click Timeout

Pointer Foreground Color

On a monochrome system, the pointer's filled area is white with a black outline by default. Click on the Black On White button to reverse the fill and outline colors.

On intensity and color systems, the pointer's filled area or foreground is black by default. To change this setting, click on the Pointer Foreground Color button. Session Manager displays a color-mixing dialog box. For more information about mixing colors, see Chapter 4, Performing Common Tasks.

To see your changes, click on Apply or OK in the Pointer dialog box.

Pointer Background Color

To see your changes, click on Apply or OK in the Pointer dialog box.

Button Arrangement

The preset mouse button arrangement—MB1 on the left and MB3 on the right—is natural for a right-handed user. You can switch the mouse button arrangement by clicking on the Left Handed radio button. The right mouse button becomes MB1 and the left mouse button becomes MB3. MB2 stays the same.

Pointer Shape

By default, the pointer is a left arrow. To change the pointer shape, scroll through the list of shapes and select the one you want.

You can change Session Manager's icon name and window name as well as its startup state. To change your Session Manager window, choose Window... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays a Window dialog box.

From the Window dialog box, you can change the following settings.

Icon Name

Window Name

To change Session Manager's window label,type the new window name in the Window Name entry box. By default, Session Manager's window label includes the name of your node. To append a directory specification to the window name, click on the Directory button.

Initial State

Session Manager is displayed as a window at the start of each session. Click on the Icon button in the Initial State entry box to specify that Session Manager be stored as an icon at the start of every session.

When you end your session,Session Manager executes several procedures. To alter this sequence, choose End Session Prompts... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the End Session Prompts Options dialog box.

From the End Session Prompt Options dialog box, you can change the following settings.

Confirm End Session

When you end a session, Session Manager asks you for confirmation. This setting is indicated by the shaded radio button. To disable the confirmation message, click on the Confirm Quit Session button. You do not receive a confirmation message when you end your session.

Send End Session Notification

When you end a session, Session Manager notifies every current DECwindows application. Some applications respond to this message and save important data. This setting is indicated by the shaded radio button. To prevent Session Manager from sending an end session message, click on the Send End Session Notification radio button.

When you put your session on hold and lock your workstation, the Session Manager clears your screen and displays the Pause Session dialog box. You are prompted as follows: “Type your password to resume the session.” To change this message,choose Pause Screen... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the Pause Screen Options dialog box.

Type your new Pause Screen text in the text-entry box in this dialog box. Click on OK or Apply.

To see your new message, choose Pause from Session Manager's Session Menu.

To change your screen background, choose Screen Background... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the Screen Background Options dialog box.

From the Screen Background Options dialog box, you can change any of the following settings.

Screen Saver

Screen Saver extends the life of your monitor by shutting off its display after a specified time. By default, the monitor shuts off its display after 10minutes of keyboard or mouse inactivity. To vary the amount of time that Screen Saver waits before shutting down the display, drag the arrow in the slider right or left,or move the pointer to a specific location on the slider and click MB1. Click on the Disable button to keep the display on indefinitely. Click on Apply or OK to see your change.

Screen Background Pattern

To change the default background pattern, click on a pattern in the dialog box. The selected pattern is displayed in the pattern viewer. Click on OK or Apply to see your selection in effect.

To create a solid background or foreground, click on the Solid Foreground or Solid Background button. To display the default pattern, click on the Default Pattern button.

Solid Foreground

The screen pattern, when set to anything other than the default pattern,consists of a screen foreground (the filled area in the pattern) and a screen background (the pattern's outline). The selected pattern is displayed in the pattern viewer.

To change the default screen color on a monochrome system, click on the White On Black radio button to reverse the fill and outline colors.

To change the default screen color on intensity and color systems,click on the Solid Foreground button. The Session Manager displays a color-mixing dialog box. For more information about mixing colors, see Chapter 4, Performing Common Tasks.

To see your new setting, click on Apply or OK.

Solid Background

This setting applies to intensity and color systems only. To change the default screen background color, click on the Solid Background button. Session Manager displays a color-mixing dialog box. For more information about mixing colors, see Chapter 4, Performing Common Tasks.

Whether you have a monochrome, intensity, or color system, you can change the look of your DECwindows display. For example, you can alter the background and foreground patterns and the window and screen colors. If you have a color system, you can choose from a wide palette of colors to design a visually pleasing display.

To change your Window color settings, choose Window Colors... from Session Manager's Options menu. Session Manager displays the Window Color Options dialog box.

From the Window Color Options dialog box, you can change any of the following settings. For more information about mixing colors, see Chapter 4, Performing Common Tasks.

Top Shadow Color

Window top and bottom shadow colors have to be well matched to present the three-dimensional look of DECwindows Motif. DECwindows helps you to do this by automatically determining top and bottom shadow colors when you change the window color.

Window Background Color

To change the default window background color,click on the Window Background Color button. Session Manager displays a color-mixing dialog box.

If you save your changes by clicking on Apply or OK in the Window Colors Options dialog box, your new setting takes effect when you start your next session or start applications.

Bottom Shadow Color

Window top and bottom shadow colors have to be well matched to present the three-dimensional look of DECwindows Motif. DECwindows helps you to do this by automatically determining top and bottom shadow colors when you change the window color.

Window Foreground Color

Changing the Window Foreground Color setting in a window that contains text also changes the color of that text. If the window contains graphics, the color of the graphics changes.

To change the default window foreground color,click on the Window Foreground Color button. Session Manager displays a color-mixing dialog box.

If you save your changes by clicking on Apply or OK in the Window Colors Options dialog box, your new setting takes effect when you start your next session or start applications.

Highlight Color

To change the default color of the location cursor used in keyboard traversal,click on the Highlight Color button. Session Manager displays a color-mixing dialog box.

If you save your changes by clicking on Apply or OK in the Window Colors Options dialog box, your new setting takes effect when you start your next session or start applications.

Note that you can also change the pattern used for highlighting. This is especially useful on monochrome and 4-plane color systems.

DECwindows software allows you to run applications from another computer for display on your workstation monitor. By default, your workstation monitor can display only those applications that are running on your workstation. This prevents users on other systems in the network from displaying applications on your workstation monitor and from capturing and displaying your keystrokes (including your password) on another monitor.

From Session Manager's Security Options dialog box, you can authorize yourself or others to use your monitor to display applications that are running on other systems. See Chapter 12, Running Applications Across the Network for information about supplying this authorization.

From the Message Window Options dialog box, you can change the following settings.

Startup State

Click on the Icon radio button to specify that the Message Window be displayed as an icon when you start it.

Scrolled Lines Saved

By default, you can scroll through the last 50 lines of text in Session Manager's message area to view messages you may have missed. The Scrolled Lines Saved slider lets you vary the number of lines that Session Manager saves.

Header Text

Session Manager message area is labeled Messages. To change this heading,type a new heading in this text-entry box.

You can customize Session Manager's and FileView's menus by changing the menu items they contain.

By displaying the Menus dialog box, you can see how a pull-down menu is created and what happens when you choose a menu item from a Session Manager or FileView menu. Once you understand the components of menus, you can modify them and the menu items they contain.

To display the Menus dialog box, choose Menus... from Session Manager's or FileView's Options menu. The following dialog box is displayed.

Once you create a new menu, you must add it to a menu bar. You can also remove menus that you do not need.

By adding the Session Manager as FileView menu item to Session Manager's Options menu, you can combine Session Manager's and FileView's features into one window.

You can change the way the files in your current and subsequent file lists are listed. For example, you might want to list each file by its size or by the date it was created or to change the order in which the files are listed.

To change the way files are listed, choose Layout... from FileView's Options menu. FileView displays a dialog box:

The settings in the Layout dialog box are divided into groups. Some settings are preset and are already in effect. When you choose a setting from the Layout dialog box, it affects every subsequent file list until you change the setting again.

You can change FileView's icon name and window name as well as its startup state. To change your FileView window settings, choose Window... from FileView's Options menu. FileView displays the Window dialog box.

From the Window dialog box,you can change the following settings.

Icon Name

To change FileView's icon label,type the new label name in the Icon Name entry box.

Window Name

To change FileView's window label,type the new window name in the Window Name entry box.

Initial State

When you start FileView, it is displayed as a window. If you want it to appear as an icon when you start it,click on the Icon button in the Initial State entry box.

As described in Chapter 6, Using FileView, FileView provides pop-up menus and double-click command definitions to make it easier for you to work with files. Using the File Types dialog box, you can modify the pop-up menus and double-click command definitions associated with each file type.

To display the File Types dialog box, choose File Types... from FileView's Options menu.

FileView provides two ways to work with your customized FileView settings. You can use options dialog boxes to make changes and save them, as described in the previous sections of this chapter. You can also create FileView windows with different sets of customized settings that you can name and switch between. These customized FileView windows are called views.

The following sections describe how to design and save your own views and how to use predefined views.

9.4.1. Designing a View

As described in Chapter 6, Using FileView,the FileView window contains several components.

To design a view, you choose different combinations of FileView's components from the Save View dialog box. To display the Save View dialog box,choose Save View... from FileView's Options menu. The dialog box is displayed.

By default, all of the following FileView components are saved in the new view.

Component Setting	Information Preserved
Window Panes	Areas displayed in a FileView window. For example, you can use the Show/Hide Work Area menu item to display or not display FileView's work area.
File Filter	Text you specify in the File Filter entry box in the FileView window.
Directory	Name of the directory that you specify in the Directory entry box.
Fields	Field settings—such as Create Date and Size Used—that you specify in the Layout dialog box(Options menu).
Order	Order settings—such as Unsorted or By Name—that you specify in the Layout dialog box(Options menu).
Versions	Version number settings—either Show All or Show Highest—that you specify in the Layout dialog box (Options menu).
Directories	Directories that you specify in the subdirectory list.
Date Filter	Date-filter that settings you specify in the Filter by Date dialog box (Options menu).
Exclude Files	Text that you specify in the Exclude entry box in the FileView window.
Menu Bar	Any menu names that you added to the menu bar (Options menu). This setting allows you to have different menu bars for different tasks.(See Chapter 8, Customizing Menus and Menu Bars for more information about adding menu names to the menu bar.)
Window Name	Name of the FileView window that you specify in the Window dialog box (Options menu).
Icon Name	Name of the FileView icon that you specify in the Window dialog box (Options menu).
Initial State	Initial state of FileView window—icon or window—that you specify in the Window dialog box (Options menu).
Window Size	Size of the FileView window on your screen.
Window Position	Location of the FileView window on your screen.
Privileges	Process privileges that you specify in the Privileges dialog box (Session menu in Session Manager).
Size Filter	Size-filter settings that you specify in the Filter by Size dialog box (Options menu).
Owner Filter	Owner-filter settings that you specify in the Filter by Owner dialog box (Options menu).

If you enable all the component settings,your saved view is a snapshot of the current FileView window. For example, you might want to save a view of a subdirectory you frequently access. When you restore the view, the current FileView display changes to reflect the components of the view you saved. Because you saved every component, the FileView window changes to display a view of that subdirectory. By using a saved view in this way, you establish a shortcut for ascending and descending the directory structure.

When you enable only some component settings and save the current FileView display, only those components you specified are saved. When you restore that saved view, only those components you saved are changed; those components that were not saved are obtained from the current FileView display. For example, you might always want your FileView window to appear in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. By moving the FileView window to the upper left-hand corner, enabling only the window position setting in the Save View dialog box and saving it as a view called “Corner FileView,” you save only one component from the current FileView. You can continue to work with and change your FileView display. When you restore the Corner FileView saved view, no information in your current FileView display changes, but the FileView window moves to the upper left-hand corner of your screen.

If you want to conceal FileView's work area that displays files and display only FileView's menu bar,choose Show/Hide Work Area from FileView's Options menu. FileView is displayed as a menu bar.

To display FileView's work area again, choose Show/Hide Work Area from FileView's Options menu.

To see your changes, choose Apply Current settings from the Options submenu. This restarts the Window Manager.

Another way to restart the Window Manager is to choose Restart... from the Workspace menu. This is useful for customizing Window Manager information that is not provided through the Options dialog boxes. For more information about making Window Manager changes that are not available through options dialog boxes, see “ Section 10.9, “Advanced Customization”.”

You can change the way to make a window active,when a window automatically becomes active, and other Workspace features by changing your Workspace settings.

To change your Workspace settings, choose Workspace... from the Workspace Options submenu. The Window Manager displays the Workspace Options dialog box.

To change your window borders, choose Border... from the Workspace Options submenu. The Window Manager displays the Border Options dialog box.

From the Customize Border dialog box, you can change the following settings.

Border decorations

Click on a border decoration to add or remove it from all your window frames.

Resize border size

The resize border is the border around the window that you drag to resize a window. To change the size of the border,choose one of the default sizes from the Options menu, or choose the Other menu item to enter your own border size.

Other resize border size

If you choose the Other menu item from the Resize Border Size options menu,the Other Resize Border Size entry box receives input focus. Enter a value in this box to define your own border size.

Double click on window menu to close window

Click on this setting to enable or disable the close menu item when you double click on the window menu.

To change your window border colors, choose Border Colors... from the Workspace Options submenu. The Window Manager displays the Border Color Options dialog box.

From the Border Color Options dialog box, you can change the following settings for active or inactive windows. You should create distinct active and inactive background colors so that it is easy to see which window is active.

Foreground

To change the Window Border Foreground color(that is, the color of the title), click on the Foreground button. DECwindows displays the Color Mixing dialog box, which lets you choose the border foreground color you want.

Background

To change the Window Border Background Color(that is, the color behind the title), click on the Background button. DECwindows displays the Color Mixing dialog box, which lets you choose the border background color you want.

Top Shadow

Window border top and bottom shadow colors (that is, colors on the top and left sides of the border)have to be well matched to present the three-dimensional look of DECwindows Motif. DECwindows helps by automatically determining top and bottom shadow border colors when you change the background color. This setting is indicated by the shaded Automatic shadow check button.

To customize the appearance and placement of your icons on the Workspace, choose Icons... from the Workspace Options submenu. The Window Manager displays the Icon Options dialog box.

To change your icon colors, choose Icon Colors... from the Workspace Options submenu. The Window Manager displays the Icon Color Options dialog box.

Foreground

To change the icon foreground color, click on the Foreground button. DECwindows displays the Color Mixing dialog box, which lets you select the icon foreground color you want.

Background

To change the icon background color, click on the Background button. DECwindows displays the Color Mixing dialog box, which lets you select the icon background color you want.

Top Shadow

Icon top and bottom shadow colors have to be well matched to present the three-dimensional look of DECwindows Motif. DECwindows helps by automatically determining top and bottom shadow border colors when you change the icon background color. This setting is indicated by the shaded Automatic shadow check button.

Bottom Shadow

Icon top and bottom shadow colors have to be well matched to present the three-dimensional look of DECwindows Motif. DECwindows helps by automatically determining top and bottom shadow colors when you change the icon background color. This setting is indicated by the shaded Automatic shadow check button.

Icon Box Colors

To change your matte features, choose Matte... from the Workspace Options submenu. The Window Manager displays the Matte Options dialog box.

From the Matte Options dialog box,you can change your matte size and color settings.

For more information about adding and removing items from your automatic startup list, see Chapter 7, Customizing Session Manager.

In addition to the menu items available from the Customize submenu, you can change the appearance and behavior of windows by specifying values for elements known as resourcesin resource configuration files. The Window Manager gets information from these files each time you start a session, an application,or the Window Manager.

For information about modifying resource files, see Chapter 17, Changing DECwindows X Window System Resources.

Assume that you use DECwindows Mail to send and receive electronic messages and that you use DECwindows Calendar to keep track of your appointments.

Linkable objects are pieces of information in hyperapplications that you can link together.

Information from any hyperapplication can be linked to information from the same hyperapplication or from any other hyperapplication. For example, a Calendar timeslot for a seminar could be linked to a Bookreader topic for a chapter that covers material to be discussed at the seminar. You can also link the Bookreader topic to a related topic in the same manual or in a different manual.

The linking possibilities are rich, and you can make themas complex as you want: for example, links between a Calendar timeslot and Bookreader topics and Cardfiler cards, with the topics and cards being linked to still other pieces of information. You can allow others to see and follow your links, and you can see and follow links made by others. We'll see later how you can progress from the simple uses of hyperapplication features to more complex and powerful uses.

On the basis of the importance and granularity of objects,each hyperapplication determines which of its objects are linkable objects. For example, a Cardfiler card is a linkable object, but a part of a word within a card is not.

To use the features described in the chapter, you should be familiar with one or more hyperapplications and should know how to select objects using those applications. (As a general rule, clicking on an object selects it; however, the method of selection can vary depending on the application and the object. For example, some objects are selected by clicking and dragging.)

The presence of the Link menu (see the following figure) indicates that an application is a hyperapplication. You use the Link menu to take advantage of the hyperapplication features described in this chapter.

Each link involves two hyperapplication objects. One of these objects becomes the source for the link,and the other becomes the target.

Do not become confused by these terms, because for any given link it does not matter which object is the source and which is the target — unless you choose to make it matter. You can selectively enable and disable highlighting(discussed later) for sources and targets, and some displays of link information use these two terms. However, when you select an object and retrieve the information to which it is linked, it does not matter whether the object you select was designated as a source or a target: the linked information is still retrieved.

For each pair of objects to be linked, the object selected for Start Link is made the source, and the object selected for Complete Link... is made the target. You might want to make the object you were initially viewing the source and the other object the target. For example, you might make the source a Calendar timeslot about a seminar and the target a Bookreader table-of-contents entry about the seminar's subject. However, the choice of source and target designations for each link is up to you.

When you have selected one end of a link (the source or the target),you can follow the link to see the information at the other end. However, you must first be able to see which objects are linked and which are not. Objects that are linked are highlighted, unless you disable highlighting (as explained in “ Section 11.6, “Adjusting the Highlighting””).

The method of highlighting varies depending on the application.

To reverse the effect of the most recent Visit or Go To operation, use the Go Back menu item. Go Back is useful if you “change your mind” after performing a Visit or Go To operation and want to return to where you were. The Go Back operation does not delete or otherwise affect any actual links.

For each hyperapplication, you can enable or disable the highlighting of linked objects; that is, the fact that these objects are linked can be made visible or not visible, depending on whether or not you want to use the features described in this chapter. You can also control which kinds of linked objects are highlighted when highlighting is enabled.

Use the Turn Highlight On/Off menu item to enable and disable highlighting. The wording of this item depends on the current state: if highlighting is enabled(the initial default), this item says Turn Highlight Off; if highlighting is disabled, this choice says Turn Highlight On. Disabling highlighting does not disable the use of hyperapplication features. However, it makes their use impractical because you are unable to see which objects have links.

The Highlight... menu item allows you to specify the kinds of objects to be highlighted. This item displays the Highlighting dialog box.

You can see the characteristics of a link and can delete a link by using the Show Links... menu item. This menu item displays the Links dialog box, which is illustrated in “ Section 11.5, “Following Links”.”

If you click on the Show Link... button, a dialog box appears with detailed information about the selected link. This dialog box contains the same information as shown in the Complete Link... dialog box, illustrated earlier in “ Section 11.4, “Creating Links””,except that the Retain This Source button does not appear. You can edit the Relationship and Description entry boxes.

To delete a link, click on the Delete button in the Links dialog box. As soon as you delete a link, the object becomes an orphan; to make it no longer an orphan, delete the link by selecting the object to which it is linked and then using the Delete button in the Show Links... dialog box in the appropriate hyperapplication.

Whenever you perform a Visit or Go To operation, the LinkWorks history is updated to reflect your operations. To see the history of your navigation operations, choose the Show History... menu item, which displays the following dialog box.

The Go Back menu item, described earlier in “ Section 11.5, “Following Links”,”removes the last step from the history and performs a Go To operation to the previous step. Thus, Go Back lets you step backward through the history list while deleting steps.

The Step Forward menu item moves to the next step in the currently active path and performs the step. Thus, Step Forward lets you step forward through the current active path.

Information about links that you make and follow is stored in a hyperinformation linkbase. By default, you have a linkbase named LWK_PERSONAL in your login default directory. However, you can cause LinkWorks to use another linkbase as your default personal linkbase by defining the logical name LWK_PERSONAL to point to that linkbase file. Although you probably will not need to create additional linkbases, you can create them by using the LinkWorks Manager application.

Each linkbase contains a number of hyperinformation objects. These objects let you organize your links as they become more numerous and complex. The same principle is included in many software applications. For example, in Mail you begin with one folder (MAIL) in one drawer (your primary mail file). As you receive more and more messages, you organize them into folders. If the number of folders grows sufficiently, you might decide to create new drawers, each with several folders.

Initially, you are authorized to run applications only from your workstation, where your current session is running. This means that you cannot log in to another system and run applications for display on your workstation unless you authorize that node and user name to do so.

From Session Manager, you can give users access to your workstation display by specifying their node names and user names. By default, you give access to users on systems that are connected by DECnet software. DECnet is one transport by which nodes in a network communicate. (The transport passes information between the application and the display.) You can also give access to users on systems running other transports, such as TCP/IP.

The user name, node name, and transport information you provide act as filters to screen out all except a selected class of users. For example, you can give access to your workstation to user JOE on node BLINKN, which is a node on a system that is running DECnet software. By giving access only to JOE on node BLINKN, you deny access to another user JOE on node NOD.

12.1.1. Authorizing Workstation Access in a DECnet Network

To authorize yourself or others to display applications on your OpenVMS workstation in a DECnet network:

1. Choose Security... from Session Manager's Options menu.

   Session Manager displays the Security dialog box.

   

2. In the Node entry box, type the node name of the user you want to authorize.

   The node name cannot be a cluster alias (a name that represents multiple nodes configured in a VMScluster); it must identify an actual node. To authorize your own node, you must enter a zero (0).

3. In the Username entry box, type the user name of the user you want to authorize.
   

   Note

   If you are running an application on an ULTRIX system, you should authorize the user a second time, but this time type the user identification number (UID) of the user you want to authorize. This is necessary because some applications identify the user with the user name, and some with the UID. (The UID is a small number—less than 3200.)

   The transport information is already supplied. The default transport, DECnet,allows connections from one node to another.

4. Click on Add.

   The user name (or UID), node name, and transport are added to the list of authorized users.

5. Click on OK or Apply.

The following example shows how to add your name to the list of authorized users of your display, thereby ensuring that you can display DECwindows applications on your workstation from system ZEPHYR.

Note

Be aware that each node, both source and destination, must be defined in each other's network node database. For example, to display applications on node HUBBUB from ZEPHYR, HUBBUB must be entered in ZEPHYR's network node database,and ZEPHYR must be defined in HUBBUB's network node database.

You can use an asterisk (*) wildcard in the Username or Node entry box to authorize entire classes of users. For example, to authorize all users who are logged in to node HUBBUB to display on your workstation, type an asterisk (*) in the Username entry box and HUBBUB in the Node entry box. Then click on Add. Session Manager adds that text to the list of authorized users.

Tip

It's a good idea to give access to only those users who you know require it. Giving access to an indeterminate number of users is not recommended because this practice can compromise the security of your system.

12.1.2. Authorizing Workstation Access in an Internet (TCP/IP) Network

If your system is part of an Internet (TCP/IP) network, you can run applications across the network by using TCP/IP as a DECwindows transport. (Most vendors supply TCP/IP as an X Window System Transport.)

To run applications on a remote system for local display, you'll need both a transport interface (such as the TCP/IP transport interface included in DECwindows) and transport software(such as DEC TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS)to connect the applications with the workstation display. If you have another vendor's transport software, make sure you have a compatible transport interface. If you're not sure whether you have both software components, see your system manager.

Note

Different vendors' implementations of TCP/IP transports use different call interfaces. Because of this, the TCP/IP transport interface included in DECwindows is compatible only with the DEC TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS software.

To authorize yourself or others to display applications on your OpenVMS workstation in an Internet network:

1. Choose Security... from Session Manager's Options menu.

   Session Manager displays the Security dialog box, as illustrated in the preceding section.

2. In the Node entry box, type the node name of the user you want to authorize.

3. In the Username entry box, type an asterisk (*).

   You cannot authorize individual users in a TCP/IP network because TCP/IP does not provide remote user information,only node information. The asterisk indicates that every user on the node you specify can display application output on your workstation.

4. Delete the text in the Transport entry box and type TCPIP.(Be sure to type TCPIP, not TCP/IP.)

   If you're using another vendor's transport, type the name of that transport in this entry box.

5. Click on Add.

   The asterisk, node name, and transport name are added to the list of authorized users. The node name is displayed in upper-case letters,but it matches any lowercase letters in the node name.

6. Click on OK or Apply.

The following example shows how to make sure that users on system ZEPHYR can display DECwindows or X Window System applications on your workstation.

Once you are authorized to display applications on your workstation from another system, you can log in to other systems and direct the display to your workstation by using the DCL command SET DISPLAY or the equivalent command on other operating systems. Although DECwindows or other X Window System implementations must be available on these systems, they need not be workstations.

The SET DISPLAY/CREATE command affects only those applications running in the window from which you issue the command. This means that,although you might be running one application on your workstation and displaying it on another workstation, you can continue to run applications on your workstation for display in other windows on your monitor.

$ SET DISPLAY/CREATE/NODE=display_node

Device:       WSA2:
Node:         HUBBUB
Transport:    DECNET
Server:       0
Screen:       0

$ SET DISPLAY/DELETE

$ SET DISPLAY/CREATE/NODE=ROMA

$ SET DISPLAY/CREATE/TRANSPORT=TCPIP/NODE="pluto"

$ SET DISPLAY/CREATE/TRANSPORT=LOCAL/NODE=0

You can also use these command lines to run the desktop applications from DECterm or from FileView's DCL Command window on your workstation. To run multiple applications simultaneously from a single DECterm or FileView DCL Command window, add SPAWN/NOWAIT/INPUT=NL: to the beginning of each command line.

The remaining sections in this chapter contain examples for customizing the DECwindows client environment.

When you start a DECwindows session,the default login screen featuring the DIGITAL logo and the Start Session screen is displayed. For an example of the login screen, see Chapter 2, Opening and Closing DECwindows.

You must use the Start Session screen for logging in to DECwindows, but you can substitute your own logo for the DIGITAL logo by running an application that displays your logo.

If you are a system manager, you can set up user accounts to run only certain applications. For example, you might want users to use only the Bookreader application.

When you start Session Manager or FileView, these applications read and merge the contents of the customization files to create your environment. First, they read the system customization file. The system customization file shipped with DECwindows contains definitions that produce the menu bar, menu items, and saved views you saw when you first started Session Manager or FileView. Next, Session Manager and FileView read the public customization files, if any exist. The public customization file contains any definitions that you share with other users (for example, a shared pull-down menu). Finally, they read your private customization file, which contains your personal definitions.

When Session Manager and FileView try to find the system customization file, they look first in the location defined by the logical name VUE$SYSTEM_PROFILE. If no translation is found, they use the file specification DECW$SYSTEM_DEFAULTS:VUE$SYSTEM_PROFILE.VUE$DAT to locate the system customization file. (The system customization file is placed in the DECW$SYSTEM_DEFAULTS directory when you install DECwindows.)

When Session Manager and FileView try to locate the public customization file, they look first in the location defined by the logical name VUE$PUBLIC_PROFILE. You can equate this logical name with a file specification to point to directories containing public customization files. (VUE$PUBLIC_PROFILE can be a search list that points to a list of directories containing customization files that you share with other users.) If no translation is found, Session Manager and FileView read all the files that match the file specification VUE$LIBRARY:*.VUE$DAT. As the files are read, their specifications are added to a list in memory. This ensures that no two files with the same name are loaded.

Finally, Session Manager and FileView find your private customization file by using the logical name VUE$PROFILE. You can equate this logical name with a file specification to point to your private customization file. If no translation is found, Session Manager and FileView use the file specification DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:VUE$PROFILE.VUE$DAT. This normally translates to your SYS$LOGIN directory, but you can redefine it to translate to any other directory.

When you rearrange the order of menu items on a menu in a public customization file or remove a built-in menu item from it, you create a copy of that menu in your private customization file. Because Session Manager and FileView read your private customization file last, any subsequent changes made to the public customization file will not be reflected in your private customization file. For example, if new menu items are added to a menu in the public customization file, you will not see those additions. Your private customization file will override the public file. Adding more menu items to a sorted menu does not make a private copy of the public menu definition.

You can use the Create Public Profile File command to create a file that contains customized Session Manager or FileView components.

Some built-in menu items invoke command files to execute a series of commands. Each command file uses task messages to pass information between Session Manager or FileView and the VMS subprocesses that process tasks. This information includes files currently selected in the file list and the status of the current task. Task messages also instruct Session Manager and FileView to display a corresponding dialog box or error message.

Task messages consist of text strings that are sent on I/O channels called VUE$INPUT and VUE$OUTPUT. Subprocesses write messages to VUE$OUTPUT, which Session Manager or FileView reads. For some message types, Session Manager or FileView responds by writing messages to VUE$INPUT, which the subprocess reads. For each task message,Session Manager or FileView defines a DCL symbol that command files can use to send the message. When DCL encounters this symbol in a command file, it writes the message flag and any parameters you specify to VUE$OUTPUT. The VUE$INPUT and VUE$OUTPUT channels are already opened in the subprocess when your command file is invoked. You don't need to open or close them.

You do not need to open SYS$INPUT and SYS$OUTPUT channels in your command files. Specifically, your command files can prompt you by including the DCL command INQUIRE, if necessary, or can run programs that perform terminal I/O. When Session Manager and FileView detect that text has been written to SYS$OUTPUT, they respond by assigning and displaying a Task Output box that behaves like a terminal.

VUE$EXIT_COMMAND_LOOP

The VUE$EXIT_COMMAND_LOOP message notifies Session Manager or FileView that the command procedure is about to exit the normal DCL command loop by executing the DCL command STOP. If a command procedure executes the DCL command STOP without first sending a VUE$EXIT_COMMAND_LOOP message, the subprocess is not properly reused. The combination of VUE$EXIT_COMMAND_LOOP and STOP is used only to obtain a Task Output window in which you can interact directly with the DCL command line.

DCL format: VUE$EXIT_COMMAND_LOOP

VUE$GET_ALL_SELECTIONS

The VUE$GET_ALL_SELECTIONS message requests that Session Manager or FileView return the names of all selected files in the current view as a list whose components are separated by commas. Follow VUE$GET_ALL_SELECTIONS with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned file name list.

DCL format: VUE$GET_ALL_SELECTIONS

VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION

The VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION message requests that Session Manager or FileView return the name of the next selected file in the current view. VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION can be used iteratively to get the name of each file that was selected when the task began. After the last file name is returned, Session Manager or FileView returns an empty string. Follow VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned file name.

DCL format: VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION

VUE$GET_QUALIFIERS

The VUE$GET_QUALIFIERS message requests that Session Manager or FileView return a SET DISPLAY command with the parameters for the current item to the subprocess. If a user selects Detached,the subprocess terminates, and Session Manager or FileView re-executes the command file in a new detached process.

DCL format: VUE$GET_QUALIFIERS

VUE$GET_SELECTION_COUNT

The VUE$GET_SELECTION_COUNT message requests that Session Manager or FileView return the number ofselected files in the current view. Follow VUE$GET_SELECTION_COUNT with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned count.

DCL format: VUE$GET_SELECTION_COUNT

VUE$GET_SYMBOL

The VUE$GET_SYMBOL message requests that Session Manager or FileView return the value of the specified symbol previously set by VUE$SET_SYMBOL. Follow VUE$GET_SYMBOL with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned value.

You can also use VUE$GET_SYMBOL to query the special DCL symbol VUE$SHOW_HIDDEN_DIALOGS. Many built-in commands allow you to hide the associated dialog box by highlighting the Hide this Dialog check button in the command's dialog box. You can then force the box to appear by choosing the command while pressing and holding the Shift key. If you began the task while pressing and holding the Shift key, VUE$GET_SYMBOL returns TRUE for the value of VUE$SHOW_HIDDEN_DIALOGS. This allows your command files to provide a similar ellipsis feature that you can override when you choose the command from a menu while pressing the Shift key.

DCL format: VUE$GET_SYMBOL symbol

Example: VUE$GET_SYMBOL MY_LIBRARY

VUE$HIGHLIGHT_UPDATE

The VUE$HIGHLIGHT_UPDATE message requests that Session Manager or FileView highlight the Apply button in the Session Manager or FileView window by changing its label from Apply to Update. (The Update button is used to remind you that there might have been a change to the files in the current file list.) When you click on the Update button, the label returns to Apply.

DCL format: VUE$HIGHLIGHT_UPDATE

VUE$INQUIRE

The VUE$INQUIRE message requests that Session Manager or FileView display a dialog box prompting you for input text. The message includes the prompt to be used, as well as the initial value to be placed in the text-entry box. When you click on the OK button in the dialog box, the text is returned to the subprocess in VUE$INPUT. If you click on the Cancel button in the dialog box, a null string is returned. Follow VUE$INQUIRE with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned text string.

Because the prompt parameter might contain spaces, be sure to enclose both the prompt parameter and the initial text string in quotation marks.

DCL format: VUE$INQUIRE prompt initial-text

Example: VUE$INQUIRE " " "Showfile: " " " " ’ ’current_default ’ " " "

VUE$INQUIRE_SYMBOL

The VUE$INQUIRE_SYMBOL message requests that Session Manager or FileView display a dialog box prompting you for input text. The message includes the prompt to be used and a symbol name. The symbol is translated by Session Manager or FileView, and the current value is used as the initial value in the text-entry box. When you click on the OK button in the dialog box, the symbol is redefined using the text you entered,and the text is returned to the subprocess in VUE$INPUT. If you click on the Cancel button in the dialog box, a null string is returned and the task exits. Follow VUE$INQUIRE_SYMBOL with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned text string.

DCL format: VUE$INQUIRE_SYMBOL symbol prompt

Example: VUE$INQUIRE_SYMBOL “MY_LIBRARY Library:”

VUE$POPDOWN

The VUE$POPDOWN message instructs Session Manager or FileView to pop down the Task Output box forthis task, if it is displayed.

DCL format: VUE$POPDOWN

VUE$POPUP

The VUE$POPUP message instructs Session Manager or FileView to display the Task Output box for this task, if it is not already displayed. The Task Output box does not take input focus when it appears. Note that the Task Output box pops up automatically when output is written to SYS$OUTPUT. You can use this task message to force the box to appear sooner.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP

VUE$POPUP_CONFIRM

The VUE$POPUP_CONFIRM message requests that Session Manager or FileView pop up a confirmation box containing the specified text. The box contains two command buttons labeled Yes and No, which allow you to respond appropriately. Session Manager or FileView then returns either “YES” or “NO” in VUE$INPUT. Follow VUE$POPUP_CONFIRM with VUE$READ to allow the subprocess to receive the returned text string. You may separate the text on multiple lines by including the line-feed (ASCII 10)character.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP_CONFIRM message

Example: VUE$POPUP_CONFIRM “File was not found. Continue?”

VUE$POPUP_FOCUS

The VUE$POPUP_FOCUS message instructs Session Manager or FileView to pop up the Task Output box for this task, if it is not already displayed. The Task Output box takes input focus when it appears. Though the Task Output box pops up automatically when output is written to SYS$OUTPUT, it does not normally take input focus.

Note that this task message is incompatible with the Interclient Communications Conventions manual (ICCCM)and should not be used with an ICCCM window manager such as the Motif Window Manager.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP_FOCUS

VUE$POPUP_HELP

The VUE$POPUP_HELP message requests that Session Manager or FileView pop up a Help dialog box displaying help text from the specified library on the specified topic. If Session Manager or FileView cannot open the file or if the topic is not found, an error message dialog box is displayed.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP_HELP library topic

Example: VUE$POPUP_HELP “SYS$HELP:DECW$SESSION.HLB Overview”

VUE$POPUP_MESSAGE

The VUE$POPUP_MESSAGE message requests that Session Manager or FileView pop up a message box containing the specified text. The box also contains an Acknowledge button,which allows you to dismiss the box. You can separate the text on multiple lines by including the line-feed (ASCII 10) character.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP_MESSAGE message

Example: VUE$POPUP_MESSAGE “Library build is complete.”

VUE$POPUP_QUALIFIERS

The VUE$POPUP_QUALIFIERS message requests that Session Manager or FileView pop up a dialog box containing text-entry boxes to change the display and an option box to change how applications run. The current settings for the command are shown in the dialog box.

When you click on OK or Apply, a SET DISPLAY command with the selected parameters is returned to the subprocess. If a user selects Detached, the subprocess terminates,and Session Manager or FileView re-executes the command file in a new detached process. If a user selects Detached and then clicks on Apply,the string DETACHED_APPLY is returned instead of the SET DISPLAY command.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP_QUALIFIERS

VUE$POPUP_PROGRESS_BOX

The VUE$POPUP_PROGRESS_BOX message requests that Session Manager or FileView pop up the Work in Progress dialog box, if it is not already displayed. This box allows an optional time value, representing a number of seconds, to be specified. If this task message is included, the box is displayed only for the specified number of seconds and then is automatically dismissed, unless some other entry prevents it. Also, the task status is shown as “Starting” in the Work in Progress dialog box if the timer is included.

You can use this task message to provide feedback that a task is starting before the task produces any visible results. If a time value is not included,the Work in Progress dialog box is automatically dismissed when the current task is completed, unless another entry prevents it.

DCL format: VUE$POPUP_PROGRESS_BOX optional-time

Example: VUE$POPUP_PROGRESS_BOX 10

VUE$READ

VUE$READ is the mechanism for receiving a value that Session Manager or FileView returns as a result of a previous message you sent. It reads the next record from VUE$INPUT into a symbol you specify.

For example, VUE$READ is used to read the file name returned after a VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION message is sent.

DCL format: VUE$READ symbol

Example: VUE$READ NEXT_SELECTION

VUE$RESET_SELECTIONS

VUE$RESET_SELECTIONS instructs Session Manager or FileView to reset its internal pointers to the selected file list. Normally, a task command file iterates through the list of selected files by repeatedly calling VUE$GET_NEXT_SELECTION.VUE$RESET_SELECTIONS allows the task to iterate through the list again.

DCL format: VUE$RESET_SELECTIONS

VUE$SET_DONE_LABEL

The VUE$SET_DONE_LABEL message requests that Session Manager or FileView change the label for this task to the specified text when the task is complete. This message has no effect until the task completes.

DCL format: VUE$SET_DONE_LABEL label

Example: VUE$SET_DONE_LABEL “Library build complete”

VUE$SET_ERROR_STATUS

The VUE$SET_ERROR_STATUS message requests that Session Manager or FileView set the “Error”flag in the Work in Progress dialog box entry for the current task.

DCL format: VUE$SET_ERROR_STATUS

VUE$SET_OUTPUT_TITLE

VUE$SET_OUTPUT_TITLE allows the task to specify a new title for its Task Output box. By default, Session Manager or FileView uses as the title the menu item name that invoked the task.

DCL format: VUE$SET_OUTPUT_TITLE

VUE$SET_SYMBOL

The VUE$SET_SYMBOL message requests that Session Manager or FileView store a value for the specified symbol in order to reuse it later. This mechanism allows Session Manager or FileView tasks, which are run as subprocesses, to share the same value for a symbol or to preserve a symbol across invocations of the same menu item. Defining a DCL symbol in your command file does not have the same effect, because it might be run in a different subprocess the next time the command file is invoked.

DCL format: VUE$SET_SYMBOL symbol-value

Example: VUE$SET_SYMBOL “MY_LIBRARY WORK:[JONES.LIBRARY]”

VUE$SET_TASK_LABEL

The VUE$SET_TASK_LABEL message requests that Session Manager or FileView change the label for this task in the Work in Progress dialog box and in the Task Output box, if one exists.

DCL format: VUE$SET_TASK_LABEL label

Example: VUE$SET_TASK_LABEL "Copying ’ ’current_file ’ "

VUE$SUPPRESS_FILE_LABEL

VUE$SUPPRESS_FILE_LABEL allows a task to specify that the file labels be omitted from its Task Output box, even if the task has requested information about the file list.

DCL format: VUE$SUPPRESS_FILE_LABEL

VUE$SUPPRESS_OUTPUT_POPUP

The VUE$SUPPRESS_OUTPUT_POPUP message requests that Session Manager or FileView not automatically display a Task Output box when the task produces terminal output. You can use this task message for graphical applications that are expected to produce output only in case of errors.

DCL format: VUE$SUPPRESS_OUTPUT_POPUP

VUE$UPDATE_FILEVIEW

The VUE$UPDATE_FILEVIEW message requests that Session Manager or FileView automatically update the Session Manager or FileView window, as though you had clicked on the Apply button. Use this task message with caution because it might disrupt any interaction in progress, such as extending a file selection.

DCL format: VUE$UPDATE_FILEVIEW

To add Target Screen options to a user-defined menu item, modify the command procedure that invokes the application as shown in the following example. Your application must be invoked from a command file to use the qualifier dialog box feature.

    $ vue$get_symbol vue$show_hidden_dialogs 
    $ vue$read show_hidden_dialogs    $    $ if show_hidden_dialogs then goto select_qualifiers 
    $
    $ select_qualifiers: 
    $   vue$get_qualifiers
    $   goto do_bookreader
    $ select_qualifiers:
    $ vue$popup_qualifiers 
    $
    $ do_bookreader:
    $ vue$read vue$common 
    $
    $ if "''vue$command'".eqs. "DETACHED_APPLY" then goto -
    $ select_qualifiers
         $    'vue$command 
    $ bookreader:=sys$system:decw$bookreader.exe
    $ vue$get_next_selection 
    $ vue$read selection
    $ bookreader 'selection
    $ vue$check_verb_loop 
    $ vue$read loop
    $ if "''loop'" .eqs. "TRUE" then goto select_qualifiers

The Bitmap Utility creates and edits rectangular images that are made up of 1s and 0s. Bitmaps are used to define clipping regions, cursor shapes,icon shapes, and tile and stipple patterns.

Bitmap displays a grid in which each square represents a single bit in the picture being edited. Squares can be set, cleared, or inverted with the mouse buttons, and a menu of higher-level operations is provided to the side of the grid. Actual-size versions of the bitmap, as it would appear normally and inverted, are displayed below the menu.

If the bitmap is used to define a cursor, one of the squares in the images can be designated as the hotspot, which determines where the cursor is pointing. For cursors with sharp tips, such as arrows and fingers, it is usually at the end of the tip. For symmetric cursors, such as crosses and bullseyes, it is usually at the center.

Bitmaps are stored as small C code fragments that are suitable for including in applications. They provide an array of bits and symbolic constants that give width, height, and hotspot, which can be used to create cursors, icons, and tiles. See the X Window System Toolkit for more information.

bitmap [-options ...]
filename [
width x
height]

The default WIDTHxSIZE is 16x16.

The Event Monitoring Utility (xev)Utility creates a window and writes output for each event that is generated. These events include pointer motion, and they enter and leave on the window.

xev [-options ...]

The List Atoms (xlsatoms) Utility lists the interned atoms. By default, all atoms starting from 1 (the lowest atom value defined in the protocol) are listed until the unknown atom is found. If an explicit range is given, xlsatoms tries all atoms in the range, regardless of whether they are undefined.

xlsatoms [-options...]

The List Fonts (xlsfonts) Utility lists the fonts that match the given pattern. The wildcard character (*) can be used to match any sequence of characters. The question mark (?) can be used to match any single character. If no pattern id is given, the wildcard character is assumed.

 xlsfonts [-options] [-fn
pattern]

The List Windows (xlswins) Utility lists the window tree. By default, the root window is used as the starting point, although a specific window can be specified with the -id option. If a window is not specified on the command line, the root window is used.

 xlswins [-options ...] [
window_id] ...

The Magnify Portion of Screen(xmag) Utility allows you to magnify the screen. If the explicit region is not specified, a square centered around the pointer is displayed, indicating the area to be enlarged. Once a region is selected, a window pops up showing an enlargement of the region, in which each pixel in the source image is represented by a small square of the same color. Clicking MB1 in the enlarged window pops up a small window that displays the position, number, and RGB value of the pixel under the pointer for as long as MB1 is depressed. Pressing the space bar or any other pointer button removes the enlarged image, and another region can be selected. Pressing q, Q, or Ctrl/C in the enlarged window exits the program.

 xmag [-options ...]

Options may be abbreviated to the shortest unambiguous prefix.

The Modify Keymap (xmodmap) Utility edits and display the keyboard modifier map and keymap table, which are used by client applications to convert events and keycodes into keysyms. This utility is usually run at session startup to customize the keyboard.

This is a global change that affects all applications connected to the server.

 xmodmap [-options ...] [
filename]

The Display Properties (xprop) Utility displays window and font properties in an X server. You select one window or font by using the command line arguments or (in the case of a window)by clicking on the desired window. A list of properties with formatting information is then given.

 xprop [-help] [-grammar] [-id
id] [-root][-name
name] [-frame] [-font
font][-display
display] [-len
n] [-notype][-fs
file] [-remove
property_name][-spy] [-f
atom
format [
dformat]]... [
format [
dformat]
atom]...

For each of these properties, the value on the selected window or font is printed using the supplied formatting information, if it exists. If no formatting information is supplied, internal defaults are used. If a property is not defined on the selected window or font, "not defined" is printed as the value for that property. If no property list is given, all the properties possessed by the selected window or font are printed.

Other than these four arguments and the -help and -grammar arguments, all the other command line arguments are used to specify both the format of the properties to be displayed and how to display them. The -len n argument specifies that at most n bytes of any given property will be read and displayed. This argument is useful when displaying the cut buffer on the root window, which could be several pages long if displayed in full.

Usually each property name is displayed by printing the property name then its type (if it has one) in parentheses, followed by its value. The -notype argument specifies that property types should not be displayed. The -fs argument specifies a file containing a list of formats for properties; the -f argument specifies the format for one property.

The formatting information for a property consists of two parts,a format and a dformat. The format specifies the formatting of the property, and the dformat specifies how the property should be displayed.

The Modify Resource (xrdb) Utility gets or sets the contents of the RESOURCE_MANAGER property on the root window of screen 0.

The X Toolkit uses the RESOURCE_MANAGER property to get user preferences about color and about fonts for applications. For compatibility, if no RESOURCE_MANAGER property is defined,the resource manager looks for a file called DECW$XDEFAULTS.DAT in DECW$USER.DEFAULTS.

Lines that begin with an exclamation mark (!) are ignored and can be used as comments.

 xrdb [-options ...] [
filename]

The Refresh (xrefresh) Utility causes all or part of your screen to be repainted. Xrefresh maps a window on top of the desired area of the screen and then immediately unmaps it, causing refresh events to be sent to all applications. By default, a window without a background is used to provide faster repainting. Various options can be used to indicate that a solid background of any color,or the root window background, should be used instead.

xrefresh [-options] [
geometry] [
display]

The default is xrefresh -none.

The Set Options (xset) Utility customizes various user preference options of the display. These values are global to the X server and affect other applications.

 xset [-display
display] [-b] [b
on/off] [b
volume pitch duration] [[-]bc] [-c] [c
on/off] [c
 volume] [[-+]fp[-+=]
path[,
path[,...]]] [fp
default] [fp
rehash] [[-]led
integer] [led
on/off] [m[ouse] [acceleration [threshold]]] [m[ouse] default] [p pixel color][[-]r] [r
on/off] [s [length
period]] [s
blank/noblank] [s
expose/noexpose][s
on/off] [s
default] [q]

The Set Root Window Options (xsetroot)Utility allows you to tailor the appearance of the background root window on a workstation display running X. If no options are specified or if-def is specified, the window is reset to the default state. The -def option can be specified with other options, and only the nonspecified characteristics are reset to the default state.

Only one of the background color or tiling options (-solid, -gray, -grey, -bitmap, and -mod) can be specified at a time.

 xsetroot [-help] [-def] [-display
display][-cursor
cursor_file mask_file] [-cursor_name
cursor_name] [-bitmap
filename] [-mod
x
y] [-gray] [-grey] [-fg
color][-bg
color] [-rv] [-solid
color] [-name
string]