Basic Skills

This chapter introduces you to the windows and controls in CDE, and shows you how to perform tasks you will use everyday, for example, dragging an object using a mouse, re sizing a window, and the like.

For information about logging in to the desktop, refer to Chapter 2, Starting a Desktop Session.

• Mouse Skills

• Desktop

• Running Applications

• Working with Windows

• Using Workspaces

• Using Controls in Application Windows

• Using Menus

• Basic Keyboard Skills

• Leaving the Desktop

• Getting Help

Mouse Skills

To Click

• Press and release mouse button 1 without moving the mouse.

  By default, mouse button 1 is the left button.

  

Tasks that you perform by clicking include:

• Selecting a window or icon, making it active or selected

• Choosing a button in a dialog box or a control in the Front Panel

• Choosing a hyperlink within a help window or mail message

To Double-Click

• Press and release mouse button 1 twice in rapid succession, without moving the mouse.

Here are some tasks you perform by double-clicking:

• Starting the default action for a File Manager or workspace icon

• Restoring a window icon (displaying the whole window again)

• Closing a window to remove it from the workspace--double-click the Window menu button in the upper left corner of the window frame

To Drag

To move a window or drop an icon, use the press-drag-release motion.

• Point to the window's title bar or anywhere on the icon, press and hold mouse button 1, drag the mouse, then release the button.

  

Tasks you perform by dragging and dropping include:

• Moving windows and icons on your screen

• Moving or copying files and folders within File Manager

• Dragging a slider within a scroll bar to scroll the contents of a window

• Printing a file by dropping its icon on the Printer control in the Front Panel

To Duplicate

1. Select the required text by holding down mouse button 1 and dragging the cursor over it.

2. Release mouse button 1.

3. Point the mouse at the location to which you wish to duplicate the text, and click mouse button 2.

   By default, mouse button 2 is the middle mouse button. The text is copied to the new location without removing it from its original location.

4. (Optional) Repeat step 3 and duplicate the text in other locations.