Starting an OpenStep Application From the Dock

Solaris^(TM) OpenStep^(TM) comes with several applications, and you may add other OpenStep applications that you buy or create yourself. You can keep the icons that represent the applications in the application dock--the column of icons lining the right side of the screen.

When you double-click on an application icon in the dock, the icon is highlighted for a moment. Then the application's main menu appears, often along with another window, as shown in Figure 4-1 on page 4-2.

* Double-click on the application icon in the dock.

Figure 4-1

Before you start an application, its icon has an ellipsis . While an

application is starting, its icon is highlighted. When the application is running, the ellipsis disappears. See Figure 4-2.

Figure 4-2

---

Note - You start an OpenStep application that is not in the dock by opening a file from the Workspace Manager. See "Opening a File" on page 3-7.

---

The recycler is described in "Deleting a File or Folder" on page 6-18.

Running Several Applications

You can run several applications at once, as shown in Figure 4-3 on page 4-4. For instance, you can view a Mail message while typing in an Edit document. Although several applications can be running, you work in only one at a time--the active application.

When you start an application, it becomes the active application. Its main menu replaces any other menus on the screen.

* Start each application you want to run.

Figure 4-3

You might also do something that causes an application to start up automatically. For example, double-clicking on a document file icon starts the Edit application and opens the document file.

Switching to Another Application

When you want to work in another application, just click in one of its windows as shown in Figure 4-4 on page 4-5. If no windows are showing, double-click on the application icon.

* Click in one of the application windows.

or

* Double-click on its icon.

Figure 4-4

When you leave one application to work in another, the standard windows that belong to the application you leave stay on your screen. If an attention panel is open, it stays too. But the application's menus and all other panels are no longer displayed. When you switch back to the application, its menus and panels reappear, just as you left them.

Hiding an Application

If you want to stop working with an application but plan to use it later in the same work session, you can hide it to get its windows out of the way. All its windows disappear from view, but the application continues to run (see Figure 4-5).

By hiding applications, you can have several running and easily accessible while your workspace remains free of windows you are not currently using.

* To hide an application, choose Hide from its main menu.

* To show the application, double-click on its icon.

Figure 4-5

When you unhide an application, all its windows reappear, and the application is activated, just as though it had never been hidden.

---

Note - When you hide an application, no unsaved work is lost. Nor is it saved. For information on saving your work, see Chapter 5, "Creating and Saving Files."

---

Customizing the Application Dock

You can fill your dock with frequently used OpenStep applications. Then, to start up a docked application, you just double-click on it.

The Solaris^(TM) OpenStep^(TM) applications can be found in the /usr/openstep/Apps folder. Any additional OpenStep applications installed on your network should be in the /usr/local/openstep/Apps folder, and OpenStep applications installed only on your computer should be in ~/openstep/Apps. If you installed WorkShop^(TM) OpenStep^(TM), you can find the developer applications in /usr/openstep/Developer/Apps folder.

* To add an OpenStep application to the dock, select the application in the File Viewer and drag it into an empty space in the dock (see Figure 4-6 on page 4-8).

* To remove an application from the dock, drag it into the workspace while it is not running (see Figure 4-7 on page 4-9).

* To reorder applications in the dock, drag one from its current location to an empty space in the dock.

Figure 4-6

You can drag an application from the File Viewer to an empty space in the dock. (Release the mouse button when a ghost image of the icon is displayed in the dock.) You can also drag a freestanding application icon into the dock.

Normally, no windows or menus can cover the dock. However, if you hold down the Alt key and click on the Sun icon in the dock, the dock can be covered. To bring the dock back to the front, Alt-click on the Sun icon again.

---

Note - Alt-clicking on the Sun icon to send the dock to the back increases the area of the screen you can work in.

---

If your dock fills up, you must remove an icon from it to add any others. You can drag an application out of the dock when it is not running, as shown in Figure 4-7. (Release the application when it is no longer displayed in the dock.)

Figure 4-7

The Sun icon always remains at the top of the dock. The Recycler appears in the dock, or if there is no room there, at the lower-left corner of the screen.

---

Note - You can remove a running application from the dock by holding down the Command key and dragging it out of the dock. You can also do this to remove the recycler.

---

---

Note - Do not drag non-OpenStep applications to the dock.

---

When You Want to Locate a Docked Application

If you forget where a docked application is in the file system, you can see its path name in the Workspace Manager Preferences panel, as shown in Figure 4-8 on page 4-10. Open the Info menu and choose the Preferences command. Then choose the Dock option from the pop-up list at the top of the panel.

Figure 4-8

Starting an Application Automatically

You can set any application that is in the dock to start up automatically when you enter the workspace, as shown in Figure 4-9 on page 4-11. If you regularly exchange electronic mail with other people on a network, for instance, you can set the Mail application to start up when you log in.

1. Put the application in the dock.

2. Choose Info from the Workspace menu.

3. Choose Preferences from the Info menu.

4. Choose Dock from the pop-up list at the top of the Preferences panel.

5. Click on an application to select it.

6. Click on the Start up at login check box.

Figure 4-9

The Workspace Manager is always running, and so it is always checked.

Requesting Services From Other Applications

You can request the service of one application while you are working in another. A service provides a shortcut to starting up or switching to an application and requesting a specific action from it. Available services are listed in the Services menu.

Figure 4-10 on page 4-12 shows an example.

1. Select the text or file you want serviced.

2. Choose Services from the application's main menu.

3. Choose a command from the Services menu.

Figure 4-10

The exact commands in the Services menu depend on which applications you have. Some commands, like the one shown in Figure 4-10, are not available until you select something, like a file's path name.

Several OpenStep applications provide services. If you have other applications, you might see other services in the menu too.

---

Note - Services menu commands for OpenStep applications are described in "Standard Commands" on page A-1. You can use the Preferences application to remove commands you do not need from the Services menu. See "Customizing the Services Menu" on page 15-16.

---

Quitting an Application

When you are completely finished with your work in an application, you can quit the application to close all its windows and any work they contain.

* Choose Quit from the application's main menu.

Figure 4-11

If any window in the application contains unsaved work, a panel asks if you want to save before quitting the application (and closing the window).

---

Note - If you think you may use the application later in your work session and just want its windows out of the way, it is better to hide the application rather than quit it--it takes less time to unhide an application than it does to restart it.

---

For information on saving your work before quitting an application, see Chapter 5, "Creating and Saving Files."

When the Quit Command Fails

On rare occasions, your actions in an application may have no effect due to a software problem. You can usually solve the problem simply by quitting the application and starting it again.

If choosing the Quit command has no effect, you may be able to quit the application by using the Workspace Manager Processes command, as shown in Figure 4-12. Switch to the Workspace Manager--for instance, by clicking in the File Viewer. Open the Tools menu and choose the Processes command. Then choose Applications from the pop-up list at the top of the Processes panel. Select the application you want to quit and click on the Kill button.

The application quits running, but any unsaved work in the application is lost. You should use the Processes command to quit an application only as a last resort.

Figure 4-12

OpenStep Applications

OpenStep comes with several applications, which are kept in the /usr/openstep/Apps folder. These applications are briefly described in Table 4-1 on page 4-15 along with their icons.

If you installed the developer software, you will find the developer applications in /usr/openstep/Developer/Apps.

Table 4-1

Icon	Application
	Preferences is an application for setting personal preferences for using the OpenStep desktop, such as key repeat speed or an application language. When it is running, its icon in the dock shows the date and time. See Chapter 15, "Personalizing the Workspace" and Chapter 16, "Managing Hardware."
	Mail is a multimedia electronic mail application for communicating with others on a network. You can send text, graphics, sound, and even files and folders. See Chapter 12, "Receiving and Sending Mail" and Chapter 13, "Managing the Mail Application."
	Edit is a Rich Text editor you can use to create formatted documents with graphics. See Chapter 9, "Typing and Editing" and Chapter 11, "Working With Graphics."
	Terminal is for working directly with UNIX(R) by entering UNIX commands and running UNIX programs. Terminal can also run programs that require VT100 terminal support. See Chapter 17, "Using the Terminal Application."
	Preview displays the contents of PostScript(TM), EPS, and TIFF files as images. See Chapter 11, "Working With Graphics."