Icons are small graphic representations of windows that are used to reduce clutter on the screen. You can turn a client window into an icon or change an icon back into a window at any time.
A typical icon has two parts, an image and a label, as shown in Figure 2-5.
View figure. |
By default, the window manager arranges icons along the bottom of the display, from left to right. Icons can also be placed into an icon box. The icon box is an mwm window that holds icons. The icon box can also be minimized (turned into an icon). You can specify the creation of an icon box by setting a value in the X configuration file (see Chapter 5).
An icon also has a menu, which contains the same selections as the Window Menu of the associated client window. To display the icon's menu with the mouse, position the pointer anywhere on the icon and press Button 3. To display the icon's menu from the keyboard, press Shift F10 or Alt Space. You browse through the menu either by dragging the mouse or pressing the arrow keys. To select an item, either release the mouse button when the item is highlighted or press Return. Menu selections that are not applicable are grayed out. Once the menu is posted, you can cancel it by pressing Cancel or by clicking Button 3 anywhere outside the menu.
To change a window into an icon, position the pointer on the minimize button on the window frame and click Button 1. The minimize button is located to the left of the maximize button. You can also iconify a window by selecting Minimize on the Window Menu or by pressing the accelerator Alt F9 when the window is selected.
To move an icon, position the pointer on the icon, press and hold down Button 1, and move the mouse. The icon appears in outline form. When the outline is in the position that you want, release the mouse button.
You can also initiate the move by selecting Move on the icon's menu or by pressing the accelerator Alt F7. Drag the mouse until the outline is where you want the icon to be placed. Click Button 1 or press Return to complete the move operation. In explicit focus policy mode, the window manager selects the icon for input focus after it has been moved.
To restore a window from an icon, position the pointer on the icon and double-click Button 1. The icon changes back into the window, returning to its previous size and location. You can also change an icon back into a window by selecting Restore on the icon's Window Menu or by pressing the accelerator Alt F5.