Managing the Different Types of Windows

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# Managing the Different Types of Windows

This document covers the following topics:

- List View Windows

- Arranging and Activating List View Windows and Editor Windows

- Dockable Windows

Note
For information on the output window, which appears in the local environment when a Natural program writes output to the screen, see Output Window in the Operations documentation.

## List View Windows

The following topics are covered below:

- Opening a List View Window

- Selecting More than One Node

- Defining a Different View

- Resizing a Column

- Repositioning a Column

- Sorting a Column

- Defining a Different Layout for the Date

### Opening a List View Window

You can open a list view window for each group node in a tree view window.

A list view window always reflects the view from which it was opened. For example, when you open a library node in the logical view, the following information is shown:

When you open the same node in the flat view, the following is shown:

When a list view window does not show all defined objects, a filter has been applied. See Filtering Libraries and Objects for further information.

To open a list view window

1. Select a group node in the tree view window.

   Or:
   In an already open list view window, select a node for which a folder icon is shown.

2. From the Object menu, choose Open.

   Or:
   Invoke the context menu and choose Open.

   Or:
   Press CTRL+O.

   Or:
   Press ENTER.

### Selecting More than One Node

In a list view window, it is possible to select several nodes at the same time (which is not possible in a tree view window). This is helpful, for example, if you want to delete several objects at the same time.

To select several nodes in a row

1. Select the first node.

2. Press SHIFT.

3. Use the mouse to select the last node that is to be part of the selection.

   Or:
   Use the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key to select all nodes that are to be part of the selection.

To select individual nodes

1. Select the first node.

2. Press CTRL.

3. Use the mouse to select each node that is to be part of the selection.

   Or:
   Use the UP-ARROW or DOWN-ARROW key to move to the node that is to be part of the selection and then press the SPACEBAR. Repeat this until all required nodes are selected.

To select all nodes

- Invoke the context menu and choose Select All.

  Make sure that the mouse pointer is not positioned on the name of an entry in the list. Otherwise, a different context menu appears.

  Or:
  Press CTRL+A.

  Or:
  When the Edit toolbar is shown, choose the following toolbar button.

### Defining a Different View

By default, the content of a list view window is shown in details view. You can also define another view (for example, large icons).

To define another view

1. Activate the list view window.

2. Invoke the context menu and choose one of the following commands from the View menu: Large Icons, Small Icons, List or Details.

   Make sure that the mouse pointer is not positioned on the name of an entry in the list. Otherwise, a different context menu appears.

   The current type of view is always indicated by a check mark.

### Resizing a Column

In details view, you can use the mouse to change the width of each column. This change is only valid as long as the list view window is open.

You can also resize a column in such a way that it is not longer visible. If you want to redisplay the column, close the list view window and then open it once more. Or if you still know at which position the column is hidden, move the mouse pointer to this position in the header and resize it as described below.

To resize or hide a column

1. Move the mouse pointer to the line in the header which separates two columns.

   The pointer changes, showing two arrows pointing into opposite directions.

2. Use the mouse to drag the column until it has the desired width or until it is no longer visible.

### Repositioning a Column

In details view, you can use the mouse to move a column to a different position in the list view window. This change is only valid as long as the list view window is open.

To reposition a column

- Drag the header of a specific column and drop it onto a different header.

### Sorting a Column

In details view, you can use the mouse to sort the columns in ascending or descending order.

It is, for example, possible to click on the Extension column header to sort the column in ascending order and then hold the CTRL key down and click on the Name column to sort it in descending order (inside the sort sequence of the column first sorted).

To sort a column

- Click the header of a column.

  An arrow in the header indicates the sort direction. With each click on the same header, the column in sorted in the opposite direction.

### Defining a Different Layout for the Date

Using the Configuration Utility, you can change the Natural profile parameter `DTFORM` which determines the format in which the dates are represented in details view.

## Arranging and Activating List View Windows and Editor Windows

When at least one list view window or editor window is open, the Windows menu is available.

Note
How to open an editor window is explained in the section Invoking Editors.

Using the commands in the Windows menu, you can arrange or activate the list view windows and editor windows in the workspace. The following commands are available:

Command | Shortcut key | Description
--- | --- | ---
Next | CTRL+TAB | Activate the next inactive window.
Previous | CTRL+SHIFT+TAB | Activate the previous inactive window.
Close All |  | Close all open windows. When the changes in an editor window have not yet been saved, a dialog box appears, asking whether you want to save the changes.
Cascade |  | Arrange all windows so that they overlap.
Tile Horizontally |  | Arrange all windows horizontally so that they do not overlap.
Tile Vertically |  | Arrange all windows vertically so that they do not overlap.
Arrange Icons |  | Arrange the icons of minimized windows in a row at the bottom of the visible workspace.
Name of open window |  | Commands for the open windows are shown at the bottom of the menu. The window which is currently active is indicated by a check mark. To activate a window, choose the corresponding command.

You can also use the following shortcut keys:

Shortcut key | Description
--- | ---
CTRL+D | Toggle between the command line and the active list view or editor window.
CTRL+L | Toggle between the application workspace and the active list view or editor window.
CTRL+U | Toggle between the result window and the active list view or editor window.
CTRL+W | Toggle between the library workspace and the active list view or editor window.

In addition to the standard Windows techniques for closing a window, you can also close the active list view window or editor window as described below.

To close the active window

- From the Object menu, choose Close.

  Or:
  Press CTRL+F4.

  Or:
  When the Object toolbar is shown, choose the following toolbar button.

## Dockable Windows

The following elements of the Natural Studio window are dockable windows:

- menu bar

- toolbars

- library workspace

- application workspace

- results window

- command line

- debugger windows

Note
The commands in the Windows menu do not apply to dockable windows.

Using the mouse, you can drag a dockable window to another position so that it is shown

- at another position within the Natural Studio window, or

- in a window of its own. For example:

  You can move the window freely on your screen. You can move it back to the Natural Studio window (for example, back to its original position) so that it is no longer shown in a window. This process is called "docking".

To enable/disable docking for a window

1. When the library workspace, application workspace or results window is currently docked, move the mouse pointer to title bar of the window.

   When the command line, menu bar or a toolbar is currently docked, move the mouse pointer to the two lines which are shown with the docked window. For example, when docked horizontally, the two lines are shown as follows to the left of the docked window:

   Or:
   When the window is currently undocked, move the mouse pointer to the title bar of the window.

2. Invoke the context menu.

   When a check mark is shown next to Enable docking, the window can be docked. When a check mark is not shown, the window cannot be docked.

3. If you want to toggle the docking status, choose Enable docking.

   Note
   When you disable docking for a window which is currently docked, the window is undocked.

To undock/dock a window using the mouse

This requires that docking is enabled (see above).

- Double-click the title bar of a docked window, or double-click the two lines which are shown for specific types of docked windows (see above).

  Or:
  Double-click the title bar of an undocked window.

  When the window is currently docked, it is undocked. When the window is currently undocked, it is docked at its previous position.

To drag a docked window to another position

This requires that docking is enabled (see above).

1. Move the mouse pointer to the title bar of a docked window or to the two lines which are shown for specific types of docked windows (see above).

2. Press the mouse button and drag the window to another position.

   An outline of the window is shown. The outline indicates the position at which the window can be docked.

3. If you want to prevent docking (that is, if you want to undock the window), press CTRL while dragging the window.

4. Release the mouse button.

To drag an undocked window back to the Natural Studio window

This requires that docking is enabled (see above).

1. Move the mouse pointer to title bar of an undocked window.

2. Press the mouse button and drag the window to the position at which you want to dock it.

   An outline of the window is shown. The outline indicates the position at which the window can be docked.

3. Release the mouse button.

To expand a docked window

Applies only to the library workspace, application workspace, results window and debugger window. This feature is only functional when two of these elements are docked next to each other, either horizontally or vertically.

1. In the title bar of the docked window, choose the button which contains an arrow.

   The arrow on the button points either upwards or to the left, depending on the type of window. When you move the mouse over this button, the tooltip "Expand docked window" appears.

   The docked window is expanded so that it hides the other window. It now occupies the space which both windows together have previously occupied. You can see that a window is hidden because the title bar of the hidden window is still visible.

   The arrow which is shown on the button now points to the opposite direction. When you move the mouse over this button, the tooltip "Contract docked window" appears now.

2. To contract the window so that both windows are shown again, choose the above button once more.

### On this page

- List View Windows
- Arranging and Activating List View Windows and Editor Windows
- Dockable Windows