Index  Menus  Key glossary  Interface options

The graphical user interface

The graphical user interface

Operation of the Edith system, as well as managing user preferences, is completely windows and mouse-based. Some details of the user interface can be modified under Interface options... (Options menu, Shift Ctrl I).

Edith's windows can be divided into a number of different types.

THE EDITOR MASTER PANEL

The editor master panel is the small window with a menu bar and a number of icons you see when you start the Edith server by typing edith at the shell prompt. During your Edith session, this window will always be present, be it most likely as an icon.

TEXT WINDOWS

The
menu bar, scroll bar, ruler, button bar and lower status/input line in text windows can be en/disabled in the size and gadgets panel. The text row and column are shown in the upper right corner of the window (menu bar must be switched on). When a text is modified, this is also indicated (status line must be on). When the status line is switched on, miscellaneous other information is shown there. Properties of text windows can be changed in the following panels: Text ruler... (Options menu, Shift Ctrl R), Size and gadgets... (Options menu, Shift Ctrl Z), Text display/fonts... (Options menu, Shift Ctrl D), Colours... (Options menu, Shift Ctrl C).

MENUS

Both the editor master panel and text windows have a menu bar. The menus can be used with the mouse, but also with the keyboard. Each menu title has an underlined letter; typing that letter with the Alt key held down will open the menu. Use the cursor keys to walk up and down in the menu, or to move left and right to the other menus; use Return to select an item (or simply press the key code listed in the menu); press Escape to cancel. Most menu entries can be selected immediately with a keyboard combination which is shown in the menu.

BROWSERS AND BINARY WINDOWS

Two types of text windows are special. Browser windows are read-only and have no text cursor. Binary windows contain the binary representation of a file, and have a different behaviour for the operations Save (File menu, Alt S) and Format paragraph (Text menu, Alt Shift P).

PANELS

Panels come in two sorts; panels for configuring user options (opened from the Options menu and Windows menu), which can remain open while you are working in other windows; and panels that require you to give information immediately, before Edith can proceed; these are e.g. warning panels and the file selector.

In both types of panels, like in the menus, if a button has an underlined letter, typing that letter with Alt held down will do the same as clicking the button. The OK button, if marked with an `arrow' sign, can be selected by typing Return. Use Ctrl w to close a window. If there is a button labelled cancel or similar, it is activated with the Escape key.

Frequently appearing in panels are editable text fields. In these white text fields, click to position the cursor. Use Left, Right to walk left and right, use Begin and End to go to the beginning and end. Use Ctrl U to erase a field. Use Tab and Shift Tab to move forward/backward to other text fields. Move the cursor with Shift held down to select text in panel fields. Selection by moving over with the mouse while holding the left mouse button will also work.

Typing will delete the selection in panel text fields. The Delete key will also delete the selected text, but Backspace will not. Text is often preselected when you open a panel or a warning or question panel pops up, so when you start typing, what you type will replace the previous text.

Scrollable lists in panels can be operated with Up, Down, Page up, Page down, Ctrl Home, Ctrl End.


Index  Menus  Key glossary  Interface options