To Add Objects to Panels

A panel can hold several types of objects. The panel in Figure 2–1 contains each type of panel object.

Figure 2–1 A Panel With Various Panel Objects

You can add any of the following objects to all types of panels:

• Panel application

  Panel applications are small, interactive applications that reside within a panel, for example CD Player in Figure 2–1. Each panel application has a simple user interface that you can operate with the mouse or keyboard.

  To add a panel application to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel. Choose the panel application that you require from one of the following submenus:

  • Accessories

  • Amusements

  • Internet

  • Multimedia

  • Utility

• Launchers

  A launcher starts a particular application, executes a command, or opens a file. The calculator icon in Figure 2–1 is a launcher for the Calculator application. A launcher can reside in a panel or in a menu. Click on the launcher to perform the action that is associated with the launcher.

  You can create your own launchers for applications. For example, you can create a launcher for a word processor application that you use frequently, and place the launcher in a panel for convenient access. To add a new launcher to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Launcher.

  Alternatively, to add a launcher from a menu, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Launcher from menu. Choose the launcher to add from the submenus.

• Action buttons

  You can add buttons to your panels to provide quick access to common actions. You can add the following buttons to your panels:

  • Find Files: Use this button to start the Search Tool application, from which you can search for files.

  • Force Quit: Use this button to stop applications that do not respond to your commands.

  • Lock: Click on this button to lock your screen. The lock icon in Figure 2–1 is the Lock button.

  • Log Out: Click on this button to end your session

  • Run: Click on this button to open the Run Application dialog, from which you can run commands.

  • Screenshot: Click on this button to take a screenshot of the screen.

  • Show Desktop: Click on this button to minimize all windows.

  To add a button to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Actions. You can then choose the button you require.

• Menus

  You can access all Java Desktop System functions through menus. To open a menu from a panel, click on the icon that represents the menu. To open a menu from the Menu Bar, click on the text that represents the menu.

  Menus that you add to your panels are represented by an icon with an arrow. The arrow indicates that the icon represents a menu. For example, see the menu icon in Figure 2–1.

  You can add a Launch button to any of your panels. To add a Launch button to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Main Menu.

  You can also add the Menu Bar to any of your panels. To add the Menu Bar to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Menu Bar.

• Drawers

  Drawers are sliding extensions to a panel that you can open or close from a drawer icon, as shown in Figure 2–1. Drawers can help you to organize your work when you run a lot of applications simultaneously. You can place all the same functional elements in a drawer that you can put in any other type of panel.

  To add a drawer to a panel, right-click on a vacant space on the panel, then choose Add to Panel -> Drawer.

  To open a drawer click on the drawer. To close a drawer click on the drawer again.