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Java Desktop System Release 3 Accessibility Guide

3.3 Navigating Panels

A panel is an area from which you can run special programs, applications, and panel applications. The most common panel is the panel that stretches the full width of the bottom edge of the desktop. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate panels and panel objects.

Keys 

Function 

Ctrl + Alt + Tab

Give focus to a panel. This keyboard shortcut displays a popup window with icons that represent the desktop background, panels, and drawers. Press-and-hold Ctrl + Alt and continue to press Tab to switch the focus between the desktop background, panels, and drawers.

You can customize this keyboard shortcut. 

Tab

Give focus to the next object on the panel. 

F10

Open the Applications menu when the Menu Panel has focus. Continue to press F10 to switch focus between the Applications menu and the window list.

spacebar

Activate a panel object, for example, open a menu or start a launcher. 

Shift + F10

Open the panel object popup menu. 

Ctrl + F10

Open the panel popup menu. 

3.3.1 To Move a Panel Object

You can move a focused panel object to a different location on a panel or drawer, or you can move the object to the next panel. To move a panel object, perform the following steps:

  1. Press Tab to give focus to the object.

  2. Press Shift+F10 to open the panel object popup menu.

  3. Use the arrow keys to select the Move menu item.

  4. Use the keyboard shortcuts that are listed in the following table to perform the move operation.

    Keys 

    Function 

    arrow keys 

    Move the object left and right on a horizontal panel or up and down on a vertical panel. 

    Shift + arrow keys

    Move the object and push any objects that you encounter in front of the object. 

    Ctrl + arrow keys

    Move the object and swap position with any objects that you encounter in the move. 

    Tab

    Move the object to the next panel. 

    spacebar

    Complete the move operation. 

The following examples demonstrate the effect of different move operations on the objects in a panel.

Illustration 

Description 
Portion of a panel with three objects displayed in the following order from left to right: geyes icon, Volume Control icon, and Help icon.

Shows a panel with three panel objects before a move operation takes place. 
Portion of a panel with three objects displayed in the following order from left to right: geyes icon, Volume Control icon, and Help icon.

Shows the effect of using the arrow keys to move the Geyes panel application on the panel. You can use the arrow keys to move the panel application left or right until you meet the next panel object.
Portion of a panel with three objects displayed in the following order from left to right: geyes icon, Volume Control icon, and Help icon.

Shows the effect of using the Shift + arrow keys to move the Geyes panel application on the panel. You can use the Shift+ arrow keys to push the Volume Control and Help panel objects ahead of the object that you are moving.
Portion of a panel with three objects displayed in the following order from left to right: Volume Control icon, Help icon, and geyes icon.

Shows the effect of using the Ctrl + arrow keys to move the Geyes panel application on the panel. You can use the Ctrl + arrow keys to swap position with the Volume Control and Help panel objects as you meet the objects.

3.3.2 To Navigate Drawers

A drawer is a collapsible extension of a panel. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate into and out of drawers. When you open a drawer, you can navigate the contents of the drawer in the same way as you navigate a panel. See 3.3 Navigating Panels for information about how to navigate a panel.

Keys 

Function 

spacebar

Open or close the drawer that has focus. 

arrow keys 

Navigate into the drawer that has focus. 

Esc

Close the drawer and give focus to the drawer object on the panel. 

Shift + Esc

Give focus to the drawer object on the panel and leave the drawer open. 

3.3.3 To Navigate Menus on Panels

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate menus on panels.

Keys 

Function 

spacebar

Open the menu that has focus. 

arrow keys 

Navigate the menu. 

spacebar

Select a menu item. 

Shift + F10

Open the popup menu associated with a menu item, if one exists. 

Esc

Close a menu. 

3.3.4 To Navigate Panel Applications

A panel application is a small application that resides on a panel. You can navigate to all panel applications and open the panel application popup menu from the keyboard. However, if the panel application does not contain controls that you can give focus to, you cannot navigate the controls in the panel application. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate panel applications.

Keys 

Function 

spacebar

Activate the panel application control that has focus, if applicable. Not all panel applications contain controls that you can activate. If the panel application does not contain a control that you can activate, the spacebar does nothing.

arrow keys 

Navigate the controls on the panel application. 

Shift + F10

Open the panel application popup menu. To navigate the menu, use the standard keyboard shortcuts for navigating menus. See 3.9.1 To Navigate Menus for information about how to navigate menus.