Creating and Modifying Subpanels

Users can create and modify subpanels using the Front Panel pop-up menus.

This section discusses how to provide system-wide customization, which requires you to modify the Front Panel configuration files.

A subpanel is "attached" to a control in the Main Panel.

Figure 13-3 A subpanel's container is the control to which it is attached

The attachment is done in the subpanel definition. The CONTAINER_NAME field specifies the control to which the subpanel is attached:

CONTROL control_name
{
   ...
}
 
SUBPANEL subpanel_name
{
 CONTAINER_NAME      control_name
 ...
}

To Create a New System-Wide Subpanel

Locate the control_name of the control in the Main Panel to which you want to attach the subpanel.
If the control is one of the built-in controls, its definition is in /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/dtwm.fp.
Create a new file /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language/*.fp.

Define the subpanel:

SUBPANEL subpanel_name{
 CONTAINER_NAME    control_name
 TITLE             value
 KEYWORD    value
 ...
}

Save the new configuration file.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.

Customizing the Built-in Subpanels

You can modify general properties (such as the title) and the contents of the built-in subpanels.

To Modify General Properties of a Built-In Subpanel

Create a new Front Panel configuration file:
- System-wide: /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language/name.fp
- Personal: HomeDirectory/.dt/types/name.fp.
Copy the entire default SUBPANEL definition from /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/dtwm.fp to the new file:
SUBPANEL subpanel_name { ... }
Modify the subpanel definition.
Save the new configuration file.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.

For example, the following definition, placed in the file /users/janice/.dt/types/PerApps.fp, changes the name of the Personal Applications subpanel:

SUBPANEL PersAppsSubpanel
{
 CONTAINER_NAME  TextEditor
 TITLE           Janice's Applications
}

To Add a System-Wide Control to a Built-In Subpanel

Create a Front Panel configuration file /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language/name.fp.
Define the system-wide control in the file.
Use the CONTAINER_NAME and CONTAINER_TYPE fields to specify the container for the control:
CONTROL control_name { CONTAINER_NAME subpanel_name CONTAINER_TYPE SUBPANEL ... }
See “Defining Front Panel Controls”.
Save the configuration file.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.

For example, the following control defined in a new file /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language/DigitalClock.fp adds the DigitalClock (in the Desktop_Tools application group) to the Personal Applications subpanel for all users.

CONTROL DigitalClockControl
{
 TYPE            icon
 CONTAINER_NAME  PerAppsSubpanel
 CONTAINER_TYPE  SUBPANEL
 ICON            Dtdgclk
 PUSH_ACTION     DigitalClock
 PUSH_RECALL     True
}

To Remove a Control from a Built-In Subpanel

Use the same procedure as for removing a Main Panel control. See “To Remove a Control”.

To Remove the Install Icon Control

Add the following field to the subpanel definition:
CONTROL_INSTALL False

To Change the Auto-Close Behavior of Subpanels

The default behavior of subpanels is to close when the user chooses a control, unless the user has moved the subpanel from its original position.

The Front Panel can be configured to keep subpanels open until the user explicitly closes them.

Create a new Front Panel configuration file in:
- System-wide: /etc/dt/appconfig/types/language/*.fp
- Personal: HomeDirectory/.dt/types/*.fp
Copy the default PANEL definition from /usr/dt/appconfig/types/language/dtwm.fp to the new file:
PANEL FrontPanel { ... }
Add the following field to the PANEL definition:
SUBPANEL_UNPOST False
Save the new configuration file.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.