[Contents] [Index] [Next] [Previous]

IconBox


Description

An icon box is a specialized window that acts as a storage location for icons. An icon box acts like a typical window in the sense that it has a window frame and frame components. The client area of an icon box must have an area for holding icons and can have horizontal and vertical scroll bars for moving around the icon area.

The icon box must have all the same components as any other primary window. Like other windows it can be sized, moved, minimized, maximized, restored, and lowered. However, the window manager must not allow the icon box to be closed. The system Menu action Close must be replaced with the system Menu action Pack Icons in an icon box. Double-clicking BSelect in the icon box system Menu must only open the icon box system Menu. It must not close the icon box. Pack Icons arranges the icons as close as possible together in the visible icon area if possible. Pack Icons must have the mnemonic P. If Pack Icons has an accelerator, it should be [F12] if [F12] is available. When the input focus is in the icon box, [Escape] or must pop up the icon box system Menu if the Menu is unposted. If the Menu is already posted, [Escape] or must unpost the Menu.

The icon box can contain an icon for each window family, even if it is active. The icon for minimized window families must be the same as the icon would be outside of the icon box. The icon for an active window family should be similar to the minimized icon, deemphasized somehow.

Clicking BSelect in an icon must give the icon keyboard focus and post the icon Menu. The icon Menu must be the same Menu as the window Menu for the associated primary window. If the icon represents an active window family, Restore and Size must not be available from the icon Menu. If the icon represents a minimized window family, Size must not be available from the icon Menu. If the window manager is customized so that the icon with the focus does not have its window Menu automatically posted, BMenu or must post its Menu.

Double-clicking BSelect anywhere in an icon that represents a minimized window family must restore the window family, just as the icon Menu item Restore does. Double-clicking BSelect anywhere in an icon that represents an active window family must raise the window family to the top of the window hierarchy. If the window is currently minimized, but its previous state was maximized, double-clicking BSelect returns it to the maximized state. Selecting Maximize from the icon Menu always maximizes the corresponding window. If the window is minimized, Minimize must not be available in the icon Menu; otherwise, selecting it minimizes the window family. Pressing BSelect or BTransfer anywhere in the icon and dragging the mouse pointer must move the icon within the icon area to track the pointer, just as the icon Menu item Move does.

The , , , and directional keys must navigate among the icons in the icon box. Icon navigation must behave as described in the following text. Note that and do not need to traverse icons in the same order.

In a left-to-right language environment, this key must move the location cursor through the icons in the icon box, starting at the upper-left icon and ending at the lower-right icon, then wrapping back up to the upper left. In a right-to-left language environment, the location cursor can move, starting at the upper right and moving to the lower left.
This key must move the location cursor through the icons in the opposite direction of .
In a left-to-right language environment, this key must move the location cursor through the icons in the icon box, starting at the upper-left icon and ending at the lower-right icon, then wrapping back up to the upper left. In a right-to-left language environment, the location cursor can move, starting at the upper right and moving to the lower left.
This key must move the location cursor through the icons in the opposite direction of .

Illustration

Related Information

See Window Manager Design Principles for more information about icons and the window manager.