WORKBENCH(1)                     DICTIONARY                     WORKBENCH(1)

WORKBENCH
            WORKBENCH is the Amiga's windows manager. It is the interface
      that makes it so easy to start programs or display the content of a
      disk or directory.

            The first things to learn before using Workbench is how to use
      the mouse. The mouse is represented on the screen by a little red
      arrow (called the pointer) that moves according to the motion of the
      mouse. The mouse also has two buttons that can be clicked on to select
      objects on which the pointer is. The right button is used only to
      display menus when the pointer is on the top bar of the Workbench
      screen. The right mouse button is used to select, icons, position
      the cursor in text windows, or click on gadgets. Normally one simply
      click on the button and release it immediately. Exceptions are when
      displaying menus and selecting items, one has then to keep pressing
      the right mouse button, highlighting item as the pointer moves.
      Another exception is when dragging an icon or window. One has then to
      hold dwon the left button while moving the pointer.

            One of the main object used by Workbench is the icon. Icons are
      divided in 5 types. The DISK icons representing floppy disks, the DRAW
      icons representing drawers (directories), the TOOL icons corresponding
      to tools (commands), the PROJECT icons representing files, and the
      GARBAGE icons representing the trashcan directory. These types do not
      only correspond to the graphic design of the icons, but to the data
      they contain and the way Workbench handles them. Clicking once on an
      icon select it (the appearance of the icon is modified). It is possible
      to select many icons at once by clicking on each icon to select and
      holding down the shift key at the same time. Clicking a second time on
      an icon as an effect that depends on the type of the icon. Clicking 
      twice on a DISK, DRAW or GARBAGE icon opens the corresponding directory
      or disk, that is Workbench opens a windows and displays in it the icons
      that belongs to that directory.

            Clicking on a selected TOOL or PROJECT icons starts the
      corresponding program. TOOL icons actually starts the program after
      which the icon is named, whereas PROJECT icons start the program
      defined as their default tool with the file associated with the icon.
      Typically, a text file will be represented by an icon with the same
      name, and will have its default tool set to SYS:Utilities/More so
      that when the user click twice on the file's icon, the MORE command
      will be used to display the file.

            The icons properties can be set with the info item of the
      Workbench menu. To modify the picture of an icon, one must use an icon
      editor like iconed.

            Other important objects used by Workbench are Windows. Windows
      are bigger than icons and most of the time have a border inside which
      anything can be displayed. Most windows have gadgets that makes it
      possible to move or resize them. The top left doted square is a gadget
      that close the window when it is clicked on. The black and white little
      rectangles at the top right move the window respectively at the back or
      the front of the Workbench screen. Some windows have also a little
      gadget at the bottom right of the window. Clicking on that gadget and
      then dragging it will change the size of the window. To move a window,
      one must click on the top bar, and drag it to its new position.

            The Workbench screen has a few menus that can be used to perform
      some elementary operations like renaming a file or duplicating a disk 
      or directory. To rename a file or directory, one must first select it, 
      and then chose the Rename item of the Workbench menu. A requester then
      prompts the user for a new name. To duplicate a selected file, or
      directory, the Duplicate item of the Workbench menu must be chosen.
      To copy a file into another directory, one simply drags it into
      the destination directory. Workbench will automatically copy it into
      that directory (or disk.)

             The Disk menu has two items, namely Empty Trash and Initialize.
      The first one empty the selected Trashcan directory. Each disk normally
      contains a special directory call Trashcan. To remove a file or
      directory, one simply drag it into the Trashcan (which must be the
      Trashcan of the disk the file is on!) and later on, select the Empty
      Trash item. The file is actually deleted only when the Empty Trash item
      is selected, dragging the file into the Trashcan only moves it there.
      The Initialize item initialize (format) the selected disk. This must
      be used with great care has initializing erase all its content!
 
             To modify the positions of icons in a window, one can select
      the Cleanup item of the Special menu. All the icons will be ordered
      and reorganized into the window. Another way to do it is to reorganize
      the icons by hand, dragging them in their new position, and them chose
      the Snapshot item of the Special menu after having selected all the
      moved icons. The Redraw item of the Special menu can be chosen to
      redraw completely the Workbench screen.

SEE ALSO:
     Windows, Icons, Gadgets.