2 WINDOWS                                      Main Table of Contents

Adding Windows Window Types The Window Selection Menu
Customizing Windows Grid Snap Moving Windows
Sizing a Window Saving Windows Deleting a Window
Multiple Windows The Active Window Special Window Functions
Maximize/Minimize feature

Aspen Grapics Windows                 Top of Page

    Aspen Graphics is equipped with several different window types. There are windows for displaying quotes, charts, time & sales, news, and clocks. Aspen Graphics windows perform differently than windows you may be familiar with in Microsoft Windows® products.

    Generally, an Aspen Graphics window is a rectangular area you can place anywhere on the screen and change to any size. Specifically, a window is unique in the type of information it is designed to display.

Adding Windows

A window is added to the screen using the Window Selection Menu (see Figure 1). This menu contains the windows available for your use.

Figure 1

To add a window, follow these steps:

    1. Start with a clear screen by typing .clear btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes).
    2. Tap the btntilda.gif (1192 bytes) key one time. The Main Menu will be displayed.
    3. Single click with the left mouse button on the Add Window selection from the menu. The Window Selection Menu will be displayed.
    4. Choose the window you want to display from the Window Selection Menu by either clicking on it with the left mouse button or highlighting the selection and tapping the btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes) key one time.

Window Types                  Top of Page

      The Window Selection Menu contains several headings that correspond to the window types available to you.

      Below each heading is a list of custom windows and a default selection. A default window is a template used to create a new window specific to your needs. For example, a default quote window is used to create custom quote window layouts.

      In addition to the default window, you may see one or more additional window names under each heading. These are windows that have been edited and saved. The ability to save windows enables you to create a window to use on its own or as a component of a page.

The Window Selection Menu                  Top of Page

      As your screen layout tool, the Window Selection Menu is unique because it is sticky. This feature allows the menu to stay on the screen until you select Done or tap the btnesc.gif (1390 bytes) key. If you need to move a menu, please read Moving Menus found in the Aspen Graphics Menus chapter of this manual. To reopen the Window Selection Menu, tap the btntilda.gif (1192 bytes), and select Add Window. For more information on pages, page layout, and using the Window Selection Menu to create a page, please read Creating a New Page in the Pages chapter of this manual.

Window Selection Menu Functions

      In addition to the window names listed in the Window Selection Menu, there are several menu selections. These functions are designed to assist you in laying out a page. They are listed in Table 1.

       

      Selection

      Function

      Undelete This selection is hidden unless you have deleted a window from the menu. If you have deleted a window, the undelete selection enables you to recover it.
      Purge This selection is also hidden unless you have deleted a window. If you have deleted a window from the menu, the Purge selection completes the deletion. This selection is protected and must be double-clicked on to activate.
      DELETE Removes the active window from the screen; it does not delete the active window from memory. This selection is protected and must be double-clicked on to activate.
      CLEAR Clears all the windows off the screen. This selection is protected and must be double-clicked on to activate.
      Done Removes the Window Selection Menu from the screen.

      Table 1

Customizing Windows                 Top of Page

      Once a window is displayed, it can be modified in a variety of ways. For example, you can move a window to a different place on the screen, or change its horizontal and vertical dimensions. The following sections describe modifying a window’s size and placement on the screen. You will find information on other changes you can make to the different window types throughout this guide.

 

Grid Snap                 Top of Page

      Before you start moving and sizing windows, you should be aware of grid snap. Grid snap assists you in sizing and aligning windows. Aspen Graphics provides a background grid to which window borders will snap when re-sized or moved.

      By default, the grid snap is active. As you begin using Aspen Graphics, you should leave the grid snap feature on. This will help you keep the borders of windows within the boundaries of your screen while you are learning to re-size windows. Keeping the borders of windows within the boundaries of your screen is important because color monitors can convert color images to monochrome. You can, however, turn grid snap off. Turning grid snap off allows finer control in sizing windows.

      To turn grid snap off, type .snap off btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes). To turn grid snap back on, type .snap on btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes).

Moving Windows                  Top of Page

      Aspen Graphics windows may be placed virtually anywhere on the screen and partially off the screen. Windows that are partially off the screen will continue to update as though they were in full view.

Moving a Window with the Mouse

To move a window with the mouse, follow these steps:

    1. Place the mouse pointer in the window.
    2. Click and HOLD the right mouse button.
    3. Drag the window to a desired place on the screen.
    4. Release the right mouse button.

Moving a Window with the Keyboard

You can move a window with the keyboard using the arrow keys. To move the active window, follow these steps:

    1. Type .move btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes). The window border will change color.
    2. Use the arrow keys to move the window to a desired location on the screen.
    3. Tap the btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes) key one time to lock the window into place.

Sizing a Window                  Top of Page

      Aspen Graphics allows you to re-size any application window. How you re-size a window depends on whether you are using Aspen Graphics for DOS or Aspen Graphics for WindowsÒ . While the schemes are similar, there are subtle differences. Make sure you read the correct sizing instructions.

      If the grid is on, the window will snap to the background grid.

Sizing a Window With the Mouse in Aspen Graphics for DOS

To re-size a window follow these steps:

    1. Place the mouse pointer near the border you wish to move.
    2. Double click and HOLD the right mouse button. The mouse pointer will change to a cross icon, and the border color will change.
    3. Drag the cross icon in the direction you want the border or borders to move.
    4. When the window is the correct shape and size, release the mouse button.

Sizing a Window With the Mouse in Aspen Graphics for Windowsâ

To re-size a window, follow these steps:

    1. Place the mouse pointer on the border you wish to move. The mouse pointer will change to a directional arrow.
    2. Click and HOLD the left mouse button. The border will change color.
    3. Drag the border in the direction you want it to move.
    4. When the window is the correct shape and size, release the mouse button.

Sizing a Window With the Keyboard

Re-sizing a window with the keyboard is the same in DOS or Windowsâ . To re-size a window, follow these steps:

    1. Type .size btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes). The border will change color.
    2. Move the borders by tapping the arrow keys.
    3. When the window is correctly sized, tap the btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes) key one time.
The arrow keys move the bottom and right borders.


Re-sizing or re-shaping a window may affect the contents of the window. The effects of re-sizing are explained in the chapters on each application.

Saving Windows                  Top of Page

With Aspen Graphics, any windows that are created or edited can be saved. To save a window, follow these steps:

    1. Type .wsave btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes). The Save Window As: prompt will be displayed.
    2. Enter the name for your window, and tap the btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes) key one time.
Do not name a window exclusively a symbol or a number, or any Aspen Graphics command. If you enter a name that has already been used for a window, you will be prompted with the message: "Overwrite Existing Window?" You can either single left click on Cancel and change the name, or overwrite by double left clicking on Proceed.

The window will be listed in the Window Selection Menu. The window’s position on the screen, its dimensions and the instruments you have entered into the window will be saved.

If you select a window to be saved, and then decide not to save the window, press the btnesc.gif (1390 bytes) key, and the save command will be terminated.

To recall the window, simply type in the name of the window, and tap the btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes) key one time, or choose the window from the Window Selection Menu.

Deleting a Window                  Top of Page

To delete a window from the Window Selection menu, follow these steps:

    1. Type .win btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes). The Window Selection menu will appear.
      Do not click on a window's name or press the enter key during the next step.
    2. Highlight the unwanted window with the mouse pointer, but do NOT click on the window name or press btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes).
    3. Tap the delete key one time. The Undelete and Purge selections of the Window Selection menu should become active.
    4. If the correct window has been deleted from the Window Selection menu, double left click on the Purge selection. This will remove the window from memory. If a window was deleted by mistake, single left click on Undelete. This will restore it to the Window Selection Menu.
    5. We recommend that you maintain your Aspen Graphics system by occasionally
      deleting unused windows from the Window Selection Menu.

Multiple Windows                  Top of Page

There is no technical limit to the number of application windows that can be put on a screen, but there is a practical limit to how small a window can become. You can add windows to a screen using the Window Selection Menu or by typing a window’s name and tapping the btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes) key one time.

You have already read about the basic techniques for using Aspen Graphics windows. These basic techniques apply when more than one window is on the screen. As windows are added to the screen, they may be reshaped to fit the available space. The variety of possible screen arrangements is limited only by your imagination. With multiple windows on the screen, it is necessary to select the window with which you want to work. The selected window becomes the active window.

The Active Window                  Top of Page

      Though there may be many application windows (quote, news, graphs etc.) on the screen, there is always one, and only one, active window at any time. This does not mean that the other windows will not continue to update. All windows continuously update. The instructions you give to Aspen Graphics, either through a menu or a command, normally apply only to the active window.

      When you add a new window to the screen, it automatically becomes the active window. The active window is differentiated from the other windows on the screen by its highlighted border. If you cascade your windows, the active window will always be in the foreground.

Selecting the Active Window With the Keyboard

        Tap the btntab.gif (1270 bytes) key to rotate through all of the windows. Each time you tap the btntab.gif (1270 bytes) key, a new window will become active. Holding down the btnshift.gif (1423 bytes) key and tapping the btntab.gif (1270 bytes) key will rotate the selection in the opposite direction.

Selecting the Active Window With the Mouse

      Place the mouse pointer within the window you want to select, and single click the right mouse button.

       

Special Window Functions                  Top of Page

Aspen Graphics provides several customization features that can be applied to the active window. These features allow you to further customize screens to match your particular needs. Window functions are selected through the application menu. To customize the window, follow these steps:

    1. Select the window you want to customize.
    2. Tap the btntilda.gif (1192 bytes) key one time. This command will bring up the application menu for that window.
    3. From the application menu, single left click on Window/Misc. This command will display the Window Functions Menu (see Figure 2).

Figure 2

 

    1. Single left click on Character Size. The Font Sizes menu will appear (see Figure 3).

Figure 3

    1. Choose the size of font you would like the active window to have, or single left click on Custom Fonts Select to edit the current font.
    2. When you are finished choosing the font size, single left click on Done. The Font Sizes menu will disappear and the chosen font will appear on the active window.
    3. Tap the btntilda.gif (1192 bytes) key one time. The application menu for the active window will appear.
    4. Single left click on Window/Misc. The Window Functions menu will appear (see Figure 2).
    5. Single left click on Transp/Opaque. The active window will become transparent.

The Transp/Opaque selection is a toggle. When you select this toggle, the background of the active window turns transparent, and you can see through the window. If you select this toggle a second time, the background of the active window returns to opaque.

The keyboard command for this feature is .trans btnEnter.gif (1425 bytes). You can make any Aspen Graphics window transparent. Charts, news, quotes, etc. are displayed with an opaque background. When you move a transparent window over an opaque window, the opaque window’s background remains visible so you can compare the contents of both windows. You move and size transparent windows the same way you move and size opaque windows. During re-shaping, a transparent window’s borders change color. The borders help you to accurately re-shape the window.

Maximize/Minimize feature                  Top of Page

Versions 3.02 and higher include a window maximize and minimize feature. When the mouse pointer is moved to the top right hand corner of a window smaller than full screen, the maximize icon will appear.

Single left clicking on this icon will expand the window to full screen size.

When a window is in maximized mode, moving the mouse pointer to the top right hand corner of the window will display the minimize icon:

Single left clicking on this icon will return the window to its original size.