2.2 Becoming Familiar with the Common Desktop Environment
2.2.3 Managing windows
Most PC users are used to working in a graphical environment with windows. The UNIX Common Desktop Environment (CDE) is very similar in its operation. The following are common tasks that are normally performed in a windowed environment.

Overlapping Windows
When an icon is selected from the Front Panel, a window will open on your workspace screen. Normally, windows on the workspace will overlap each other, with the most recently opened window overlapping previously opened windows.

Lowering a Window 
To choose the window menu, position the mouse pointer on the window title area and press the right mouse button. One option in the resulting menu is to lower the window. This option will force the window to the back of the overlapping windows on your screen display.

The alternative keyboard action is to hold down the Alt key and press function key 3 (Alt-F3).

Note - There is no alternative to raising a window to the front of a set of overlapping windows. When selected, a window automatically comes to the front of any overlapping windows in a CDE display. The Front key on a Sun workstation keyboard will also bring a window to the front of the display.

Moving a Window 
There are two ways to move a window. One way is to choose the Move option from the window menu. The mouse pointer will change from an arrow to a small cross. Drag the cross pointer to move the window. As the cross moves, an outline of the window will be displayed on your screen. When the outline is in the desired position, click once with the left mouse button, and the window will move there.

The other method is easier and uses the drag-and-drop technique. With drag-and-drop, you place the mouse pointer over the window's title area, hold down the left mouse button, and drag the window to its new screen location. When the window is being moved, a pair of numbers will be displayed on your screen. These are the X and Y axis values which show the new position of the window on your workspace display. The number on the left (385) represents the horizontal (X) position. The number on the right (231) represents the vertical (Y) position.

These numbers are useful to developers and programmers who want to have a window appear in the same position every time an application is invoked.

Minimizing and Restoring a Window
At the top right side of the window is a Minimize button. Clicking on this button will convert the window into an icon. The icon of a minimized window will be placed at the left edge of the workspace display by default. However, it can be moved to any desktop location by dragging the icon to the desired position. Only one click of the left button is required to change a window to an icon. To change the icon back into a window, you must double-click on the icon with the left button. Clicking once on an icon will invoke the window menu. Selecting Restore will then change the icon back into a window.

Maximizing a Window
To make a window fill the entire workspace display, you must left click on the box button at the top right side of the window. To reduce the full-display window to its previous window size, select the box button again. When the window is reduced to its previous size, it is placed in its previous display position on the workspace.

Note - When a window occupies all of the workspace display, no other windows can be seen (as they are covered up). 

To switch to another window, you must either lower the full-display window or reduce it to its previous size. You can use the F9 and F10 function keys with the Alt key as keyboard alternatives to using the mouse. 

The Minimize and Maximize buttons are shown along with the window menu equivalents in Figure

Closing a Window 
To close a window, double-click with the left mouse button on the dash in the upper left corner of the window. A window can also be closed by single-clicking with the left mouse button in the upper left corner and then selecting the Close option from the menu that is displayed. If, by closing the window, unsaved data may be lost, UNIX will prompt you to save the information. The keyboard alternative to close a window is Alt+F4. Most applications will request that you confirm the closure of a window that contains unsaved data.