| The mouse and keyboard are the primary
input devices for most computers. You may be working with a Sun
Solaris workstation or an Intel-based personal computer running the
Solaris operating system. It is helpful to understand the differences
between the Sun workstation version and the typical PC version of
these two input devices.
The Mouse
A mouse is used with CDE in a similar way as with other graphical user
interfaces. The mouse settings can be modified to suit a user's
preferences. Once a setting has been modified, that setting can be
stored into a user-specific file. This means that any personalized
settings will be the default whenever a CDE session is initiated. The
mouse used with a Sun workstation has three buttons, a left, middle
and a right button. Most personal computers typically have two
buttons, a left and a right. The middle mouse button with the Sun
workstation is primarily used as a paste button. When using a Sun
workstation the middle mouse button is primarily used as a paste
button. We will focus on the functions of the left and right buttons
so that this information will be applicable to a PC running Solaris
for Intel. 
The Left Mouse Button
Most actions use the left mouse button, alternatively known as button
1 or the SELECT button. This button is used to make selections in any
of the following ways:
- Make a window active
(Click the left mouse button while the mouse pointer is in that
window area)
- Invoke a window menu
(Click on the left mouse button while the mouse pointer is on the
window's menu box area)
- Select an option from the Front
Panel
- Select a File or Folder icon
(While working with the File Manager)
- Open an icon
(Double-click the left mouse button while the pointer is over the
icon)
- Highlight text to be selected
(Drag over the text area while the left mouse button is being
pressed)
The Right Mouse Button
When the right mouse button, or MENU button, is clicked or held down,
a menu of choices will appear. This is button 3 on a Sun
workstation. The options available on the menu will be determined by
the position of the mouse pointer when the right button was pressed.
Note: For the purposes of this
course, you will be instructed to left or right click to perform a
specific action. This assumes the standard right-hand configuration
of the buttons. These notes will instruct you when a double-click is
required.
The
Keyboard
PC Keyboard
It is useful to compare the two keyboards so you can work with either
one. As with the mouse, the Sun workstation keyboard and the personal
computer keyboard differ somewhat.
A typical PC has a keyboard with
104 keys and four major sections or areas on the keyboard:
- Typewriter Keys (letters, special
characters, Ctrl, Shift, Alt and others)
- Function Keys (F1, F2, F3, etc.)
- Cursor Management Keys (Insert,
Home, End, Arrow keys and others)
- Numeric Keypad
Sun Workstation Keyboard
The Sun workstation is wider than the typical PC keyboard. It has all
of the above keys and a few more for a total of 118. Most of the
additional keys are in two additional sections of the keyboard. A
section to the left of the keyboard provides 10 keys for window
management and common functions such as cut, copy and paste. A large
help key is in the top left corner of the keyboard. In the typewriter
portion of the keyboard, there are two keys with diamonds on them known
as "metakeys." These perform various functions such as
alternating between workspaces. Another section exists at the top
right which allows control of sound volume. Refer to Figure
for a
comparison between the two keyboards.
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