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On OpenVMS Alpha systems starting with DECwindows Motif Version 1.2 for OpenVMS, the AccessX extension provides features to help disabled users interact with workstations. These features make it easier to use the keyboard and mouse. You can interact with workstations by entering commands and manipulating menus and dialog boxes. However, with AccessX features, performing these input operations is even easier.
A client application is provided to enable and customize the AccessX features. To run this application, enter the following commands:
$ SET DEFAULT DECW$EXAMPLES $ RUN AccessX |
AccessX offers the features described in the following sections.
2.1.1.4.1 Sticky Keys
The Sticky Keys feature allows you to perform multikey operations with
one hand, one finger, or a mouth stick. You can use this feature to
enter uppercase letters or punctuation characters without having to
hold down the Shift key while pressing the character key. This feature
also makes it easier to enter control characters such as Ctrl/C.
2.1.1.4.2 Mouse Keys
The Mouse Keys feature lets you map actions that you would perform with
a mouse to keys on the numeric keyboard or other keys that you specify.
With this feature, you can use one finger or a mouth stick to move the
cursor to different areas of the screen, manipulate menus, and select,
cut, and paste text.
2.1.1.4.3 Toggle Keys
The Toggle Keys feature provides audio feedback when the Shift Lock
(Caps Lock) key is pressed. This feature helps users who might have
difficulty seeing the keyboard light indicator for the Shift Lock key
or users who are using a keyboard that does not provide light
indicators for any keyboard settings.
2.1.1.4.4 Repeat Keys
The Repeat Keys feature allows you to adjust the auto-repeat keyboard
mechanism speed or to turn it off entirely. With this feature turned
on, you can set your keyboard so that holding down a key for a longer
than average time does not cause a repeat entry of that character.
2.1.1.4.5 Slow Keys
The Slow Keys feature makes the keys less likely to respond when
brushed accidentally. With this feature turned on, the computer accepts
only keystrokes that are held for a certain length of time. The
computer ignores light keystrokes that are held only for a moment.
2.1.1.4.6 Bounce Keys
The Bounce Keys feature eliminates the problem of pressing a key and
then accidentally pressing it again before moving to another key. You
can set this feature to tell the computer not to process a second
pressing of a key unless a certain length of time elapses between each
pressing.
2.1.1.4.7 Time Out
The Time Out feature shuts off the AccessX features on a workstation
after a specified period of time. If you are sharing a workstation and
have set AccessX features, the settings are automatically turned off
before the next use. To retain the AccessX settings at all times, you
can turn off the Time Out feature.
2.1.1.5 Drag and Drop Support
V1.2
All DECwindows Motif applications except Notepad support the drag-and-drop feature. DECwindows Mail supports the drag-and-drop feature in all windows except the main message area, where DECwindows Mail has its own drag-and-drop; you can use MB2 to move messages around with the SVN interface.
The drag-and-drop feature lets you move or copy screen objects; this feature is provided primarily for programmers who choose to incorporate drag-and-drop into their applications. For example, you can move text from a text entry area and paste it elsewhere.
Refer to Section 5.3.1 for instructions on using drag and drop.
2.1.2 Problems and Restrictions
The following notes describe the known problems and restrictions that
currently exist in the general DECwindows Motif environment.
2.1.2.1 Support Discontinued for Display PostScript
Starting August 1, 1998, Compaq discontinued support for Adobe Display PostScript software. Compaq took this action because Adobe Systems Incorporated discontinued its former ongoing support for Display PostScript.
This action has had a varying degree of impact on the behavior of those DECwindows Motif applications that used the Adobe Display PostScript software. For example, starting with DECwindows Motif Version 1.2--6, Bookreader can no longer display graphics in PostScript format.
For information about the effects of this action on specific DECwindows applications, see the following release notes:
To learn about the possible impact to user-written and third-party
applications designed for the DECwindows Motif environment, see
Section 4.2.2.1.
2.1.2.2 Unsupported Translations by the Motif XmText Widget
By default, the Motif XmText widget does not support the following translations for Versions 1.1, 1.2, and 1.2--3 of the DECwindows Motif product:
F12: beginning-of-line() F13: delete-previous-word() Ctrl e: end-of-line() Ctrl j: delete-previous-word() Ctrl h: beginning-of-line() Ctrl r: redraw-display() Ctrl u: delete-to-start-of-line() ~Ctrl ~Meta ~Shift Alt<Key>space: self-insert() |
These translations are preferred by OpenVMS users to ensure consistency with the DCL command line interface.
The DECwindows Motif Session Manager defines translations so that they can be used by applications that are displayed to an OpenVMS display server. If you display your applications on a different display server (for example, on a PC or Compaq Tru64 UNIX workstation), these translations are not functional.
To enable these translations, add the following lines to your applications default file (for example, DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:app_name.DAT or to the file DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:XDEFAULTS.DAT):
*XmText.translations: #override \n\
<Key>F12: beginning-of-line()\n\
<Key>F13: delete-previous-word()\n\
Ctrl<Key>e: end-of-line()\n\
Ctrl<Key>j: delete-previous-word()\n\
Ctrl<Key>h: beginning-of-line()\n\
Ctrl<Key>r: redraw-display()\n\
Ctrl<Key>u: delete-to-start-of-line()\n\
~Ctrl ~Meta ~Shift Alt<Key>space: self-insert()\n
|
You can copy the text for these translations from the file DECW$SYSTEM_DEFAULTS:DECW$LOGIN.DAT.
Enabling these translations does not affect the standard Motif translations, such as Alt-right for end-of-line or Ctrl-right for end-of-word.
If you add lines to the file DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:XDEFAULTS.DAT file, startup performance for all applications is slightly degraded. |
V1.2--3
The following applications do not support tear-off menus:
Refer to Section 5.3.2 for instructions on tearing off a menu and
closing a tear-off menu.
2.1.2.4 Printing from Applications Linked Against OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3
Applications that are linked against OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 may end abruptly when you attempt to print on systems that do not have print queues. Any layered products that linked against the OSF/Motif Release 1.1.3 libraries and use the standard DECwindows print dialog ("print widget") are also affected.
As a possible solution, either avoid displaying the DECwindows print
dialog, or define a print queue on your system. The print queue does
not have to be connected to a printer to accept print jobs. Assign a
name to the print queue that indicates the print queue is not connected
to a printer, for example, NULL_PRINTER.
2.1.2.5 Access Control Not Explicitly Enabled by Default
DECwindows Motif does not enable access control by default. Instead, the product uses access control set by the server. The DECwindows X11 display server enables access control at startup time.
To force the DECwindows Session Manager to enable or disable access control explicitly at login time, you can define one of the following logical names:
$ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE DECW$LOGIN_ACCESS_CONTROL ENABLE $ DEFINE/SYSTEM/EXECUTIVE DECW$LOGIN_ACCESS_CONTROL DISABLE |
If the logical name is not defined or if it is defined to some other value, such as "SERVER", DECwindows login neither enables nor disables access control.
In most cases, it should not be necessary to define the logical name.
2.2 New Desktop Environment (Alpha Only)
Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS, Version 1.2--6 product incorporates the Common Desktop Environment (CDE) Motif 1.0 Toolkit (OSF/Motif Release 1.2.5) and is based on Release 5 of the X Window System Intrinsics. As with previous releases, Compaq DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS, Version 1.2--6 continues to provide run-time support for the XUI user interface and Toolkit. Application development is supported for the CDE Motif 1.0 Toolkit.
On Alpha systems, the New Desktop is derived from the Common Desktop Environment (CDE). The user interface that was provided in previous versions of DECwindows Motif is referred to as the DECwindows desktop. The system manager can choose to install either the New Desktop or the DECwindows desktop, or both. In addition, the user can select which desktop is started during the DECwindows startup procedure.
This section contains release notes that pertain to the New Desktop
environment.
2.2.1 Changes and Enhancements
The following notes describe changes and enhancements made to the
New Desktop environment.
2.2.1.1 Screen Saver and Screen Lock Support
New Desktop now supports the Screen Saver Extension (MIT-SCREEN-SAVER), which is available systems running on OpenVMS Alpha Version 7.1 or greater. This extension enables you to use the following features, which are available from the Style Manager Screen dialog box:
For more information on using the screen saver and screen lock
components of the Style Manager, see the online help for the Style
Manager application.
2.2.1.2 Full List of Language Variants Displayed
The Login Screen has been modified to recognize all available language
variants. Now when you select the Language item from the Options menu,
all available language variants are listed and ready for selection.
This enables you to login and create a localized New Desktop session
that displays the Front Panel, desktop, and menu items according to the
options associated with the selected variant.
2.2.1.3 File/Shred Menu Item Handles Multilevel Directories
The File Manager now allows you to delete items that contain one or
more subdirectories. Once dragged or placed into the Trash Can using
the Select/Put In Trash option, you can select File/Shred to quickly
dispose of the item and its contents, including any underlying
subdirectories and files.
2.2.1.4 Display Icon Files from the Find Set Dialog Box
When defining or editing an application icon with Create Action
application, you can now view and select from a list of available icon
files in the associated Find Set dialog box.
2.2.1.5 Selecting Screens on Application Launch
V1.2--5
You can graphically select the screen on which a new application is displayed when launched from either the Front Panel, the File Manager, or the Application Manager. By default, the new application appears on the current screen (that is, the screen containing the mouse pointer). The feature allows you to drop an application icon from the File Manager or Application Manager onto one of the numbered screen controls of the Set Default Screen window. This starts the application on the selected screen without changing the current screen.
The Set Default Screen window is activated as before by selecting the
"Set Default Screen" application in the Application Manager's
Desktop Tools folder. You can start a separate instance of the Set
Default Screen window on each screen. The highlighting of the default
screen is synchronized across all instances of the Set Default Screen
window.
2.2.1.6 Front Panel Icons Support MB3 Operations
V1.2--4
The New Desktop Front Panel supports mouse button 3 (MB3) operations. When the cursor is placed over a Front Panel icon and you press MB3, a subpanel or menu appears. The menu items are as follows:
If the third item is "Delete Subpanel", this change is difficult to reverse without reinstalling the kit. |
When you start an application (from the Front Panel or dtfile), a new detached process is created with a process name constructed from the user name, $CDE, and a three-digit numeric identifier.
For example, user SMITH starts an application whose process name is
SMITH$CDE001. The next assigned process name would be SMITH$CDE002,
unless SMITH$CDE001 has already terminated and is available for reuse.
2.2.1.8 Viewing Reference Pages
DECwindows contains a collection of help files for the New Desktop called reference pages (also known as manpages). Reference pages are divided into sections and, on OpenVMS, the file extension indicates the section. Sections distributed with the release include the following:
| Section | Purpose | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Applications | filename.1 |
| 3 | Libraries/programming | filename.3 |
| 4 | Programming | filename.4 |
| 5 | Include file formats | filename.5 |
A version of dthelpview has been set up with the appropriate action definition for manpage viewing. The process logical MANPATH has been defined to point to the CDE$SYSTEM_DEFAULTS:[MAN] directory that contains all of the reference page files.
You can use either of the following methods to start dthelpview and display reference pages:
To start dthelpview from DECterm and view a reference page called dtaction.1:
$ dthelpview :== - _"$ sys$sysdevice:[sys0.syscommon.cde$defaults.system.bin]dthelpview.exe" |
$ dthelpview -"manPage" dtaction.1 |
To start dthelpview from Application Manager and view the reference page called dtaction.1:
The following notes describe the resolution of any problems specific to
the New Desktop environment that previously resulted in an error or
required a workaround.
2.2.2.1 Session Manager Exits Properly When Saving a Session From an Nonprivileged Account
Starting and exiting a New Desktop session from an account that does
not have rename privileges to the files in the SYS$LOGIN:[.DT]
directory no longer causes the Session Manager to hang. This problem
has been corrected; the Session Manager exits the session properly and
returns you to the Login Screen.
2.2.2.2 File Manager Allows Access to Files and Directories That Use ACLs
Previously, the File Manager application denied nonprivileged users
access to files and directories even though access was granted through
access control list (ACL). This problem has been corrected; dtfile
allows the user to access the file or directory as specified by the
related ACL entry.
2.2.2.3 Screen Lock Functions Properly on Multihead Systems
When running New Desktop on a multihead system, using lock screen
with the Use Backgrounds For Lock option enabled was not behaving
properly. It was possible to lock the screen from a remote system and
then display an application over the background on the locked
workstation. This problem has been corrected.
2.2.2.4 Can Set Default Display on Multihead Systems
Previously, the following problems occurred when the default display was set to a value other than 0 on a multihead system:
These problems have been fixed; all applications and return values
either appear on or are related to the correct display device.
2.2.2.5 Can Remove the Calendar Icon From a Subpanel
Previously, removing the Calendar icon from a subpanel caused the
Window Manager to crash. This problem has been corrected; you can
safely delete the icon from any application subpanel.
2.2.2.6 Can Switch Between Workspaces
Previously, changing workspaces resulted in a system crash as soon as
the user clicked on a window in the new workspace to bring it into
focus. This problem has been corrected; you can toggle between two or
more workspaces.
2.2.2.7 Login Screen Positioned Properly in 640x480 Display Mode
The Login Screen has been recentered so that it allows ample space for
both operator message and login text on Compaq Alpha systems that use
the screen resolution of 640 x 480 (such as those containing Cirrus
graphics cards).
2.2.2.8 Invalid Characters in a Username or Password No Longer Halt Login
Entering one or more invalid characters (such as a space) in either the
Username or Password text field of the Login Screen no longer halts the
login process by causing the Login Screen to disapper. This problem has
been fixed. If any invalid characters are detected, a warning message
is displayed that prompts you to correct the username and password text
before proceeding.
2.2.2.9 Welcome Message Updated
Previously, the welcome message in the Login Screen did not display a
host name when the DECnet network transport was not configured. This
problem has been corrected. If TCP/IP is the network transport, the
TCP/IP host name is displayed. If neither transport is configured, a
default message of "Welcome to OpenVMS" is displayed.
2.2.3 Problems and Restrictions
The following notes describe known problems and restrictions that
currently exist in the New Desktop environment.
2.2.3.1 Desktop Applications Disappear When Setting a Home Session
V1.2--6
In the Style Manager, selecting Startup and then Set Home Session can cause applications that you previously started using the Application Manager to disappear. This can happen if you start these applications with the Application Manager and then close the Application Manager before setting your home session.
The workaround is to keep the Application Manager window open.
2.2.3.2 DECwrite Icon Does Not Open DECwrite Program
V1.2--5
DECwindows does not include the DECwrite program. However, DECwindows does include the DECwrite icon on the New Desktop. If the DECwrite product has not been installed, clicking on the DECwrite icon results in the following error messages:
> RCV'D (pid 000000CA): %DCL-W-IVVERB, unrecognized command verb -
check validity and spelling
-> RCV'D (pid 000000CA): \DECWRITE\
-> RCV'D (pid 000000CA): TESTER logged out at
29-JUL-1998 17:56:44.63
|
If the DECwrite product is installed and you still get this error, ensure that DECwrite is started in SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM.
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