# Tasklist Applet Manual

Copyright © 2001 by John Fleck

# Tasklist Applet

`Tasklist` applet, shown in Figure 1, displays a table showing windowed applications running on your computer. Depending on the options chosen, you can display either those on the desktop currently in use, or on all virtual desktops. To add this applet to a Panel, right-click on the panel and choose Applets->Utility->Tasklist.

Figure 1. Tasklist

## Usage

`Tasklist` allows you to quickly navigate the applications running on your computer, displaying icons and application names for each application that meets the criteria you've set in the properties window. Clicking on an icon or application name gives focus to that application, bringing it to the foreground so it accepts your keyboard input.

Right-clicking with the mouse on an application's icon or text in the applet brings up the following menu:

Figure 2. Tasklist Right-Click Options

- `Iconify` — reduce the selected application to a panel icon. When an application already has been iconified, the menu item changes to `Restore`. Clicking on it restores the application to your desktop.

- `Shade` — minimize the application to a single window bar. When an application has been Shaded, the menu item changes to `Unshade`. Clicking on `Unshade` restores the application to full size.

- `Stick` — make application "sticky", which means it remains in your field of view when you change virtual desktops, following you as you go. When an application is sticky, the menu option `Unstick` is displayed, allowing you to leave an application behind as you continue your virtual desktop travels.

- `Kill` — kills the application. The properties dialog allows you to have `Tasklist` prompt you for confirmation before causing an application's untimely death.

## Task Grouping

`Tasklist` can group icons together when multiple instances of a program are running. A number in parentheses appears to next to the application. Clicking on the icon brings up a menu listing all of the running instances.

Figure 3. Task Grouping

Clicking on an item in the list brings that window to the foreground and gives it focus.

By default, `Tasklist` groups four or more applications. You can change this in the properties window.

## Right-Click Pop-Up Menu Items

In addition to the standard menu items (see the section called Standard Pop-Up Items), the right-click pop-up menu has Properties... item — This menu item opens the Properties dialog (see the section called Properties) which allows you to customize the appearance and behavior of this applet.

## Properties

You can configure `Tasklist` applet by right-clicking on the applet and choosing the Properties... menu item. This will open the Properties dialog, shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Properties Dialog

The Properties dialog allows to you control which tasks are displayed:

- `Show normal applications` — display, in the applet, all applications on the current desktop that have not been minimized.

- `Show iconified (minimized) applications` — show all applications on the current desktop that have been minimized

- `Show normal applications on all desktops` — show all full-sized, non-minimized applications on all desktops. For this to work, you must also have checked the `Show normal applications` checkbox above.

- `Show iconified (minimized) applications on all desktops` — show all applications that have been minimized on all desktops. For this to work, you must also have checked `Show iconified (minimized) applications` above.

- `Show mini icons` — Some applications support a miniature icon. This option displays it on the `Tasklist` panel.

- `Confirm before killing windows` — have the applet prompt you before you're permitted to kill an application.

- `Move iconified tasks to current workspace when restoring` — automatically switches the desktop work area on your screen to the one containing the application you click on in the `Tasklist` panel.

- `Enable task grouping` — Turns on `Tasklist's` grouping feature and controls the number of instances of an application that must be running before they are grouped.

Figure 5. Properties Dialog - Size

The size properties dialog controls how much space `Tasklist` takes up on your panel:

- `Follow panel size` — have `Tasklist` size determined automatically based on panel size. This overrides other size options.

- `Tasklist width (height)` — width (or height in vertical panel) of `Tasklist` in pixels.

- `Rows of tasks` — determines how many rows of task icons `Tasklist` displays.

- `Default task size` — set the default size for display of a task item. (This only has effect if `Tasklist width is dynamic` is checked below.)

- `Tasklist width (height) is fixed (dynamic)` — Have the size of the tasklist fixed or established by the applet dynamically. Setting it to "fixed" means that the applet will always take the amount of space set in "tasklist width", even if there are no tasks. Setting it to `dynamic` means that the applet will take as much space as needed to show all tasks (zero if there are no tasks), but not more than the value set in `Tasklist width`.

- `Only use empty space` — If width or height is set to be dynamic, this option forces `Tasklist` to use only the available space on your screen, preventing it from pushing other applets out of the way and off of your screen.

## Basic Properties Options

All Properties dialogs have the following buttons at the bottom of the dialog:

- OK — Pressing OK will activate any changes in the properties you have made and close the Properties dialog.

- Apply — Pressing Apply at any time will make your changes active without closing the Properties dialog. This is helpful if you would like to test the effects of the changes you have made but may want to continue changing the properties.

- Close — Pressing Close will close the Properties dialog. Only changes in the configuration which were previously applied with the Apply button will persist. Other changes will be discarded.

- Help — Pressing Help brings up the manual for the application, opening it to the page describing the Properties dialog.

## Standard Pop-Up Items

All applets should have the following items in their right-click pop-up menu:

Remove from panel

  The Remove from panel menu item removes the applet from the Panel.

Move

  After selecting Move, your mouse pointer will change appearance (typically to a cross with arrows in each direction). As you move your mouse, the applet will move with it. When you have finished moving the applet, click any mouse button and the applet will anchor in its current position. Note that applets can be moved between two Panels this way.

Panel

  The Panel submenu contains various items and submenus for adding and removing Panels and applets and for changing the configuration.

About

  The About... menu item brings up a dialogue box containing various information about the applet, typically including the applet's name, version, author, copyright, license and description.

Help

  The Help menu item brings up the help manual for the applet.

## Known Bugs and Limitations

There are no known bugs in the `Tasklist` applet.

## Authors

The `Tasklist` applet was written by Anders Carlsson (`<andersca@gnu.org>`). Please send all comments, suggestions, and bug reports to the GNOME bug tracking database. (Instructions for submitting bug reports can be found on-line. If you are using GNOME 1.1 or later, you can also use `Bug Report Tool` (bug-buddy), available in the Utilities submenu of Main Menu, for submitting bug reports.

This manual was written by John Fleck (`<jfleck@inkstain.net>`). Please send all comments and suggestions regarding this manual to the GNOME Documentation Project by sending an email to `<docs@gnome.org>`. You can also submit comments online by using the GNOME Documentation Status Table.

## License

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

A copy of the GNU General Public License is included with the GNOME documentation. You may also obtain a copy of the GNU General Public License from the Free Software Foundation by visiting their Web site or by writing to

Free Software Foundation, Inc.
59 Temple Place - Suite 330
Boston, MA 02111-1307
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