1. Arrange Dialog

The Arrange dialog can be invoked in many ways. Most commonly through use of the Arrange icon () on the Toolbar or Taskbar. The Arrange dialog can also be invoked from the context menus on the Taskbar and Toolbar and with it's HotKey, which is by default set to ALT-0 (see the Options Dialog for details on how to change this HotKey).

The Arrange Dialog is the main point of access for DesktopPlus and as such provides access to both the Options and Desktop Properties dialogs. As well as a host of other features:

• 1.1 Copy/Move Windows
• 1.2 Remove/Close Windows
• 1.3 Rename Desktops
• 1.4 Switch to Desktop/Window
• 1.5 Exit DesktopPlus

The Arrange Dialog allows you to copy and move windows in one of three ways:

• Drag and Drop
• Cut and Paste
• Menus

Windows can be moved and copied between desktops by dragging them onto a desktop icon or onto a window icon in another desktop. If the CTRL key is held downwhen the icon is dropped the window will be copied to that desktop. This causes the window to be linked to that desktop. The window exists on both desktops and it's size and position are saved per-desktop.

1.1.2 Cut and Paste

Windows can be cut and copied and later pasted into another desktop. This works much in the same way as standard Windows cut-and-paste. The Cut, Copy and Paste operations can be invoked through the main Arrange menu, the context menu and through the standard windows shortcut keys, CTR-X, CTRL-C and CTRL-V respectively.

1.1.3 Menus

It is also possible to move and copy windows through the Arrange Dialog menus. Clicking on a window enables the main "Window" menu, from where it is possible to use the "Link to Desktop and "Move to Desktop" menus. The same can also be achieved theough the Window context menu. Pasting can be done through both the Arrange Dialog "Desktop" menu and through the Desktop context menu.

The Window context menu

The Desktop context menu

1.2 Remove/Close Windows A window can be removed or closed through the main Window menu, the Window Context Menu or by using the DEL shortcut key. The "Remove" option is only available where the window has been copied to multiple desktops. Removing a window removes it only from that desktop, other copies of the window on other desktops will remain active. The "Close" option causes the process which owned the window to be closed. This will all copies of the window, on all desktops, to be removed.

1.3 Rename Desktops

Each desktop has a name which is displayed in the Arrange Dialog tree. The "Rename" option can be accessed through the main "Window" menu, the Window context menu or by selecting a Window in the tree and pressing F2. A Desktops name can also be changed in the Desktop Properties Dialog.

1.4 Switch to Desktop/Window

You can switch to a desktop in a number of ways:

• Double click a Desktop icon
• Select "Switch to" from the Desktop context menu
• Choose "Switch to" from the main Desktop menu

You can switch to a window in the following ways:

• Double click a Window icon
• Select "Switch to" from the Window context menu
• Choose "Switch to" from the main Window menu

1.5 Exit DesktopPlus

You can exit DesktopPlus by selecting "Exit" from the File menu. You can also exit DesktopPlus exit through the Toolbar and Taskbar context menus.

2. Options Dialog

The Options Dialog is used to set some general application-specific parameters.

Use the Number of Desktops control to specify the number of virtual desktops DesktopPlus should make available. The maximum number of desktops is nine and the minimum is, of course, two.

Enabling the Reroute Orphaned Windows function of DesktopPlus causes DesktopPlus to automatically relocate windows which have been separated from their parents. This prevents popup windows which belong to a window on another desktop from disturbing you with the window you are currently working with. When DesktopPlus reroutes an orphaned window, it indicates that it has done so by marking the inactive desktop in red (). In Compact Mode the Desktop indicator is marked red.

The Enable HotKeys option must be enabled in order to allow the DesktopPlus HotKeys to work. HotKeys enable you to access DesktopPlus functions at any time by pressing a key combination such as ALT and 0. Disable this function if you do not want to use HotKeys and you would like to use the same HotKey combinations in other applications.

The General HotKeys section allows you to specify HotKeys for specific functions in DesktopPlus.

The Arrange HotKey can be used to invoke the DesktopPlus Arrange Dialog.

The Prev Desk HotKey switches to the Previous Desktop. For example, if Desktop 4 is currently active pressing the Previous Desktop HotKey will switch to Desktop 3.

The Next Desk HotKey switches to the Next Desktop. For example, if Desktop 4 is currently active pressing the Next Desktop HotKey will switch to Desktop 5.

Both the Previous and Next HotKeys 'wrap around', i.e. pressing the Previous Desktop HotKey when Desktop 1 is active will switch to the highest Desktop and pressing the Next Desktop HotKey when the highest Desktop is active will switch to Desktop 1.

3. Desktop Properties Dialog

The Desktop Properties Dialog is used to set Desktop-specific options.

Using the Title edit box you can change the desktop's title. It is this text which appears in the Arrange Dialog tree. You can also change the desktop title using the Arrange Dialog's F2 shortcut key.

When the Show System Taskbar option is checked, the system taskbar is displayed when the desktop is active. Un-checking this option causes the system taskbar to be hidden for this desktop only.

The Show System Desktop option works in the same way as the Taskbar option above, except that it applies to the system desktop, the background of your window session and the place where icons are displayed.

Using the Set Password option it is possible to apply a password to a desktop. It is impossible to switch to the desktop, or view it's contents in the Arrange Dialog tree without the assigned password.

Using the HotKey edit box a HotKey can be assigned to this Desktop. The HotKey combination can be used to switch to that desktop at any time. HotKeys can also be assigned to other functions in DesktopPlus, see the Options Dialog for more details.