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AIX Version 4.3 Quick Beginnings

Basic Web-based System Manager Interface

Containers

Web-based System Manager components, referred to as applications, can be thought of as container windows that hold objects just as desktop system folders hold files and applications. The container windows have the basic format shown in this illustration:

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar lists the actions that can be performed with a particular application. Web-based System Manager has the following menus:

Pop-up Menus

Pop-up menus are a quick way of accessing menu items. Pop-up menus are opened when you press the right mouse button while the mouse pointer is over an object. The opened pop-up menu displays the Selected menu choices that apply to that object. If you press the right mouse button when the mouse pointer is over the background of the view area, an object pop-up menu for the application you are in displays.

Tool Bar

The Tool Bar contains common and frequently used actions for an application. Actions included in the toolbar are a subset of the actions in the menu bar. Holding the mouse pointer over a toolbar icon for a few seconds causes a label to appear that describes the function of the icon.

Common Actions

The following actions are supported in the containers of most Web-based System Manager applications:

Object Menu :  
Find Opens a dialog box for searching for an object.
Become Administrator Opens a dialog box for changing to another user account by logging on as that user. This menu choice is available only in applet mode.
Close Closes the currently active Web-based System Manager container window and any dialog boxes opened by that window.
Exit Exits the Web-based System Manager environment and closes all Web-based System Manager windows.
Selected Menu:  
Open Opens the selected object in the container view area or starts a selected TaskGuide.
Properties Opens the properties notebook (dialog box) of a selected object.
Select All Selects all objects in the container view area.
Deselect All Removes selection from all objects in the container view area.
View Menu:  
Reload Now Causes the managed system to reload and redisplay the objects in the container view area to reflect its current view status.
Stop Loading Stops the loading of icons into the container view area.
Open New Window Opens a new copy of the current container window.
Large Icons Display icons in the container view area in the large size.
Small Icons Display icons in the container view area in the small size.
Icon View Displays objects in a grid arrangement without detailed properties or hierarchy information. Useful when viewing details of icons are important or when a large number of icons are to be displayed.
Details View Displays objects and some properties in a tabular arrangement. Objects can be sorted by their displayed properties by clicking on the property column headings.
Tree View Displays objects according to a hierarchy in the form of one or more trees. Branches of the tree can be contracted by clicking on the (-) symbol or expanded by clicking on the (+) symbol.
Tree-Details View A combination of Tree and Details views that shows both the hierarchy of objects and some of their properties. Branches of the tree can be contracted by clicking on the (-) symbol or expanded by clicking on the (+) symbol.
Sort Rearranges the contents of a container displayed in an Icon or Details view by Name, Type (Class), or Property.
Filter Displays or hides the objects in a container based on their Name, Type (Class), or the value of one or more properties.
Options Menu:  
Menu Bar When checked, displays the container's Menu Bar. Unchecking this choice hides the Menu Bar. The Menu Bar can be restored by opening the pop-up menu on the container background and selecting the Menu Bar choice.
Tool Bar When checked, displays the container's Tool Bar. Unchecking this choice hides the Tool Bar and the Activity icon.
Status Line When checked, shows the status line at the bottom of the container. Unchecking this choice hides the status line.

Activity Icon

The activity icon shows that the container is busy discovering objects to list in the view area or opening another window or dialog box.

View Area

The view area lists icons that represent things on the system. Depending upon the application and user preference, icons can be presented in a variety of views, including the Icon, Tree, Details, and Tree-Details views. Choices are provided in the View menu for sorting or filtering objects in the view area.

Note: Sorting is not supported in the tree views.

Status Line

The status line presents the status of objects in the active window. For example, it shows the progress of filling objects into the window. When all objects have been found, the status line shows how many objects are displayed.

Dialog Boxes

OK Submits the values specified in the controls of a dialog box and closes the dialog box
Apply Submits the values specified in the controls of a dialog box and leaves the dialog box open
Reset Restores the values specified in the controls of a dialog box to their settings when the dialog box was opened
Cancel Closes the dialog box without submitting the values specified in its controls
Next Performs the next step in a series of steps
Back Returns to the previous step in a series of steps
Help Opens a context sensitive help window

TaskGuides

TaskGuides are dialog boxes that assist you in performing a task by presenting a series of simple tasks with questions that you answer or information that you specify. An example of a TaskGuide is shown in this illustration:


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