MoreDesk: The Manage Desktop Window

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Below is an overview of how to use the main automation management window.

The “Manage Desktop” Window

Top panel

“Auto-fetch”

Open the auto-fetch subwindow to create a new fetch event.

“Auto-open”

Open the auto-open subwindow to create a new open event.

“Auto-run”

Open the auto-run subwindow to create a new run event.

“Auto-load”

Open the auto-load subwindow to create a new run event.

Drag to a window which you want to associate with a fetch event.

Drag to a directory which you want to associate with an open event.

Drag to a task which you want to associate with a run event.

Drag to a window for the file you want to associate with a load event.

Side panel

As you can see in the illustration above, icons in the side panel will be shaded unless it is sensible for them to be used. For example, you must select some events in the list before “Enable” is unshaded and you can only have a single event selected for “Move up” and “Move down” to be unshaded.

“Edit...”

Edit the selected event (only one event can be edited at a time).

“Move up”

Move an event up the list (top event executes before bottom event).

“Move down”

Move an event down the list (bottom event executes after top event).

“Enable”

Enabled selected events. These are run when the desktop is entered or left.

“Disable”

Disabled selected events. These are never executed.

“Remove”

Remove all of the selected events from the list.

List display

All of the automation events associated with the desktop being managed are listed in this part of the window. You can select events using the mouse, keyboard or menu. You can edit an event by double-clicking on it.

Any changes made to the list will not be fixed unless you click on the “Save” icon (see below).

Hint: drag the scroll bars for the list of events using the right mouse button (Adjust) rather than the left button (Select) so that you can scroll horizontally and vertically at the same time. This is really a RISC OS tip but you may not have known about it!

Bottom panel

“Take a snapshot”

Add all open windows, directories and running tasks (in the current desktop) to the events list.

“Cancel”

Close the automation management window and discard any changes which you might have made.

“Save”

Save any changes to the events list and close the window.

Taking a snapshot of the current desktop state is much like taking a snapshot in each of the individual automation subwindows and adding all of the results together. However, auto-load events take priority over auto-fetch events so if a window corresponds to a file it will result in an auto-load event, otherwise it will result in an auto-fetch event. It is usually easier to use the snapshot function within the subwindows rather than in this window.

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