3.5. Navigating Windows

The following sections describe the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate windows. A window is a rectangular frame on your screen that displays an application.

Note

You can customize all of the keyboard shortcuts that are associated with navigating windows. See Navigating Your Workspaces for more information.

3.5.1. To Give Focus to a Window

Before you can use or modify a window, you must give focus to the window. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to give focus to a window.

Keys

Function

Alt+Tab

Display a popup window with icons that represent each window. Press-and-hold Alt and continue to press Tab to move through the windows until you reach the window to which you want to give focus.

Alt+Esc

Raise each window in turn until you reach the window to which you want to give focus.

3.5.2. To Control a Window

When a window has focus, you can perform various actions on the window. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to control the window that has focus.

Keys

Function

Alt+spacebar

Open the Window Menu.

Alt+F4

Close the window.

Solaris: Open

Linux:Alt+F9

Minimize the window.

Alt+F10

Maximize the window.

Alt+F5

Restore a maximized window to the original size of the window.

3.5.3. To Move a Window

When a window has focus, you can move the window around the screen. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to move a window.

Keys

Function

Alt+F7

Start the move operation. The mouse pointer changes to a cross.

arrow keys

Move the window 10 pixels at a time in the direction of the arrow key.

Ctrl+ arrow keys

Move the window one pixel at a time in the direction of the arrow key.

Shift + arrow keys

Move the window in the direction of the arrow key to align it with the edge of the nearest window, panel, or screen edge.

spacebar

Complete the move operation and leave the window in the current position.

Esc

Cancel the move operation and restore the window to the original position.

3.5.4. To Resize a Window

When a window has focus, you can increase or decrease the size of the window. The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to resize the window that has focus.

Keys

Function

Alt+F8

Start the resize operation.

arrow keys

Resize the window in the direction of the arrow keys.

spacebar

Complete the resize operation and leave the window at the current size.

Esc

Cancel the resize operation and restore the window to the original size.

3.5.5. To Navigate Paned Windows

A paned window is a window that is split into two or more panes. The Help browser and the Nautilus file manager are examples of applications that use paned windows.

Figure 3.1. Example of a Paned Window

The following table describes the keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate windows with panes.

Keys

Function

F6

Give focus to the next pane. The system gives focus to the control that last had focus in the pane.

F8

Give focus to the first resize handle in the window. The resize handle is displayed between the panes and enables you to resize the panes. Press F8 again to give focus to the next resize handle.

When the resize handle has focus, you can use the keyboard shortcuts that are listed in the following table to modify the paned window.

Keys

Function

arrow keys

Move the resize handle by a small amount.

Ctrl + arrow keys

Move the resize handle by a large amount.

Home

Reduce the size of the pane to the left of the resize handle for vertical panes, or above the resize handle for horizontal panes, to the minimum size allowed.

End

Increase the size of the pane to the left of the resize handle for vertical panes, or above the resize handle for horizontal panes,to the maximum size allowed.

spacebar

Set the position of the resize handle and return the focus to the last control that had focus.

Esc

Reset the position of the resize handle to the original position and return the focus to the last control that had focus.