[kde-doc-english] Competition entry

[Christian Weickhmann]

Hi!

I made the documentation using a german translation of KDE which made it 
sometimes difficult to find the english terms. Please think of them replaced 
or replace them if they are irritating ;-)

BTW: I really like the idea of a competition! It's always nice when such work 
might be somehow "awarded" by a little present ;-)

Tschö,
Christian

-- 
A candidate is a person who gets money from the rich and votes from the
poor to protect them from each other.
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Opening and Saving Files

KDE provides a unified way to open or save files via the file dialogue. In almost every KDE programme you will find a File->Open and File->Save (or Save as) entry.


The File Dialogue

This dialogue consists of at least three and at most five areas. The top area is where you find the navigation and configuration functions. The main area (in the middle) is where all your files are being displayed as icons. This is called an icon view. The bottom area is where you can edit filename or filter expressions and say "Save" or "Open".
In addition to that you can add two even more sophisticated areas. The "Quick Access Navigation Panel" and the "Preview Panel".


The Navigation area

Next to the three navigation buttons (one directory up, back and forward) and the new folder button there is the bookmarks menu. Here you can mark any folder you visit often to find it quickly. The wrench icon holds the different functions to sort your files by name, date or size and to enable the two extra panels mentioned above. Next to it you can type the directory and choose (on the very right side) the codemap.


The icon view

You'll find the icon view in the middle of the dialogue. You will find most of the navigation functions in the context menu by clicking on the items or the background with the right mouse button.


The bottom area

The bottom of the dialogue consists of the adress field holding the file name you chose or typed in and the maybe most powerful tool: The filter. Here you can make the icon view display only items that apply to the criteria you define. Try filtering files who's names contain "air" by typing "*air*" into the filter filed.


Extention: The Quick Access Navigation Panel

The Quick Access Panel (activate it by typing the F9-key on your keyboard or through the wrench icon on top of the dialogue) provides configurable shortcuts to frequently used locations on your harddrive or even on the internet. There are several preconfigured locations such as your home directory. Try right clicking on any item to configure it or to empty space to add a new entry. You will be shown a context menu. Here you can choose the icon size and to add, modify or rename any entry. Choose "Add Entry" and you will see a window containing anything you need: Type your description, enter the location (or choose it via the dialogue opening by clicking on the folder symbol), choose a symbol from a vast variety in the symbol dialogue opening when you click on the predefined icon (usually a simple folder symbol).

Extention: The Preview area

The Preview area (activate it by typing the F11 key on your keyboard or through the wrench icon on top of the dialogue) makes it easy to preview almost any file on your filesystem. Images will be displayed in a downscaled versions. Usually also sound files (such as MP3, OGG or Wave-Files), text files (among them raw text, PDF and HTML) and even video files (MPG, AVI and so on) will be previewed.
Note that large files might take a long time to be previewed (e.g. scaled down if they are large images). You can disable automatic previews by unselecting "Automatic Preview" below the preview and just click "Preview" if you want to see one single file. You can also disable previews for files above a certain size. Go to the control centre, choose "KDE components"->"File manager" go to the "Preview and Metafiles"-tab and change the "Maximum Filesize" value.
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Switching Sessions: What it's good for

From version 3.3 on KDE provides a session management system which allows you to switch between different user account on one computer. You can stay logged in and e.g. let your sister, brother, wife, neigbour or whoever read her or his emails just for a moment. Before you had to log off (therefore e.g. close programs or save documents) and let her or him log in.
Now it's almost as easy as switching to another virtual desktop.


Switching Sessions: How it works

The "Switch User" Menu

The KDE menu now bears a new entry. Rather at the bottom of the menu you will find a "Switch User" submenu. It contains the command to lock the current and start a new session which means that your desktop will start the screensaver and after a few seconds can log in with KDM as always. The "Start New Session" entry skips the activation of your screensaver.
Once you have running more than one session you can either choose to press ALT+CTRL+F7 or F8 and so on (what is usually configured by default) or -- even more comfortable -- choose from the list of active sessions at the bottom of the "Switch User" submenu.


Switch User with the screensaver

If you have activated your screensaver and another user wants to log in she or he can simply press the "Switch User..." button and log into another session.


Switch Session in KDM

If you are in KDM and want to switch to another active session you can press the "Menu" button and choose "Switch User" which is mainly the same as described above.