The REBOL/View Desktop

	REBOL/View 1.1 Beta 1
	REBOL Technologies
	Updated 15-April-2001

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; formatted HTML version of it.

===What Is The Desktop?

If you think of REBOL as a system-independent, distributed
Internet platform (operating system), then the REBOL/View
Desktop is its top-level user interface. The desktop provides a
simple and familiar method for users to execute Internet
applications that are distributed across the Internet.

For developers, the desktop offer a focal point for distributing
and sharing programs and their content. The desktop uses
standard Internet protocols for exchanging information, and any
web server can be used to publish REBOL/View desktop content.

===Desktop Organization

---The Desktop Window

The desktop is organized into six areas:

#<B>REBOL Logo</B> - Click on the REBOL logo to reduce the
desktop down to an icon.  Click it again to expand the desktop
back to full size.

#<B>Services Bar</B> - The menu style bar across the top provides
a list of services identified by words.  These services are
specified in your desktop services.r file, and you can add
or remove services at any time.

#<B>Bookmark Panel</B> - Below the REBOL logo is the bookmark panel.
This panel can hold shortcuts to any folder, application,
website, or image. The shortcuts appear as icons.  The bookmarks
are specified in the desktop bookmarks.r file, and you can add
or remove to it at any time. In version 1.1 the number of icons
in this panel is restricted because it does not scroll. This
will be improved in future releases.

#<B>Folder Panel</B> - The central panel of the desktop shows the all
icons for the current folder.  The path to the folder is shown at
the top of the panel.  The panel can be resized by dragging the
edges of the entire window.  If there are more icons than can be
shown, a scrollbar appears on the right.

#<B>Status Display</B> - The lower left corner contains status
information for Internet connections and data transfers.  It
includes a progress bar, status indicator, and version number.
By clicking on the status indicator, you can control your
connection to the Internet.  If you are running in offline
(local) mode,  clicking on the status will initiate a
connection.  If you are attempting to make a connection,
clicking on the status will abort that attempt.  If you are
already connected, clicking on the status will update the
status of the connection.

#<B>Info Display</B> - The lower bar provides help information
about connections, folders, and icons.  If you position your
mouse over an icon, you will see information about the icon in
this display. Note however, that not all icons include this help
information.

---Desktop Look

The desktop consists of about 1000 lines of REBOL code. About
half of these control file transfer and folder management. The
other 500 lines control the look and feel of the desktop user
interface.

Although you can currently control the background and text
colors for the bookmark and folder areas (see index file
information), View version 1.1 does not provide other graphical
customization (skinning). However, future versions of REBOL/View
will allow you increasing degrees of customization and
skinning.

---Services Bar

Within the services bar at the top of the desktop window there
are a few default services.

*<B>User</B> - User preferences.  You can configure your network
and email settings from here.

*<B>Goto</B> - Go to other REBOL URLs.  If you have no icon to
link to a REBOL resource, you can type its URL here to go
immediately to it.  You can also execute REBOL programs by
typing their URL here.

*<B>Help</B> - Information about REBOL/View.  Click on it to 
browse the REBOL web site, obtain documentation, report problems,
join email lists, and buy REBOL/View.

*<B>Quit</B> - Quit REBOL/View.  The close gadget on the window
has the same affect, or you can press CTRL-Q to quit.

===Desktop Files

---Directory Structure

The default installation includes this file structure:

	REBOL/View - (the default installation directory)

		rebol.exe - the REBOL program

		prefs.r - preference settings

		user.r - user extensions and patches

		rebol.r - REBOL extensions and patches

		desktop/ - desktop files directory

			bookmarks.r - desktop bookmark icons

			filetypes.r - file association table

			history.r - holds the GOTO history block

			services.r - desktop service actions

			icons/ - holds the default desktop icons

			skins/ - skins directory (a teaser for now)

			sounds/ - sound directory (a teaser)

			tools/ - useful desktop tools and utilities

		public/ - REB cache directory

			www.rebol.com - REBOL.com file cache

			www.***.com - other file caches

---Folder Index Files

Folders are created with index files.  Each index file specifies
the icons, actions, attributes, and look of a folder.

<I>More on index files to come....</I>

---File Caching

(How files are cached...)

===Shortcut Keys

The REBOL/View desktop provides these shortcut keys:

:Backspace - Go back to the previously opened folder.

:CTRL-E - Open the editor to the last file edited, or a new
file if there was no last file.

:CTRL-L - Launch a REBOL program by selecting it from a file
list.

:CTRL-Q - Quit REBOL immediately.

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