Using Tools in HP VUE Lite

HP VUE Lite provides a Front Panel control and subpanel for accessing tools.

Figure 9-9 The Tools control and subpanel let you run applications.

Starting an Application or Utility in HP VUE Lite

Choose the Tools control on the top row of the Front Panel, or one of the controls in the Tools subpanel.
Or, start the application from a terminal window. See “Running an Action from the Command Line”.

The Tools control, by default, does not start an application. You or your system administrator can configure it to run the application of your choice. See “Assigning an Application to the HP VUE Lite Tools Control”.

Assigning an Application to the HP VUE Lite Tools Control

Figure 9-10 You can configure the Tools control to start the application of your choice.

Choose Create Action in the Tools subpanel to display the Create Action dialog box.
In the "Name" field, type the name MainTool
The action name MainTool attaches the new action to the Tools control on the top row.
In the "Command Line" field, type the command to start the application. Type the command exactly the way you would type it in a command line, except that, where you would type a file name, substitute $n, where n is an integer. Here are some example command lines:
emacs $1 diff $1 $2 lp -oraw $1
If your command line uses shell features such as pipes or redirection (see Chapter 16 “Using Your Shell” in Part II), you must explicitly specify the use of a shell. For example:
/usr/bin/sh -c 'ps | lp' /usr/bin/sh -c 'spell $1 | more'
Use the "Window Type" options menu to select how the action's output will be displayed:
X Windows:
The application creates its own window.
No Output:
The command has no display output.
Terminal:
The application runs in an HP VUE terminal window. The window remains open until you close it.
Terminal (auto-close):
The application runs in an HP VUE terminal window that closes automatically when you exit the application.
If you aren't sure which option to select, leave it set to the default (Terminal).
Supply a Prompt for a File.
If the command takes a data file (the command line contains $1), type the text of the prompt into the "Filename Prompt" field. Leave this field empty if the command does not take a data file.
In the "Description" field, type the item help for the action icon. Press Enter to wrap text to the next line in the text box. The newline characters will be ignored.
If the action is to be used only in HP VUE Lite, leave the "Large Icon" and "Small Icon" fields empty.
Store the Action.
Choose Apply. A dialog box appears telling you the name of the database file created for the new action, and the system is busy momentarily as the database is reread.
If the action has been successfully created, choose Close.
Make the New Action Available.
Choose "Restart Workspace Manager" from the Workspace menu. This new action definition takes effect when you choose the Tools control or when you log out and back in.

Example.

You frequently use the application IslandPaint® and want to be able to start it by choosing the Tools control. The command to start the application is IslandPaint filename.

Choose Create Action in the Tools subpanel to open the Create Action dialog box.
Supply these values to the fields:
Name: MainTool Command Line: IslandPaint Window Type: X Windows Filename Prompt: IslandPaint data file:
If IslandPaint is not located along the PATH search path, you must use the absolute path name to the executable file in the Command Line field (for example, /opt/IslandPaint/bin/IslandPaint).
See “The Hierarchical File System” for information about paths.
Choose Apply, then Close.
Choose "Restart Workspace Manager" from the Workspace Menu.

Running an Action from the Command Line

In a terminal window, execute:

   vueaction action_name

The vueaction utility lets you run an action without adding it to the Tools subpanel.

Example. You can use the built-in ChangePassword action to change your password:

Type this line:
vueaction ChangePassword & Enter
A window will appear that prompts you for your old and new passwords.
After typing your new password twice, press Enter to exit the window.

Using Tools in HP VUE Lite

Technical documentation

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Starting an Application or Utility in HP VUE Lite

Assigning an Application to the HP VUE Lite Tools Control

Running an Action from the Command Line