Adding Applications and Utilities to HP VUE Lite

The Tools control in the HP VUE Lite Front Panel provides easy access to applications and utilities. You can:

Configure the HP VUE Lite Tools control in the top row of the Front Panel to start an application.
Add applications to the Tools subpanel.
Create your own actions, which can then be added to the Front Panel.

See Also.

“To start an application or utility in HP VUE Lite” explains how to start applications in HP VUE Lite.

To assign an application to the HP VUE Lite Tools control

You can configure the Tools control (1) to start the application of your choice.

Choose Create Action in the Tools subpanel to display the Create Action dialog box.
Fill in the required fields. Name the action MainTool
If desired, fill in the optional fields.
Choose Apply to save the action, then Close.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace Menu.

The action name MainTool attaches the new action to the Tools control on the top row.

See Also.

“To use Create Action in HP VUE Lite” explains how to use Create Action.

Example: Assigning an application to the HP VUE Lite Tools control

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

Define the action.

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 to the executable file.
Choose Apply, then Close.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace Menu.

To add an application to the Tools subpanel

If the change is personal rather than system wide, create a personal fp.tool file (see “To create a personal Tools subpanel file”).
If the change is system-wide, use the system file /etc/vue/config/panels/fp.tool (you must be superuser).

Open fp.tool and add a control to the subpanel box.

   BOX ToolsSubpanel

   {

      TYPE     subpanel

        .

        .

        .

      CONTROL  new_control_name

   }

Add the definition for the new control to the file.
Save the file.
Create the action for the application.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.

See Also.

“Example: Adding an Action to the Tools subpanel” is a step-by-step example.
“To create a personal subpanel configuration file” explains how to create a personal fp.tool file.
“Creating a Simple Action ” covers creating actions with the Create Action utility.

To create a personal Tools subpanel file

Copy the /etc/vue/config/panels/fp.tool to the /HomeDirectory/.vue directory. Give the new file write permission.
Edit the new file to add or remove controls.
Double-click EditVuewmrc in the System_Admin subdirectory of the General Toolbox. This opens your personal Workspace Manager configuration file (/HomeDirectory/.vue/vuewmrc) for editing.
Edit vuewmrc to include the new file by replacing the line that includes the system subpanel file with a line that includes the new file.
INCLUDE { /HomeDirectory/.vue/fp.tool }

Example: Adding an Action to the Tools subpanel

The action ChangePassword is built into HP VUE. You want to add it to the Tools subpanel. Assume your home directory is /home/tim.

Create a personal `fp.tool' file.

Copy /etc/vue/config/panels/fp.tool to /home/tim/.vue/fp.tool. Give the new file write permission.
If /home/tim/.vue/vuewmrc doesn't already exist, create it by copying /etc/vue/config/sys.vuewmrc and giving the new file write permission.
In vuewmrc edit the line that includes fp.tool:
INCLUDE { . . . "/etc/vue/config/panels/fp.tool"
to include the personal file instead. Save the file.
Add the control to `fp.tool'.

Open /home/tim/.vue/fp.tool and add the new control to the subpanel box:

   BOX ToolsSubpanel

      {

     TYPE     subpanel

       .

       .

       .

     CONTROL  Password

   }

Add the control to the bottom of the file.

   CONTROL Password

   {

      TYPE         button

      LABEL        "Change Password"

      PUSH_ACTION  f.action ChangePassword

      HELP_STRING  "This control runs the utility for changing your password."

   }

Save fp.tool.
Restart the workspace manager.
Choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.

To use Create Action in HP VUE Lite

Start Create Action.

Choose Create Action in the Tools subpanel.
Supply the required information.
In the Name field, type a unique name for the action.
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 bitmap $1 diff $1 $2 lp -oraw $1
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 a terminal emulator window. You want to keep the terminal emulator running until you explicitly close it.
Terminal (auto-close)
The application runs in a terminal emulator window. You want the terminal emulator window to close when you exit the application.

Supply a prompt for data.
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.
Supply optional information.
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.
If the action is used in the Front Panel, choose Restart Workspace Manager from the Workspace menu.

A new action definition takes effect:

When the application that uses it (for example, the Workspace Manager) is restarted.
Or, when the user logs out and back in.

You can use Create Action to create actions that execute local applications. More complex actions are created manually in a database configuration file.

See Also.

“Creating Actions Manually” covers creating actions by editing a database file.

To make a system-wide action in HP VUE Lite with Create Action

Create the action using the Create Action utility. When you apply the action, make note of the file to which the definition is saved.
Log in as root.
Copy the definition file to /etc/vue/config/types.

The action can now be used in a system-wide Front Panel control.

See Also.

“To use Create Action in HP VUE Lite”

To run an action from the command line

In a Terminal Emulator 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 EditResources action to change resources:

Execute:
vueaction EditResources &
Your resources will be displayed using your chosen editor. (If your editor users its own window, two windows will be opened—one for your editor, and a Terminal Emulator window. You can ignore the terminal window.)
Edit your resources and save the file.
Close the window containing the editor. Your resources will automatically be written to your resource database.

Adding Applications and Utilities to HP VUE Lite

Technical documentation

» Table of Contents

» Glossary

» Index

To assign an application to the HP VUE Lite Tools control

Example: Assigning an application to the HP VUE Lite Tools control

To add an application to the Tools subpanel

To create a personal Tools subpanel file

Example: Adding an Action to the Tools subpanel

To use Create Action in HP VUE Lite

To make a system-wide action in HP VUE Lite with Create Action

To run an action from the command line