<chapter id="usage-mainwindow"> <title>The Main Window: Evolution Basics</title> <para> Start <application>Evolution</application> by selecting <guimenuitem>Evolution</guimenuitem> from the <guisubmenu>Applications</guisubmenu> of the <guimenu>Main Panel Menu</guimenu>, or by typing <command>evolution</command> at the command-line. After <application>Evolution</application> starts up, you will see the <interface>main window</interface>, with the <interface>Inbox</interface> open. It should look a lot like the picture in <xref linkend="usage-mainwindow-fig">. On the left of the <interface>main window</interface> is the <interface>shortcut bar</interface>, with several buttons in it. Just underneath the title bar is a series of menus in the <interface>menu bar</interface>, and below that, the <interface>tool bar</interface> with buttons for different functions. The largest part of the <interface>main window</interface> is taken up by the actual <interface>Inbox</interface>, with a listing of messages you have recieved. If you're running the program for the first time, you'll just have one: a welcome message from Helix Code. <!-- ==============Figure=================================== --> <!-- Make sure that this figure meets its descriptions. Can these things be labelled with little arrows & stuff? --> <figure id="usage-mainwindow-fig"> <title>Evolution Main Window and Inbox</title> <screenshot> <screeninfo>Evolution Main Window</screeninfo> <graphic fileref="fig/mainwindow-pic" format="png" srccredit="Aaron Weber"> </graphic> </screenshot> </figure> <!-- ==============End of Figure=================================== --> </para> <para> <note> <title>The Way Evolution Looks</title> <para> The appearance of both <application>Evolution</application> and <application>GNOME</application> is very easy to customize, so your screen might not look like this picture. You might configure <application>Evolution</application> to start with a different view, or without the <interface>shortcut bar</interface> or <interface>folder view</interface>. </para> </note> </para> <sect1 id="usage-mainwindow-shortcutbar"> <title>The Shortcut Bar</title> <para> One of <application>Evolution</application>'s most important job is to give you access to your information, and help you use it quickly. One way it does that is through the <interface>shortcut bar</interface>, that column of buttons on the left hand side of the main window. There are actually two kinds of buttons in the shortcut bar: familiar looking icons, and the thin rectangles at the top and bottom of the column which separate your shortcuts by category. </para> <para> The category buttons, labelled <guilabel>Evolution Shortcuts</guilabel> and <guilabel>Internet Directories</guilabel>, slide up and down when you click on them. When you first start <application>Evolution</application>, you are lookig at the <guilabel>Evolution Shortcuts</guilabel>. If you click <guilabel>Internet Directories</guilabel>, it will slide up and you'll see buttons for the <guilabel>Bigfoot</guilabel> and <guilabel>Netcenter</guilabel> directories, as well as any others you or your system administrator might have added. Click on <guibutton>Evolution Shortcuts</guibutton> to look at the shortcuts again. Those buttons give you fast access to the major fucntions that <application>Evolution</application> provides for you. </para> <para> They are: <itemizedlist> <!-- NOT IMPLEMENTED! <listitem> <para> <guibutton>Today</guibutton>, which will bring up a summary of any new messages you've recieved, along with the tasks and appointments you have lined up for today. </para> </listitem> --> <listitem> <para> <guibutton>Inbox</guibutton>, which will show you all of your email. Your Inbox is also where you can access Evolution's tools to filter, sort, organize, and search your mail. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> The <guibutton>Calendar</guibutton>, which can store appointments for you. Connected to a network, you can use it to keep a group of people on schedule and up to date. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> The <guibutton>Contacts</guibutton> tool holds your addresses, phone numbers, and contact information. Like calendar information, contact data can be synchronized with hand-held devices and shared over a network. </para> </listitem> <!-- NOT IMPLEMENTED YET <listitem> <para> The <guibutton>Tasks</guibutton> tool combines a "to do" list with reminders to help you keep track of daily events. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guibutton>Notes</guibutton> is your catch-all notepad: write <glossterm>haiku</glossterm>, take down messages from phone conversations, or keep small things organized. </para> </listitem> --> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> If you prefer to use a keyboard shortcut, or <glossterm>hot key</glossterm>, you can use those instead. They're shown next to their equivalent menu items in the menu bar. You can also set your own hot keys for functions that don't have any; this is covered in <xref linkend="config">. If you're using the keyboard shortcuts you may also want to hide the <interface>shortcut bar</interface> by selecting <guimenuitem>Hide/Show Shortcut Bar</guimenuitem> from the <guimenu>MENU</guimenu> menu. </para> </sect1> <sect1 id="usage-mainwindow-folderview"> <title>The Folder View</title> <para> The <interface>folder view</interface> is the most comprehensive way to get to your information. It can show you everything you've stored with <application>Evolution</application>— appointments, address cards, emails, and so forth. The <interface>folder view</interface> display presents your data like a <glossterm>file tree</glossterm>— it starts small at the top, and branches downwards. There are a few folders you will always see, because they're at the top. On my computer, I have only one: <guilabel>Local</guilabel>. When I click on the plus sign next to the label, I see the contents: <itemizedlist> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Calendar</guilabel>, where you'll find your appointments and event listings. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Contacts</guilabel>, where your address cards are stored. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Directories</guilabel>, for search directories, which have not been implemented yet. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Inbox</guilabel>, for your incoming mail. This is where you will make the most subfolders. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Outbox</guilabel>, where you can store copies of mail you have sent, or unsent drafts. </para> </listitem> <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Trash</guilabel>, where you can throw things away. </para> </listitem> </itemizedlist> </para> <para> Right-clicking will bring up a menu for just about anything in GNOME, and <application>Evolution</application> is no exception. If you right-click on a folder, you'll have a menu with the following options: <itemizedlist> <listitem><para>Something</para></listitem> <listitem><para>Something</para></listitem> <listitem><para>Something</para></listitem> </itemizedlist>. </para> <tip> <title>Context-Sensitive Help</title> <para> You can almost always get help on an item by right-clicking it. If you're not sure what something is, or don't know what you can do with it, right-clicking and choosing <guimenuitem>Help</guimenuitem> is a good way to find out. </para> </tip> <para> If a folder has other folders in it, there will be a plus sign next to it. Click on the plus sign, and the folder will open to let you see the other folders inside. This may change in the future to something more attractive, like triangles that drop down as you click on them to display the rest of the tree. </para> <para> Any time new information arrives in a folder, that folder will be highlighted, or its label displayed as bold text. You can learn more about customizing <application>Evolution</application> alerts and appearance in <xref linkend="config">. </para> <para> Moving and deleting folders and other items works in one of two ways: using <glossterm>drag-and-drop</glossterm> or by right-clicking and selecting an item from the <interface>right-click menu</interface>. You can drag the folders inside the folder view to change their order or put one folder inside another. To delete a folder, drag it into the trash folder or right-click it and select <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem> from the menu that pops up. The same goes for individual messages, appointments, and address cards, whether they're in the <interface>folder view</interface> or not: drag them where you want them, and they will go there. <!-- ****This paragraph could use some work**** --> </para> <para> You can also use the <guimenu>right-click menu</guimenu> to move, rename, and delete folders. <guimenuitem>Delete</guimenuitem> function from the <guimenu>right-click menu</guimenu>. </para> </sect1> <sect1 id="usage-mainwindow-menubar"> <title>The Menu Bar</title> <para> The <interface>menu bar</interface>'s contents will always provide all the possible actions for any view of your data. That means that, depending on the context, menu bar items will change. If you're looking at your Inbox, most of the menu items will relate to mail; some will relate to other components of <application>Evolution</application> and some, especially those in the <guimenu>File Menu</guimenu> will relate to the application as a whole. You can probably guess that the <guimenu>Help Menu</guimenu> is where to go for help, and that the <guimenu>View</guimenu> menu controls the way that <application>Evolution</application> looks. Other menu items are a little less obvious, and change a little more, so we'll cover them later on as we discuss the things you can do with <application>Evolution</application>. </para> </sect1> <para> Once you've familiarized yourself with the <interface>main window</interface> you can start doing things with it. We'll start with your email inbox: you've got a letter waiting for you already. </para> </chapter>