Work in content windows

Content windows provide different views of the objects in a product. You can open multiples windows, switch between windows, minimize or maximize and stack or cascade them.

About content windows

Content windows are like document windows in other Microsoft Windows applications. A content window displays a primary object list or object tree in the left pane, and related object lists in the right pane.

By default, the objects related to the object in the left pane are displayed to the right, with the most important one as a tiled pane, and the others as a group of tabbed windows. You can choose to have any of them displayed as vertically tiled panes or tabbed windows or a mixture of both.

You open a content window by clicking an object in a navigation window. You can open multiple windows and switch between windows. Each project or stream for which you have opened a content window has a tab at the bottom by default.

To select the previous content windows you have opened for the active project/stream tab, click the tab and select a name from the list. The number of content windows opened for that tab is displayed in brackets. To switch to a previously opened project/stream, click its tab, which displays the last content window you selected in that project/stream.

You can customize the desktop client so that specific windows are automatically opened when you open a project/stream. These options are available in View > Customize Views > Initial Views. For details, see Customize initial views.

The following table describes the content windows.

Window Description
Primary object list A list of objects that were retrieved when you opened the content window. Selecting one of these objects displays its related objects in the Related Object windows.
Related object tree Displays hierarchical objects as a tree. There are object trees for project/stream folders and design parts. Selecting a node in this tree restricts the related object lists to those that are related to that node. For more information, see About object lists and trees.
Related object list Displays objects in table form. There are object lists for items, requests, baselines, and projects, releases, and customers. For more information, see About object lists and trees.
Tabbed windows Related object lists that are grouped within a tabbed view so that you click a tab to bring a window to the front.
Open streams and projects Each project or stream you have opened in this session has a tab. The number in brackets shows how many content windows you have opened for that project/stream.

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Use content windows

The following table describes how to use content windows.

Task Description
Switch to another open window

  • Go to Window > <Project/Stream Name> > <Window Name> and then select a content window.

    For example, to switch to an open Folders and Items window in the PRJ_INITIAL project, select Window > PRJ_INITIAL > Folders and Items (PAYROLL:PRJ_INITIAL).

  • Select the tab for the project, and select the window from the list.

    For example, to switch to a previously opened Folders and Items window in the VS_SIMPLE_1.0 project, select the PRJ_INITIAL project tab, and select Folders and Items.
Minimize, maximize, or rearrange windows

  • To minimize a window, on the window title bar, click the Minimize button.

  • To reduce a window, on the window title bar, click the Restore Down button.

  • To maximize a window, on the content window title bar, click the Maximize button.

  • To cascade windows, select Window > Cascade Windows.

  • To stack windows, select Window > Tile Windows.

  • To make a window fill the entire screen, select View > Full Screen. This results in the current window filling the entire screen and maximizing the desktop client window.

    Note: In full screen view, the menu bar, navigation windows, and toolbar are hidden. You can still access the menu bar by moving the mouse pointer to the top of the window, which temporarily displays it, enabling you to choose a menu option.

    To restore a full screen view to the standard view, click the Close Full Screen button in the floating Full Screen toolbar. Or Select View > Full Screen.
Open an object in a new window

  1. In an object list, right-click the object and select Open New Window. You see the object in a new content window.

    Note: Depending on the object, you may also open a new window by double-clicking the object. The double-click behavior is defined in Tools > Preferences > User Interface tab. For details, see Set user interface options.

  2. Select the object to view its related objects.

Display or hide related object lists

  • To display related object lists, from the View menu, select the related objects you want to view. For example, in a Request Catalog window, you can view items, requests, and parts.

  • To hide a related object list, from the View menu, select the object again.

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