Summary of Actions for Arranging Documents :: Desktop (Desktop Tools and Development Environment)

Desktop Tools and Development Environment

Summary of Actions for Arranging Documents

This table summarizes actions for arranging documents in their tool. For further information, click the "See more details online" links, which provide additional information, available only online.

Document Action
Overview

Opening documents

When you open a MATLAB document, it opens in the associated tool. If the tool is not already open, it opens when you open the document and appears in the position it occupied when last used. Figures open undocked, regardless of the last position occupied.

How to open a document depends on the document type:

M-file: Select File -> Open and select the M-file. It opens in the Editor/Debugger.

Workspace variable: In the Workspace browser, double-click the variable. It opens in the Array Editor.

HTML file: In the Current Directory browser, double-click the file. It opens in the Web browser.

Figure: Type plot or use another graphics function. The plot appears in a figure window.

There are many additional ways to open documents. See more details online.

Navigating among documents-- the document bar

When more than one document is open within a tool, each document is either maximized (the default), or arranged so that multiple documents are visible at once. Click a document that is in view to make it the active document. See also Keyboard Shortcuts (Accelerators) and Mnemonics.

Use the document bar to go to a document that is open but not in view. The names of all open documents appear in the document bar. Select a document name in the document bar to make that document active. To show the document bar if it is not open, select Desktop -> Document Bar, and select a position for its location, for example, Right. See more details online.

Entries for undocked documents appear in the Windows task bar, or the equivalent for your platform. Click the task bar entry for a document to make that document active.

Positioning, moving, and resizing documents

To position open documents within their tool, select an arrangement from the Window menu when the tool is active, or by using an button on the toolbar for Maximize, Float, Left/Right Split, Top/Bottom Split, and Tile. On the Macintosh platform, the tile option might not be available in the Window menu so use the Tile button instead.

With the split and tile arrangements, you refine the document position by moving the cursor over the handle () on the separator bar. A Close box then appears. When you click the Close box between two open documents, both documents stay open, but one moves over the top of the other. When you click the Close box between a document and an empty tile, the empty tile closes. To move a document in a tiled or split arrangement, drag the title bar of a document to another tile. If the documents use the tiled or split arrangement, drag the separator bar that is between the documents to resize them.

To move or resize maximized documents, you move or resize their tool. Or, right-click a document name in the document bar to move it. See more details online.

Closing documents

To close a document, click the Close box in the document's title bar. After closing all the documents in a tool, the tool remains open with no documents in it. If you select the Close box for the tool, all documents in that tool close.

Upon closing a file in the Editor/Debugger that has unsaved changes, a prompt appears asking if you want to save the document. To close a file without saving changes and without seeing the prompt, use Ctrl with the document's Close box. See more details online.

Moving documents and tools out of the desktop (undocking)

To undock all documents in a tool from the desktop, click the Undock button in the tool's title bar. The tool and its documents move outside of the desktop. See more details online.

To undock a document from its tool, click the Undock button for the document. The Undock button is either in the document's title bar, menu bar, or toolbar, depending on the document type and whether or not the document is within the desktop or is in its tool outside of the desktop.

Undocked tools and documents have entries in the Windows task bar (or the equivalent for your platform) and each document type has a unique icon.

Docking documents and tools

When you dock a document that is not in the desktop, it moves to the position in the tool that it occupied before you undocked it. To dock a document, click the Dock button in the document's menu bar. Note that on Macintosh platforms, you cannot dock figure windows. See more details online.

Grouping documents in a tool outside the desktop

To group all of the documents for a tool together outside of the desktop, undock the tool from the desktop, not just the documents.

If you have already undocked all of the documents and closed the empty tool that had contained them, select Desktop -> Dock All in Editor. This moves all the documents into the tool in the desktop. Then undock the tool.

Document Action	Overview
Opening documents	When you open a MATLAB document, it opens in the associated tool. If the tool is not already open, it opens when you open the document and appears in the position it occupied when last used. Figures open undocked, regardless of the last position occupied. How to open a document depends on the document type: M-file: Select File -> Open and select the M-file. It opens in the Editor/Debugger. Workspace variable: In the Workspace browser, double-click the variable. It opens in the Array Editor. HTML file: In the Current Directory browser, double-click the file. It opens in the Web browser. Figure: Type `plot` or use another graphics function. The plot appears in a figure window. There are many additional ways to open documents. See more details online.
Navigating among documents-- the document bar	When more than one document is open within a tool, each document is either maximized (the default), or arranged so that multiple documents are visible at once. Click a document that is in view to make it the active document. See also Keyboard Shortcuts (Accelerators) and Mnemonics. Use the document bar to go to a document that is open but not in view. The names of all open documents appear in the document bar. Select a document name in the document bar to make that document active. To show the document bar if it is not open, select Desktop -> Document Bar, and select a position for its location, for example, Right. See more details online. Entries for undocked documents appear in the Windows task bar, or the equivalent for your platform. Click the task bar entry for a document to make that document active.
Positioning, moving, and resizing documents	To position open documents within their tool, select an arrangement from the Window menu when the tool is active, or by using an button on the toolbar for Maximize, Float, Left/Right Split, Top/Bottom Split, and Tile. On the Macintosh platform, the tile option might not be available in the Window menu so use the Tile button instead. With the split and tile arrangements, you refine the document position by moving the cursor over the handle () on the separator bar. A Close box then appears. When you click the Close box between two open documents, both documents stay open, but one moves over the top of the other. When you click the Close box between a document and an empty tile, the empty tile closes. To move a document in a tiled or split arrangement, drag the title bar of a document to another tile. If the documents use the tiled or split arrangement, drag the separator bar that is between the documents to resize them. To move or resize maximized documents, you move or resize their tool. Or, right-click a document name in the document bar to move it. See more details online.
Closing documents	To close a document, click the Close box in the document's title bar. After closing all the documents in a tool, the tool remains open with no documents in it. If you select the Close box for the tool, all documents in that tool close. Upon closing a file in the Editor/Debugger that has unsaved changes, a prompt appears asking if you want to save the document. To close a file without saving changes and without seeing the prompt, use Ctrl with the document's Close box. See more details online.
Moving documents and tools out of the desktop (undocking)	To undock all documents in a tool from the desktop, click the Undock button in the tool's title bar. The tool and its documents move outside of the desktop. See more details online. To undock a document from its tool, click the Undock button for the document. The Undock button is either in the document's title bar, menu bar, or toolbar, depending on the document type and whether or not the document is within the desktop or is in its tool outside of the desktop. Undocked tools and documents have entries in the Windows task bar (or the equivalent for your platform) and each document type has a unique icon.
Docking documents and tools	When you dock a document that is not in the desktop, it moves to the position in the tool that it occupied before you undocked it. To dock a document, click the Dock button in the document's menu bar. Note that on Macintosh platforms, you cannot dock figure windows. See more details online.
Grouping documents in a tool outside the desktop	To group all of the documents for a tool together outside of the desktop, undock the tool from the desktop, not just the documents. If you have already undocked all of the documents and closed the empty tool that had contained them, select Desktop -> Dock All in Editor. This moves all the documents into the tool in the desktop. Then undock the tool.

Opening and Arranging Documents Examples of Desktop Arrangements