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KDE User InterfaceStandards

Basics
Systray

General
At the introduction of KDE3 about a dozen applications in KDE have a systray entry. A systray entry is an icon that is shown in the system tray (typically in the panel) which represents the application.

Systray entries are used as an icon to show an application is loaded; or simply to show the status of something without having a window open for the application.

The menu of the systray entry is a simple popup menu; as simple or as complicated as the application programmer wants it to be.
The rules
Because of the nature of the system tray only non-document specific applications will want to use the systray icon and that means that there will be as many different uses for the menu as there will be different applications. The one thing that is equal across all versions is the way the application responds when the user clicks on the icon.

Single clicking on the systray icon will show/hide the main interface of the application. This can mean that an extra window will open or that a menu opens where the normal functionality of the application is present.

Right clicking will show a popup menu with at least a quit and a configure option.

If the main interface of the application is a window then closing (with the 'X') that window will only close the window and keep the systray icon visible.

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