Changing the Look and Behavior of a Gadget

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Hiding or Changing the Color of the Gadget's Frame

You can change the color of the frame surrounding a gadget on your dashboard. You can even hide the gadget's frame altogether, so that it only shows when you move your mouse pointer over the gadget. In the screenshot below, the top two gadgets have hidden frames. The frame for the top gadget on the left is not visible. The frame for the top gadget on the right is currently visible because the mouse pointer is hovering over the gadget.

To hide or change the color of a gadget's frame,

  1. Go to the dashboard by clicking the 'Dashboard' link or the 'Home' link at the top left of the screen.
  2. The dashboard will appear, looking something like the screenshot below. Move your mouse pointer over the gadget you want to change. If the gadget's frame is hidden, the frame will appear now.
  3. Click the dropdown menu icon at top right of the gadget frame.
  4. The dropdown menu will appear, as shown in the screenshot below. Click the color you want for your gadget's frame. To hide the gadget's frame, select the white color box with the red line through it.


Screenshot: Hiding or changing the color of a gadget's frame

Minimising and Expanding a Gadget

You can shrink (minimize) a gadget on your dashboard so that it displays only the top bar of the gadget frame.

  • If you minimize a gadget that has a hidden frame, the gadget will not be visible on the dashboard until you move your mouse pointer over the gadget. See the section above on hiding or changing the color of the gadget frame.
  • You can minimize/expand a gadget even if you do not have update permissions on the dashboard.
  • The minimize/expand setting is stored in a cookie, and is not saved to the dashboard server.

To minimize a gadget,

  1. Move your mouse pointer over the gadget you want to change.
  2. The gadget menu icons will appear. Click the dropdown menu icon at top right of the gadget frame.
  3. The dropdown menu will appear, as shown in the screenshot above. Click 'Minimize'.

To expand a gadget that has been minimized,

  1. Move your mouse pointer over the gadget you want to change.
  2. The gadget menu icons will appear. Click the dropdown menu icon at top right of the gadget frame.
  3. The dropdown menu will appear. Click 'Expand'.


Screenshot: A minimized gadget (Introduction Gadget)

Opening the Maximized or Canvas View of a Gadget

Some gadgets allow you to expand themselves so that they take up the entire space allowed by the dashboard. This is also known as 'canvas view'.

  • The maximized or canvas view of a gadget often provides additional functionality, i.e. more than is available in the standard view of the gadget.
  • This is not the same as minimising and then expanding a gadget (see above).
  • Only some gadgets provide the maximized or canvas view.
  • You can open the canvas view of a gadget even if you do not have update permissions on the dashboard.
  • The maximized/canvas view setting is stored in a cookie, and is not saved to the dashboard server.

To open the maximized or canvas view of a gadget,

  1. Move your mouse pointer over the gadget you want to change.
  2. The gadget menu icons will appear. Click the maximize icon at top right of the gadget frame. This icon will appear only if the gadget provides a maximized or canvas view.
  3. The gadget's maximized view will open, as shown in the screenshot below.

To close the canvas view and return to your dashboard,

  1. Click the 'Restore' option at the top right of the screen, or the 'Restore' icon at top right of the gadget frame.


Screenshot: The maximized or canvas view of a gadget

Editing a Gadget's Settings

Some gadgets provide specific properties or settings that you can edit. These settings will be different for each gadget. For example, a gadget may allow you to customize its welcome message, or to define the server where the gadget will find its information.

To edit a gadget's settings,

  1. Move your mouse pointer over the gadget you want to change.
  2. The gadget menu icons will appear. Click the dropdown menu icon at top right of the gadget frame.
  3. The dropdown menu will appear. Click 'Edit'.
  4. A panel will open, showing the settings offered by the selected gadget.
  5. Adjust the settings as required then click 'Save'.

Last modified on Sep 12, 2013

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