<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
      xmlns:if="http://projectmallard.org/if/1.0/"
      xmlns:its="http://www.w3.org/2005/11/its"
      type="topic" style="ui" version="1.0 if/1.0"
      id="shell-notifications">

  <info>
    <link type="guide" xref="shell-overview#desktop" />

    <revision pkgversion="3.8.0" version="0.3" date="2013-04-23" status="review"/>
    <revision pkgversion="3.10" date="2013-11-02" status="review"/>

    <credit type="author">
      <name>Marina Zhurakhinskaya</name>
      <email its:translate="no">marinaz@redhat.com</email>
    </credit>
    <credit type="editor">
      <name>Michael Hill</name>
      <email its:translate="no">mdhillca@gmail.com</email>
    </credit>
    <credit type="editor">
      <name>Ekaterina Gerasimova</name>
      <email its:translate="no">kittykat3756@gmail.com</email>
    </credit>

    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>

    <desc>Messages pop-up at the bottom of the screen telling you when certain events happen.</desc>
  </info>

<title>Notifications and the message tray</title>

<section id="what">
  <title>What is a notification?</title>

  <p>If an application or a system component wants to get your attention, a
  notification will be shown at the bottom of the screen.</p>

  <p>For example, if you get a new chat message, plug in an external device
  (like a USB stick), new updates are available for your computer, or your
  computer’s battery is low, you will get a notification informing you.</p>

  <p>To minimize distraction, some notifications first appear as a single line.
  You can move your mouse over them to see their full content.</p>

  <media type="image" width="700" src="figures/shell-notification.png"/>

  <p>Other notifications have selectable option buttons. To close one of these
  notifications without selecting one of its options, click the close
  button.</p>

  <media type="image" width="500" src="figures/notification-buttons.png"/>

  <p>Clicking the close button on some notifications dismisses them. Others,
  like Rhythmbox or your chat application, will stay hidden in the message 
  tray.</p>

</section>

<section id="messagingtray">

  <title>The message tray</title>

  <p if:test="!platform:gnome-classic">The message tray gives you a way to get
  back to your notifications when it is convenient for you. It appears when you
  move your mouse to the bottom-right corner of the screen, or press
  <keyseq><key xref="keyboard-key-super">Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq>. The
  message tray contains all the notifications that you have not acted upon or
  that permanently reside in it.</p>

  <p if:test="platform:gnome-classic">The message tray gives you a way to get
  back to your notifications when it is convenient for you. It appears when you
  move your mouse to the bottom-right corner of the screen, or press <keyseq>
  <key xref="keyboard-key-super">Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq>. You can also
  show the message tray by clicking the blue number icon at the right-hand
  side of the window list. The message tray contains all the notifications that
  you have not acted upon or that permanently reside in it.</p>

  <p>You can view the notifications by clicking on the message tray items.
  These are usually messages sent by applications. However, chat notifications
  are given special treatment, and are represented by the individual contacts
  who sent you the chat messages.</p>

  <p>You can close the message tray by pressing
  <keyseq><key>Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq> again or <key>Esc</key>.</p>

  <note style="tip">
    <p>If the <link xref="keyboard-osk">screen keyboard</link> is open, you
    will need to click the <gui>tray button</gui> to show the message tray.</p>
  </note>

</section>

<section id="hidenotifications">

  <title>Hiding notifications</title>

  <p>If you're working on something and do not want to be bothered, you can
  switch off notifications.</p>

  <steps>
    <item>
      <p>Open the <gui xref="shell-terminology">Activities</gui> overview and
      start typing <gui>Notifications</gui>.</p>
    </item>
    <item>
      <p>Click on <gui>Notifications</gui> to open the panel.</p>
    </item>
    <item>
      <p>Switch <gui>Show Pop Up Banners</gui> to <gui>Off</gui>.</p>
    </item>
  </steps>

  <p>When switched off, most notifications will not pop up at the bottom of the
  screen. Very important notifications, such as when your battery is critically
  low, will still pop up. Notifications will still be available in the
  messaging tray when you display it (by moving your mouse to the bottom of the
  screen, or by pressing <keyseq><key>Super</key><key>M</key></keyseq>), and
  they will start popping up again when you switch the toggle to <gui>ON</gui>
  again.</p>

</section>

</page>
