Panels and floating windows

Panels keep any Short Leash screen in view while you move around the app: docked on the left, right or bottom of the main window, or floating in a window of its own.

How do I pop a screen out?

Any of these opens a screen in a floating window:

the Pop out button in the top bar, beside the bell, for the screen that's open (⇧⌘O, Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows);
right-clicking a place in the rail, or a page in the column beside it, then Pop out;
Pop out this screen in Go to… (⌘K).

The same right-click menu also offers Dock right, Dock bottom and Dock left, to open the screen as a panel straight away.

A panel keeps showing what it was opened with while you move around: Logs for the queue worker stays on the queue worker while the main window moves on to another site. Picking something on its own screen, such as another terminal or log, stays in the panel. A link to another screen opens that screen in the main window.

How do I snap a window into the main window?

Drag a floating window to the main window's left, right or bottom edge. Within 24 px, the main window shows where the panel will land; let go and it becomes a panel. From then on the main window moves, maximizes and goes full screen with everything in it.

Drag it over a panel that's already docked and it goes above or below that panel (left or right of it at the bottom), and the two share the edge. Without dragging, use the window's Dock right button, its ⋯ menu, or ⌥⌘ with an arrow key (Ctrl+Alt+arrow on Windows).

On Windows, a window counts as let go once it stops moving near an edge for half a second.

How do I resize panels?

Drag any line between panels and the page. A focused line also moves with the arrow keys, 16 px at a time or 64 px with Shift, and double-clicking it resets it: an even split between panels, or the edge's first size. Panels stop at 200 px wide or 120 px tall, and the page always keeps at least 360 px. In a window that's too narrow for both, side panels fold into a strip at the edge; its icons open them over the page.

How do I take a panel out again?

Drag its grip (the dots at the left of its title strip) away from its edge and let go: it opens as a floating window under the pointer. Pop out in its title strip does the same, and dragging the grip onto another edge or panel moves it there.

The ⋯ button in its title strip, or a right-click on the strip, opens:

Follow the open site: the panel shows the same page for whichever site the main window has open. A single terminal follows as that site's Terminals page.
Pop out, Dock left, Dock right, Dock bottom.
Layout: Same for every site, or Own layout for the site that's open.
Reset layout and Close panel.

A floating window's menu also has Keep on top, which keeps it above other apps, and Close window (⌘W).

Can a site have its own layout?

Yes. With a site open, choose Own layout for it in any panel's menu. Short Leash copies the panels showing now as that site's layout. From then on, opening the site swaps its panels in, and opening a site without a layout of its own brings back the shared one. Screens for every site, such as Requests or Services, keep whatever is showing. Floating windows aren't part of a site's layout; they stay where they are.

How many can I open?

There's no limit. Docked panels cost about as much as a screen in the main window. Each floating window runs its own copy of the screen, about 40–80 MB. Popping out something that's already in a window brings that window to the front instead of opening it twice; popping out a docked panel moves it into a window. When an edge can't fit another panel at its smallest size, Short Leash says so and leaves the window where it is.

Does Short Leash remember my layout?

Yes. Docked panels and their sizes, floating windows and where they were, and the main window's own size and place come back the next time Short Leash starts. A window left on a screen that's no longer connected comes back onto one you have. Closing the main window leaves floating windows open; quitting Short Leash closes them and brings them back next time.

Reset layout closes every panel and floating window of the layout that's showing and puts the main window back at its first size, centered. It's in a panel's menu, in Go to…, and in Settings › Appearance. The confirmation that follows has Undo.

Does it move?

Snapping in, the edge opens with a short spring while the window settles into place; pulling out, the edge closes behind the panel. With Reduce motion on in your system settings, the target appears at once and the panel is simply in place.