Working Area
Each item in a panel can be either normal or selected. One of the items has rectangle around the name (focus) and we call this item focused.
When directory is opened, all items are in the normal state and first item is focused. See Selecting Files and Directories for selecting items and Focusing Item for changing focus position.
For compatibility with old-school file managers, Altap Salamander supports Full row select (see Configuration/Appearance). If you don't use this option, only icon and file name in the working area are mouse sensitive. When you want to focus item, you must point cursor above the icon or filename.