Why 1: Type selected in yellow and 2: only one panel stays open?

Question

In Design CS4. G5 Mac. Final Tiger.
1. I was setting some type to be force justified L/R. Several lines of centered type. Most of it, not all of it, became selected in solid yellow. I did not do the selecting. I could not find the answer in either of two ID reference books.
I checked the Prefs several times, and the only thing I found that MIGHT relate to this is "Keeps." (Preferences > Composition > Keeps Violations/H&J Violations.) Though it says nothing about color choice nor about what it signifies. I know what pink signifies, but not what yellow does.
2. Asked about this next problem before and was told about Workspaces and was told about grouping panels, neither answering the question as I recall. So let me try again.
I have panel A open. It may be alone as Panel A or in a group with Panel B and maybe even with Panel C. Doesn't matter. But now I want to open Panel D. As soon as I click on Panel D, Panel A (alone or grouped) disappears. So my question is: Can I/how can I keep more than one panel open at the same time, grouped or single being 100% irrelevant? How can I keep Panel A and Panel D open at the same time as separate, not grouped, panels?
I tried to ask clearly. My experience is it is most efficient (in Adobe Forums and in real life) to be clear about what you do want and equally clear about what you do not.  —Thank you.

Answer 1

1. Yellow highlight is, I believe, substituted glyphs. Is the affected type all caps or samll caps, perchance, or non-default figures? You usually see this with ligatures, but small caps is pretty common, too.
2. Do you have auto-collapse panels selected inthe prefs? This one would help to see a screen shot, I think. If the panels are docked, you must expand the dock to panel width or only one group (and a group can be one panel) will expand from the icon state at a time.