NewDeal Hot Tip 1525

[Hot Tips for...] General Use

NewDeal Terminology

This is a small dictionary for those terms you see bantered around all the time and for which you might not know the real meanings. The definitions appear in logical, rather than alphabetical, order.
Window
A rectangular area on your screen in which you can view an application or document. It may take up a part of the screen or even the whole screen. One difference between a window and a screen is that a window can be moved and resized while a screen cannot.
Active Window
The one window that will respond to keystrokes. You can tell which window is active by looking at the title bar, it will be highlighted. Also, the active window is usually the one on top or in the foreground. To make another window active, just click on any part of it with your mouse.
Maximize
Make a window as large as it can possibly be, often it will take up the whole screen.
Minimize
Make a window as small as it can possibly be, often it will be just an icon.
Icon
A small picture that represents an object, concept, or message. In NewDeal software, icons may represent files, directories, or applications. By clicking on the picture you can select, open, or run the application or the file it represents.
Iconify
Minimize a window so that it becomes an icon.

Anatomy of a Window

Text area
Area within a window, where text may be viewed or edited.
Border
Area around the outside edges of the window where your mouse changes from a pointer to an arrow. If you place your mouse right on the border so it's an arrow then press the left mouse button and hold while dragging, you'll resize the window.
Title bar
The horizontal bar at the top of your window that displays the name of the window. The title bar of your active window will be highlighted (black). If you click your mouse pointer on the title bar, it will change to four arrows pointing in all directions. If you click and drag your mouse, you will move your window without changing its size.
Menu bar
The horizontal list of menus, just below the title bar.
Scroll bar
If there's too much text to fit all in one window, you will see either a vertical or horizontal scroll bar. Clicking on one of the arrows at the ends will cause the text in your window to shift one line or column. Clicking in the dark space next to the arrows in the scroll bar will cause your text to shift one screen's worth.
Control menu
The options you get when you mouse click the square in the upper left corner of your window. This control menu will let you maximize, minimize, move, resize, or close your window. Note: not all options will always be available.
Express Button
Click here to open the Express menu and switch between active applications or start a new application.
Help button
Click this button to open the context sensitive help. Most applications have help buttons.
Control Buttons
Some windows have control buttons. These are the two small squares in the upper right hand corner of the window. The small dot will make your window an icon (minimize), the larger square will maximize or make it full screen.

This image summarizes the anatomy of a window.


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Last Modified 2 Mar 1999