Mac OS X in a Nutshell

Windows

Nearly every Aqua application centers its interface around windows. Windows can represent either abstract areas of user interactivity, such as with web browser or Terminal console windows, or they can represent the contents of real files or folders on disk.

This section will introduce you to the basic features present in most windows and to the various types of windows you’ll encounter while using Mac OS X.

Window Controls

Windows in Mac OS X have an entirely different set of controls than those from earlier versions of the Mac OS. These window features are highlighted in Figure 1-27.

Figure 1-27. A typical window (from BBEdit)

The controls are listed as follows:

1. Close button (red)

2. Minimize button (yellow)

3. Zoom button (green)

4. Proxy icon

5. Filename or title

6. Toolbar button (not available on all windows)

7. Scrollbars and scroll arrows

8. Resize window control

The top part of the window is known as the titlebar . The titlebar is home to the three colored window control buttons used for closing (red), minimizing (yellow), and zooming (green) the window. Mousing over the buttons will change their state to be either an X, a minus sign (-), or a plus sign (+), respectively. These are visual cues of the function the button performs.

With some applications, you’ll notice that the red Close window button has a dark-colored dot in its center. This means that the document you’re working on has unsaved ...