Using the Dock
Most of the time, you'll use the Dock as either a launcher (you click an icon once to open the corresponding program, file, folder, or disk) or as a status indicator (the tiny black triangles, identified in Figure 4-1, indicate which programs are running).
But the Dock has more tricks than that up its sleeve. You can use it, for example, to pull off any of the following stunts.
Switch Applications
The Dock isn't just a launcher; it's also a switcher. For example, it lets you:
Jump among your open programs by clicking their icons.
Drag a document (such as a text file) onto a Dock application (such as the Microsoft Word icon) to open the former with the latter. (If the program balks at opening the document, yet you're sure the program should be able to open the document, add the ⌘ and Option keys as you drag.)
Hide all windows of the program you're in by Option-clicking another Dock icon.
Hide all other programs' windows by Option-⌘-clicking the Dock icon of the program you do want (even if it's already in front).
This is just a quick summary of the Dock's application-management functions; you'll find the full details in Chapter 5.
Operate the Dock by Keyboard Control
If you turn on keyboard navigation, you can operate the Dock entirely from the keyboard; see Section 5.6126.
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