(1)Using the User Interface
I am
not speaking for Apple, Inc.
Eric Postpischil
Senior Software Engineer
Vector and Numerics Group
Core OS
Apple, Inc.
http://edp.org/Presentations/UserInterface.pdf
Using the User Interface
Introduction
•
Take a fresh look at the Mac interface we are all
used to.
•
Remind ourselves of forgotten features.
•
Find a few new tricks under old elements.
1
Note: Highlighted text denotes features
that changed or beccame unavailable
sometime after Snow Leopard (10.6).
Using the User Interface
Mouse
•
Do you still have a one-button mouse?
•
Get rid of it!
•
Get a two-button mouse, a Magic Mouse, or a
trackpad.
•
Second-button-click is like control-click.
•
Second button is very handy.
•
Scroll wheel is very handy.
Using the User Interface
Control-Click
•
Click second mouse button or hold Control
while clicking first mouse button.
•
Control-click is application dependent.
•
Is often similar to menu for object type.
•
E.g., control-click on a message in Mail has
items similar to Message menu.
•
Faster than moving pointer to menu bar and is
Using the User Interface
Scroll Wheel
•
Right under your finger, so faster than moving
pointer to scroll bar in window.
•
Shift-scroll for horizontal scrolling.
Using the User Interface
Parts of Windows
•
Title bar.
•
Elongated button in top right (some windows).
•
Toolbar.
•
Column headers.
•
Column separators.
•
Column handles.
•
Not a comprehensive list.
Using the User Interface
Title Bar
•
Control-click the title bar.
•
In some applications, shows path of folders to
current document.
•
Click on a folder to open it in Finder.
•
For example, open directory document is in.
•
In Safari, shows path of folders in current site.
•
Click on a folder to open it.
Using the User Interface
Elongated Button
•
Shows or hides toolbar and some other
elements.
•
Seen in Mail, Finder, Pages, Keynote,…
•
If toolbar is missing, click that button.
Using the User Interface
Column Headers
•
Click a header to sort by that column.
•
Click again to reverse order (good for dates).
•
Useful in search results.
•
E.g., search in Mail by contents, then click Date
or From to refine by age or sender.
Using the User Interface
Column Headers
•
Drag to change order.
•
Control-click to choose which characteristics to
show.
•
Useful in iTunes to customize views for
podcasts or other item types.
•
Useful in Mail for some smart mailbox
customizations.
Using the User Interface
Column Separators
•
Drag to resize columns.
•
May be in headers or in body.
•
Depends on application or window.
Using the User Interface
Column Handles
•
Special control at bottom of columns in some
applications, such as Finder.
•
Drag to change column size.
•
Double-click to automatically size column to
contents.
•
Useful in Finder for adjusting to long file
names.
Using the User Interface
Toolbar
•
(Mentioned in Over and Under talk.)
•
Control-click and select Customize Toolbar…
•
Drag items into or out of toolbar.
•
Individual items.
•
Grouped items.
•
Entire default set of items.
•
Separator, fixed space, flexible space.
Using the User Interface
Toolbar
•
Choose to show Icon, Text, or both.
•
With Text, grouped items collapse to name of
group, which becomes a drop-down menu.
•
Significantly reduces space used in toolbar.
•
Control-click on item, select Keep Item Visible.
•
Gives priority to item in narrow window.
•
I marked the search field in Preview.
Using the User Interface
Toolbar in Mail
•
Different toolbars in windows for overall view,
individual message, replying, and new message.
•
Message Viewer (overall view).
•
Deleted Reply All, to avoid accidents. (Can
Reply, then click Reply All to change.)
•
Deleted unused Junk, Note, To Do.
•
Added separators, Long Headers.
Using the User Interface
Toolbar in Mail
•
Individual message window.
•
Deleted Reply All.
•
Added Long Headers, Bounce, Redirect.
Using the User Interface
Toolbar in Preview
•
Added Back | Forward after Previous | Next.
•
Added Page field, so can easily type page to go to.
•
Changed Zoom ! | + to ! | = | + (new icons).
•
Added Zoom to Fit.
•
Deleted Annotate.
•
Rearranged Search and Sidebar, spaced to right.
•
Set Keep Item Visible for Search and Sidebar.
Using the User Interface
Inspectors
•
Much of the function and features in Pages and
Keynote are in the inspector windows.
•
The Pages inspector has over 137 controls!
•
Possible topic for another talk.
•
View > New Inspector for multiple inspector
windows at one time.
•
One for text controls, one for table, et cetera.
Using the User Interface
Open and Save Dialogs
•
Drag from Finder to navigate dialog to item.
•
Type “/” to start Unix path.
•
Triangle to open more features.
•
Search box.
Using the User Interface
Selection
•
Command-drag.
•
Adds new selection to existing selection.
•
Option-drag.
•
Selects columns or rectangles.
•
Option-Command-drag.
•
Both!
Using the User Interface
Option-Click
•
Hold Option while clicking mouse button.
•
Open/close multiple sections.
•
As in Finder Info window.
•
Nested mailboxes in Mail, bookmark folders in
Safari, or folders in Finder’s list view.
•
Close other tabs in Safari.
Using the User Interface
Keyboard
•
Option-Escape or (fn) F5.
•
Word completion. (Pop-up appears with
options.)
Using the User Interface
Miscellaneous
•
Finder > Edit > Show Clipboard.
•
fn fn for dictation (in recent versions).
Using the User Interface
Conclusion
•
Click on everything.
•
Control-click on everything.
•
Option-click on everything.
