computer terms 2

scroll wheel

Computer windows are often not large enough to display the entire contents of the window at one time. Therefore, you may need to scroll through the window to view all the contents. Traditionally, this has been done by clicking and dragging the slider within the scroll bar. However, many mice now come with scroll wheels that make the scrolling process even easier.

double click

Double clicking involves clicking your mouse button quickly two times. To perform a double click, and not just two clicks, the mouse button must be pressed twice within a very short time, typically about half a second. Most operating systems allow you to lengthen or shorten the maximum time allowed for a double click, using the Mouse Control Panel or System Preference.

icon

Ever since the Macintosh was introduced in 1984, icons have been the way we view files on computers. An icon on your computer screen represents an object or a program on your hard drive. For example, the folders you see on your desktop or in open windows are icons. The files that you see in those folders are also icons. The trash can on the Macintosh and the recycle bin on Windows are both icons as well.

graphical user interface gui

Stands for "Graphical User Interface" and is pronounced "gooey." It is a user interface that includes graphical elements, such as windows, icons and buttons.

right click

right-click," which involves clicking the secondary button on the right side of the mouse.

operating system

n operating system, or "OS," is software that communicates with the hardware and allows other programs to run. It is comprised of system software, or the fundamental files your computer needs to boot up and function. Every desktop computer, tablet, and smartphone includes an operating system that provides basic functionality for the device.

contextual menu

A contextual menu is a pop-up menu that appears when you right-click on a certain area of the screen. It is "contextual" because the menu options are relevant to what you click on. While not all programs support contextual menus, most modern operating systems and applications include them as part of the interface design.

file extentions

A file extension (or simply "extension") is the suffix at the end of a filename that indicates what type of file it is. For example, in the filename "myreport.txt," the .

filename

A filename is a text string that identifies a file. Every file stored on a computer's hard disk has a filename that helps identify the file within a given folder. Therefore, each file within a specific folder must have a different filename, while files in different folders can have the same name.

click

A left-click involves clicking the left mouse button. Typically, "left-clicking" means the same thing as just "clicking" since the left mouse button is the primary button by default. The term "left-click" is most often used in contrast to "right-click," which involves clicking the secondary button on the right side of the mouse.

menu bar

A menu bar is a user interface element that contains selectable commands and options for a specific program. In Windows, menu bars are typically located at the top of open windows. In OS X, the menu bar is always fixed at the top of the screen, and changes depending on what program is currently active. For Macs with multiple screens, OS X Mavericks (OS X 10.9) displays a different menu bar for the active application within each screen.

status bar

A status bar is a small area at the bottom of a window. It is used by some applications to display helpful information for the user. For example, an open folder window on the desktop may display the number of items in the folder and how many items are selected. Photoshop uses the status bar to display the size of the current image, the zoom percentage, and other information. Web browsers use the status bar to display the Web address of a link when the user moves the cursor over it. It also shows the status of loading pages, and displays error messages.

title bar

A title bar is the section at the top of a window that contains the name or description of the window. Nearly all windows displayed on your computer have a title bar. Therefore, if several windows are tiled across the screen at one time, a user can identify each window by just glancing at the title bar. Windows makes this even easier by placing the information from each window's title bar in the Task Bar. Mac OS X displays the title bar information in the middle of each window when the Exposé function is active.

toolbar

A toolbar is a set of icons or buttons that are part of a software program's interface or an open window. When it is part of a program's interface, the toolbar typically sits directly under the menu bar. For example, Adobe Photoshop includes a toolbar that allows you to adjust settings for each selected tool. If the paintbrush is selected, the toolbar will provide options to change the brush size, opacity, and flow. Microsoft Word has a toolbar with icons that allow you to open, save, and print documents, as well as change the font, text size, and style of the text. Like many programs, the Word toolbar can be customized by adding or deleting options. It can even be moved to different parts of the screen.

application software

An application, or application program, is a software program that runs on your computer. Web browsers, e-mail programs, word processors, games, and utilities are all applications. The word "application" is used because each program has a specific application for the user. For example, a word processor can help a student create a research paper, while a video game can prevent the student from getting the paper done.

scroll bar

When the contents of a window are too large to be displayed entirely within the window, a scroll bar will appear. For example, if a Web page is too long to fit within a window, a scroll bar will show up on the right-hand side of the window, allowing you to scroll up and down the page. If the page is too wide for the window, another scroll bar will appear at the bottom of the window, allowing you to scroll to the left and right. If the window's contents fit within the current window size, the scroll bars will not appear.

maximize

When you maximize a window on your computer screen, it becomes larger. In Windows, maximizing a window makes it take up the entire screen. In Mac OS X, a maximized window typically only takes up as much space as it needs.

minimize

When you minimize a window, you hide it from view. This is commonly done to unclutter the display or to view other open windows without closing the current window. In Windows, minimizing a window will create a button for it in the taskbar. In Mac OS X, an icon for the minimized window is added to the right size of the dock.

window

Windows is a series of operating systems developed by Microsoft. Each version of Windows includes a graphical user interface, with a desktop that allows users to view files and folders in windows. For the past two decades, Windows has been the most widely used operating system for personal computers PP

drag

You can use your mouse to drag icons and other objects on your computer screen. Dragging icons from your desktop or an open window to another folder will move the objects to the new folder.

restore

he word "restore" means to return something to its former condition. Therefore, when you restore a computer or other electronic device, you return it to a previous state. This may be a previous system backup or the original factory settings.

active window

the window currently in use

close

to quit a window or application