The Docking Bar

The docking bar is the equivalent to the Taskbar in Windows. It is separated into two parts by a thin line: Applications (left) & Stacks (right).

The Apps section is used to place shortcuts for programs that might be accessed regularly which are represented by the icon of the program. Clicking on the icon opens the program. Icons can be rearranged from one location to another within the app section of the docking bar by dragging and dropping them. Sometimes, an icon will have a red dot on it which indicates that an action needs to be taken. For example, a red dot on the Mail icon means that there is new mail. Applications that are not placed on the Dock will still appear if they are open. When these applications are closed, they will no longer appear on the Dock. Applications that normally live on the Dock and are open have a black dot that appears underneath the icon.

The leftmost icon in the docking bar is the Finder app. This is the only icon that cannot be moved. The Finder app is the main means of navigating within a Mac. Think of it as a cross between a file cabinet and a map. It is like a file cabinet in that it accesses all of the files, applications and information on the computer. Finder is also like a map in that it allows the user to easily find and locate the various storage options within the computer including the Desktop, the documents folder, media folders, Applications, iCloud Drive and some functions that can be added externally such as Google Drive.

To add programs or files to the docking bar, simply go to your applications folder and drag the icon onto the docking bar. To remove programs or files from the docking bar, simply drag them to the Trash.

A stack is a folder shortcut placed on the Docking Bar. This might be a folder of the various Applications, downloads, recent documents, recently used Apps, etc. Stacks are located on the right side of the separator line. Stacks are added much like Apps are added - through dragging and dropping. Stacks are removed by being dragged to the Trash. Further customization of stacks can be made by performing a two finger click (or a Control click).