Embedded Files
This section will deal with how programs are visualized on a monitor or in some cases multiple displays. While some aspects of this section will apply to screen mirroring, more comprehensive detail can be found in the screen mirroring section.
Overview
Overview
Open applications on a Mac computer share some similarities with how programs are displayed in Windows. These are common properties of all open Mac Applications:
- the name of the program is listed at the top in the menu bar. Clicking on the name of the application reveals standard commands such as preferences and Quit [name of application].
- the symbol is always visible next to the name of the open application. Clicking the symbol reveals the same commands regardless of the application. Some of the more common and useful commands include System Preferences, App Store, Recent items, Force Quit (a program), Sleep, Restart and Shut Down.
- the menu bar contains options to maximize, minimize and close the program (represented by green, yellow and red circles in the top left hand corner
- the menu bar contains commands that are embedded in a menu context
- the application is contained within an application window. This window can be moved, resized (by dragging the corners or sides)
- more than one application can be open at the same time. Open application windows are moved to the front of the screen. Inactive windows reside in the back behind the active application. Applications are made active simply by clicking on them. Only one application can be active at any given time. Activating one application automatically deactivates the previously active one.
Maximized/Minimized Windows
Maximized/Minimized Windows
As mentioned above, all application windows feature a "traffic light" in the top left hand corner. Each traffic light circle has a unique action associated with its colour and symbol. The red close button has an X on it. The green minimize button has a '-' symbol and the green maximize button has a + on it.
Minimized windows are no longer visible but the program and its data is still open. The application appears in the Dock with its icon and a black dot underneath it. Minimized windows can be restored by clicking on the program's icon in the Dock.
Maximized windows take up the full space of the screen or desktop. When programs are maximized, the menu bar is no longer visible at all times. However, it can be revealed by bringing the cursor to the top of the screen. Only one maximized application can occupy a desktop. Maximizing windows is an important component of managing displays which will be discussed further below. The shortcut for maximizing a windows is Control-Command-F.
Resized windows are neither minimized or maximized. They exist as part of the desktop that may be comprised of multiple applications at the same time. One way to think of resized windows is a bulletin board on which many pieces of paper are pinned. Some pieces of paper occupy a unique space with nothing under or covering it. Other pieces of paper may be pinned in whole or in part on top of another piece of paper. Similarly, resized apps do not necessarily occupy a unique space - they may cover up one or more other resized application windows. Resized application windows can be moved within that desktop space (think of moving a piece of paper on the bulletin board from one spot to another).
At this point, the management of spaces and the Desktop can be divided into two parts which is dependent on the number of screens that are being utilized. When the Mac computer is connected to one or more external monitors, there are a few additional options that are not available when only the default monitor is used. Select one of the options below to see how the display behaviour is regulated:
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