Windows XP [Electronic resources] : Visual Quickstart Guide, Second Edition نسخه متنی

Icons

An

icon is a small picture that represents an item you can manipulate. Windows uses icons on the desktop and in Windows Explorer to represent folders, files, disks, documents, programs, the Recycle Bin, and hardware devices (Figure 1.28 ).

You select (highlight) an icon or group of icons to perform an action. Left-click to select; right-click to open the shortcut menu.

What happens when you open an icon depends on the icon's type. A

folder or

disk icon opens in Windows Explorer. A

document or

image icon opens in its associated program, launching that program if it's not already open. A

program icon launches the program. The

Recycle Bin icon displays the items to be deleted when you empty the bin.

To select an icon:

Click it (Figure 1.29 ).

or

Press the arrow keys until the icon is selected.

or

Press the first letter of the icon's name. If two or more icons have the same initial letter, press the letter repeatedly until you select the right icon.

Chapter 4.

To select multiple icons:

Ctrl+click each icon that you want to select (Figure 1.30 ).

or

Drag a selection rectangle around the icons (Figure 1.31 ). The area always is a rectangle; you can't surround an odd-shaped area.

or

Click the first icon that you want to select; then Shift+click the last icon. All icons in between are selected automaticallyat least by Windows' definition of "in between."

Viewing Files and Folders in Different Ways" in Chapter 5.

To select all icons in a window:

Choose Edit > Select All (or press Ctrl+A).

To deselect an icon:

If the icon is the only one selected, click anywhere in the window or desktop other than the selected icon.

or

If the icon is part of a multiple selection, Ctrl+click it to remove it from the selection.

Tips

To select

almost all the icons in a window, press Ctrl+A; then Ctrl+click the icons you

don't want.

Choose Edit > Invert Selection to reverse which icons are selected and which are not.

To move an icon:

Drag it to a new position (Figures 1.32 and 1.33 ).

Tips

Use the View > Arrange Icons By submenu to control icon positions within a window.

You can drag icons to new positions within a window set to Thumbnails, Tiles, or Icons view but not within a window set to List or Details view.

You can move multiple icons at the same time by dragging any icon in a multiple selection.

To open an icon:

Double-click it.

or

Select it; then press Enter or choose File > Open.

Chapter 4.