The keyboard offers another way to communicate with your computer. In addition to typing text and numbers, you can use it to choose menu commands.
There are three types of keys on a Mac OS keyboard:
Character keys , such as letters, numbers, and symbols, are for typing information. Some character keys have special functions, as listed in
Table 1 .
Key | Function |
|---|---|
Enters information or "clicks" a default button. | |
Begins a new paragraph or line or "clicks" a default button. | |
Advances to the next tab stop or the next item in a sequence. | |
Deletes a selection or the character to the left of the insertion point. | |
Deletes a selection or the character to the right of the insertion point. | |
"Clicks" a Cancel button or ends the operation that is currently in progress. |
Modifier keys alter the meaning of a character key being pressed or the meaning of a mouse action. Modifier keys are listed in
Table 2 .
Key | Function |
|---|---|
Produces uppercase characters or symbols. Also works with the mouse to extend selections and to restrain movement in graphic applications. | |
Produces special symbols. | |
Accesses menu commands via keyboard shortcuts. | |
Modifies the functions of other keys and displays contextual menus. |
Function keys perform specific functions in Mac OS or an application. Dedicated function keys, which always do the same thing, are listed in
Table 3 . Function keys labeled
Key | Function |
|---|---|
Displays onscreen help. | |
Scrolls to the beginning. | |
Scrolls to the end. | |
Scrolls up one page. | |
Scrolls down one page. | |
Moves the insertion point or changes the selection. |
Command key (not the Apple key).
Contextual menus are discussed on the previous page.
1. | Hold down the modifier key(s) in the sequence. This is usually |
2. | Press the letter, number, or symbol key in the sequence. For example, to choose the Open command, which can be found under the File menu (Figure 15 ), hold down |
14 ).
Some commands include more than one modifier key. You must hold all modifier keys down while pressing the letter, number, or symbol key for the keyboard shortcut.
You can find a list of all Finder keyboard shortcuts in
Some applications refer to keyboard shortcuts as
keyboard equivalents or
shortcut keys .
Mac OS uses icons to graphically represent files and other items on the desktop, in the Dock, or within Finder windows:
Applications (Chapters 7 through
9 discuss working with applications.
Documents (Chapter 7 covers working with documents.
Folders (Chapters 3 and
4 discuss using folders.
Volumes (Chapter 3 covers working with volumes.
The
Trash (Chapter 3 .
Click the icon that you want to select. The icon darkens, and its name becomes highlighted (Figure 24 ).
You can also select an icon in an active window by pressing the keyboard key for the first letter of the icon's name or by pressing
Click anywhere in the window or on the Desktop other than on the selected icon.
If you select one icon and then click another icon, the originally selected icon is deselected and the icon you clicked becomes selected instead.
Windows are discussed later in this chapter.
1. | Click the first icon that you want to select. |
2. | Hold down Figure 25. Hold down
|
3. | Repeat step 2 until all icons that you want to select have been selected. |
Icons that are part of a multiple selection must be in the same window.
1. | Position the mouse pointer slightly above and to the left of the first icon in the group that you want to select (Figure 26 ). Figure 26. Position the mouse pointer above and to the left of the first icon that you want to select. |
2. | Press the mouse button, and drag diagonally across the icons you want to select. A shaded box appears to indicate the selection area, and the items within it become selected (Figure 27 ). Figure 27. Drag to draw a shaded selection box around the icons that you want to select. |
3. | When all the icons that you want to select are included in the selection area, release the mouse button (Figure 28 ). Figure 28. Release the mouse button to complete the selection. |
To select multiple icons by dragging, the icons must be adjacent.
Choose Edit > Select All (Figure 29 ), or press
All icons in the active window are selected.
Activating windows is covered later in this chapter.
Hold down
1. | Position the mouse pointer on the icon that you want to move (Figure 30 ). Figure 30. Point to the icon that you want to move. |
2. | Press the mouse button, and drag the icon to the new location. As you drag, a shadowy image of the icon moves with the mouse pointer (Figure 31 ). Figure 31. Drag the icon to the new location. |
3. | Release the mouse button when the icon is in the desired position (Figure 32 ). Figure 32. Release the mouse button to complete the move. |
You move icons to rearrange them in a window or on the desktop, or to copy or move the items they represent to another folder or disk. Copying and moving items is discussed in
You can also move multiple icons at once. Simply select the icons first, then position the mouse pointer on one of the selected icons and follow steps 2 and 3 above. All selected icons move together.
To force an icon to snap to a window's invisible grid, hold down
Chapter 4 , ensures consistent spacing between icons, so your window looks neat.
1. | Select the icon you want to open (Figure 33 ). Figure 33. Select the icon. |
2. | Choose File > Open (Figure 34 ), or press Figure 34. Choose Open from the File menu.Or Double-click the icon that you want to open. |
Only one click is necessary when opening an item in a Finder window toolbar or the Dock. The toolbar and Dock are covered in detail later in this chapter.
What happens when you open an icon depends on the type of icon you open. For example:
Opening a disk or folder icon displays the contents of the disk or folder in the same Finder window (Figure 35 ). Windows are discussed next.
Figure 33 with the Applications folder's contents displayed.
Opening an application icon launches the application so that you can work with it. Working with applications is covered in
Chapter 7 and elsewhere in this book.
Opening a document icon launches the application that created that document and displays the document so you can view or edit it. Working with documents is covered in
Opening the Trash displays items that will be deleted when you empty the Trash. Using and emptying the Trash is discussed in
To open a folder or disk in a new Finder window, hold down
The File menu's Open With submenu, which is discussed in
Chapter 7 , enables you to open a document with a specific application.