
Appendix A Introduction to Windows
A-4
Applied Biosystems
A
Just below the title bar you see the menu bar where all menu
titles are found. By placing the pointer over one of the menu
titles and clicking a mouse button, a menu (list of choices)
displays. Some of the options are in faint characters; that is,
they’re dimmed. Dimmed options aren’t available at the
moment. For example, in some programs, you cannot print a
file before you open it. Therefore, if a file has not been
opened, the Print command would be dimmed.
Some windows don’t have title bars or menu bars; these
windows are used to advise you of something or to ask you for
more information. These windows are known as alert boxes
and dialog boxes. As you choose menu options and
commands, you often open up dialog boxes. In dialog boxes,
you find buttons, scroll bars, and check boxes that you can
click on to select.
A.3 Screen Buttons
You use screen buttons to make choices and send messages
to the software; for example, you might confirm a command by
clicking a button labeled OK, or change your mind by clicking
a button labeled Cancel.
Another kind of button, called an option button, looks like a
push-button; you click this button to indicate one out of several
options where only one option can be active at a time.
A check box is a type of button used where several choices
can be made active at the same time, independent of each
other. Clicking the box puts an X in it, which means the option
is selected. Clicking the box again removes the X and
deselects the option.
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