The computer and its interface (2) |
Buttons [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] We will review the various elements which can
be found inside a dialog box. They are all
represented by a graphic area inside the dialog box. Via the
mouse, the user can handle these elements to make a selection or
execute an action.
A button is a rectangular
area containing one or more words. Here are examples: The purpose of a button is to execute an
action when you click inside it. The only handling one can
make with a button is to place the mouse cursor inside it and
click. When you press the mouse button, the drawing of
the button gives you the impression of being pressed. It is
maintained this way until you release the mouse. If you release the mouse when the cursor is
still inside the button, the button takes again its normal
appearance and the action is executed. If you move the cursor
outside the button before releasing it, the action is not
executed. It is a manner of avoiding at the last second
executing an action when you already pressed the button. We had already seen the Cancel and
OK buttons which let you close a dialog box. When a
button is surrounded by a thicker black border, like the
second example here above, it means that you can activate it
with the Return or Enter key on the
keyboard. The Return key is located on the right side of the
main key block and also on the bottom right corner of the
numeric keypad, at the extreme right side of your keyboard.
This key acts like a shortcut key to activate the thick
border button. There is only one button of this type in a
dialog box. When a Cancel button is present,
it can be activated by the keyboard using the ESC or Escape key, which is very
often at the top left corner of your keyboard or right beside
the space bar of the small Mac keyboard. These two shortcuts are practical, because
they can be used in almost all Pizzicato dialog boxes.
Check boxes [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] A check box is represented by a small square followed by a
text. The square can be empty or can be checked. Here are two
examples: The text on the right of the square
indicates in a few words an option or a choice that the user can make. A check mark in
the square shows that this option or this choice is selected.
An empty square shows that the option or the choice is not
selected. When a dialog box displays a check box, the
user can decide if it is necessary to select or unselect this
option by checking it or by leaving it unchecked. To do that,
you must simply click in the small square or on the
associated text. If a check mark is already present, it is
erased and if it is not present, it is added. When you modify a check box and click the OK
button of the dialog box, the option is memorized and the
next time you call the same dialog box, the option is still
visible the way you selected it.
Radio buttons [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] When a choice must be more explicit or when
there is more than two possibilities, the check box is no
more appropriate. Multiple
choices are a series of round check
boxes grouped under a label. Only one box of the group can be
checked at the same time. When you click one of them, the
others are automatically unchecked. Here is an example of radio buttons with
six choices, with the fifth choice selected: The label of the radio buttons indicates
that it relates to the starting of Pizzicato and it gives 6
choices to the user. In radio buttons, there can be two or more
choices available and the text depends entirely on the
subject covered by the dialog box. It is a manner of letting
the user make a choice.
Popup menus [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] This is another way of making a choice
among several possibilities. A popup menu, also called drop-down list or combo
box (in Windows), is represented as follows: The visible text displays the selected
choice. By clicking inside a popup menu (sometimes simply
called menu) or on the black arrow which is on its
line, the list of possible choices is displayed: At this time, you can slide the mouse
towards any choice of the list. By releasing the mouse on one
item, the new choice is selected and displayed on the popup
menu. On Windows, when a menu contains too many
choices (no space to display them all on the screen), a scroll bar appears to the right of the list. By clicking on
the higher and lower arrows, the list starts scrolling to
reach the higher or lower items. Here is an example: You can also click and drag
the gray button located between the two arrows, to scroll the
list of items. On Mac, sliding the mouse above or below the
menu causes the scrolling of the invisible items.
Scroll bars [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] A scroll bar is a long and narrow
rectangular area that comprises five parts. It can be
horizontal or vertical. Here are examples: They are mainly used to go up and down or
left and right in the contents of a window or in a list of
items. The small gray square is called the scroll
box. The scroll box indicates the position of the scroll bar.
It can be moved throughout the light gray rectangle, between
the two arrow buttons. According to the graphical model, this
small square can take the aspect of a widening rectangle that
you can move in the same way. The scroll box can take a
number of intermediate positions according to the context in
which it is used. When it is disabled, the scroll box is not
drawn, which means for example that the image visualized in
the contents of the window is entirely visible: There
are five ways to move the scroll box in the scroll bar: Try to move the vertical scroll box located
in the window containing what you read now, by using the five
methods.
Sliders [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] A slider is a simplified
form of a scroll bar. It is used mainly to let the user
determine or modify a number or a ratio. In the Pizzicato Options
menu, select the Global options item. You will
find two sliders: They are used here to determine graphic
parameters. A slider consists of a bar on which a small
cursor can slide. To move this cursor, you need to click
inside it and drag it left or right (up or down for a
vertical slider). When you release it, it maintains its
position. For example, move the first slider so that it shows
a value of 50. To bring the cursor directly to a specific
position, you can directly click at this position. The cursor
is placed directly at the indicated position. For example,
you will find sliders that will enable you to adjust the
sound volume for each instrument, exactly like a sound mixing
table. Now click the Cancel button.
Lists [Light] [Beginner] [Professional] [Notation] [Composition Light] [Composition Pro] [Drums and Percussion] [Guitar] [Choir] [Keyboard] [Soloist] A list is another form of a
popup menu that offers more possibilities. It is represented
by a rectangular area in which several lines of text display
the various items making up the list. On the right side of
the list, you will find a vertical scroll bar, enabled if the
list is not high enough to display all the items it contains.
Above the list you will find a title specifying the purpose
of the list. In the Options menu, select the
Chord library... item. The dialog box which appears
contains a list in its left part: The first line is selected because it has a
reversed contrast. Select the third line by clicking on it. The first line
becomes normal again and the list shows a contrast on the
third line. The rectangular scroll box is drawn in the
higher part of the scroll bar. That means that the first item
of the list is visible but that there are items that follow
the last line. By clicking and holding the mouse button in
the lower arrow of the scroll bar, the list scrolls and
display the hidden items. When the scroll box is at the bottom, it
means that you are at the end of the list and that there are
no more items after the last visible one. This method gives
access to very long lists that can be consulted by moving the
scroll box by one of the 5 methods explained here above. By clicking on a line, you select your choice to
the program. Now click the Cancel button.
or on Mac
or on Mac