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Inside Macintosh: Overview /


Chapter 6 - Windows

This chapter describes how your application can use the Window Manager to create and manage windows. Windows delineate the space within which the user enters or views information, and every Macintosh application that has a user interface should use windows to communicate with the user. Any piece of information that your application presents to the user should be displayed in a window. Similarly, any piece of information that your application solicits from the user should involve the user performing appropriate actions (such as typing or clicking) in a window.

There are two general kinds of windows: document windows and dialog boxes. Document windows are used primarily to allow the user to enter and manipulate information, such as text, graphics, or other data. Often, but not always, the information in a document window can be stored in a file, from which the user can later retrieve it. Dialog boxes are used for many other purposes, such as alerting the user of unusual occurrences, soliciting information from the user, and displaying various application settings or user preferences.

This chapter focuses on techniques for handling windows in general, with particular emphasis on document windows. It shows how to

For specific information about dialog windows, see the chapter "Dialog Boxes" later in this book. For a complete description of the capabilities of the Window Manager and for code samples illustrating more advanced window-handling techniques, see the chapter "Window Manager" in Inside Macintosh: Macintosh Toolbox Essentials.


Chapter Contents
About Windows
Window Parts
Window Records
Window Types
Creating Windows
Handling Window Events
Mouse Events
Update Events
Activate Events
Closing Windows

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© Apple Computer, Inc.
9 JUL 1996




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