Windows Basics: Parts of a Window

Status Bar The bottom of a window contains the Status Bar. It displays messages about the status of the program. For example, it might say "Saving document" during the saving process and then "Done" when it is finished. The example from Win7's Paint shows which brush is selected at the left, the size of the current image in the middle, and has a slider to change the zoom display for the window. What you see in the Status Bar will vary with the type of window. The diagonal lines in the corner of the Status Bar mean that the Windows can be resized by dragging its edges. Some windows cannot be resized at all. These may not show the status bar. However, some windows don't show the status bar and yet can still be resized. You will just have to try and see if it works!

Scroll Bars Windows that are too small to show the whole document will have scroll bars for the width or the height of the document, or both, if necessary. You change what part of the document is showing by dragging the scroll box or by clicking the scroll arrow or by clicking in the scrollbar itself. The size of the scroll box in many applications is in proportion to how much of the document is showing. So, if half the document is visible, the scroll box will be half of its maximum length.

Document The main area of the application window shows the active document. For a word processing program this could be a letter, a brochure, or a report. For a graphics programs it would be a picture. For a browser it would be a web page. You can have windows inside other windows. Many programs can have several documents open at the same time inside the application's window, like the examples on the next page from Paint Shop Pro, which has 4 image windows open in the document area. The version on the left has the windows in a cascade inside the application window. The version on the right has the same windows tiled horizontally.

Document (Cont.) windows in a cascade inside the application window windows tiled horizontally

Document (Cont.) In WinXP some applications show a separate Taskbar button for each open document. You can also have WinXP group similar windows together onto one button with a cascading list.