Inside Macintosh: Apple Guide Complete /

Glossary

About Apple Guide A guide file included with system software that describes the help system provided with the Macintosh computer.

About guide file A type of guide file that describes the available help systems in an application. See also guide file, guide file types, and Macintosh Guide.

access window The window--Full, Single List, or Simple--that appears whenever the user selects a guide file from the Help Menu and from where the user selects to view (or goes directly to view) help topics. See also Full Access window, Single List Access window, and Simple Access window.

action panel A panel that presents a single step in a procedure (for example, to tell the user to open a menu).

additions See Mixin guide file.

Apple Guide A system extension provided with system software that provides an onscreen help system.

Apple Guide API A set of functions, or application programming interface, that lets you start up, access, and work with Apple Guide from within your application.

Apple Guide font The attributes, 10-point Espy Serif Plain black, automatically applied by Apple Guide to text on the panel content area.

AppleScript coach A coachmark for an object whose location is determined by a script. See also coachmark, item coach, menu coach, object coach, window coach.

Balloon Help A System 7 (and higher) feature that provides users information about such objects on the Macintosh screen as icons, windows, and commands.

Body format A format that provides a right column and that is designed for use with the Tag format.

branch A panel sequence within another sequence.

build To compile a help source file using Guide Maker.

build file A file that contains only <Include> and <Resource> commands.

Build utility The Guide Maker utility you use to build guide files. See build and guide file.

closure panel At the end of a sequence, a panel that summarizes the information covered by that sequence.

coachmark An onscreen graphic that circles or points to an item on the screen. See also coachmark types.

coachmark types The five different kinds of coaches--menu, item, object, window, and AppleScript--that you can create with Apple Guide. See also menu coach, item coach, object coach, window coach, and AppleScript coach.

compile See build.

content area The part of a panel between the panel sequence title area and the navigation bar that contains help instructions, possibly including text, control features (such as radio buttons and checkboxes), 'PICT' graphics, and QuickTime movies. See also sequence display title area and navigation bar.

content area button Control features that appear in the content area of a panel and that are generally associated with an event or navigation route specific to that panel. See also content area.

context checks Functions that verify the user's environment so that Apple Guide can dynamically skip or show certain panels to the user based on their appropriateness.

Continue panel A panel that offers to complete for the user a condition that has not been met when the user attempts to continue to the next panel in the sequence. Compare Oops panel.

Convert utility The Guide Maker utility you use to convert a Windows Help file to a Guide Script source file.

decision panel A panel from which the user can select one or more tasks by using radio buttons or checkboxes. Each button or checkbox has a distinct panel branch associated with it.

default prompt set The prompt set that Apple Guide automatically applies to panels in a sequence unless you override it. See also prompt and prompt set.

definition panel A panel that defines terminology appearing on a panel.

"Definitions" heading A heading for term definitions that relate directly to the selected topic area. See also "How do I" heading and "Why can't I" heading.

Diagnose utility The Guide Maker utility you use to step through the panels of a guide file.

exception list A list of words that Apple Guide does not reduce to a root word if entered as a user search phrase with Look For features selected in the Full Access window. See also ignore list, synonym list, and Look For buttons.

first-level panels In a sequence, the panels that lead the user directly through the task or concept of the associated topic. See also second-level panels.

first previous panel In a sequence, the panel that Apple Guide displays when the user clicks the OK button on an Oops panel without making the condition true. This panel is the first panel that Apple Guide finds, searching backward through the sequence, that meets one of two criteria: it does not have a <Make Sure> command specified for it, or it has a <Make Sure> command whose condition evaluates to true. See also Oops panel.

Full Access window A window that includes three built-in buttons--Topics, Index, and Look For--from which the user makes selections or enters a search phrase. See also Simple Access window and Single List Access window.

Full format A one-column format that Apple Guide applies by default to all panels. See also Tag and Body format.

GoStart button A lightbulb-shaped button that appears in the navigation bar of a panel and that takes the user back to the access screen. See also navigation button.

guide file A single file containing help content that conforms to one of five guide file types supported by Apple Guide. See also guide file types.

guide file index A list of terms that point to the topics appearing in the right column of the Full Access window. Apple Guide uses the index to retrieve topics for the user when Look For or Index features are selected on the Full Access screen. See also Index button and Look For button.

guide file types Five guide files specified by the Apple Guide Human Interface Guidelines--About, Tutorial, Help, Shortcuts, and Other--that each have a particular focus, content, naming convention, and Help menu location. See also About guide file, Help guide file, Shortcuts guide file, Tutorial guide file, and Other guide file.

Guide Maker A tool for building and testing guide files.

Guide Script An authoring language for developing guide files.

Guide Script source files See help source files.

Help guide file A type of guide file that provides the main information in a help system through a wide range of task-oriented information about an application. See also guide file, guide file types, and Macintosh Guide.

help source files Files containing Guide Script commands that define the look, content, and navigation path of all panels in a guide file. See also Guide Script.

hot area On a panel, the area containing a rectangle, object, or text that the user can click to view another panel containing related information.

hot object On a panel, a hot area specified by the rectangle of the next object (either text or a graphic) in the panel definition.

hot rectangle On a panel, a hot area that is a specific rectangle.

hot text On a panel, a hot area that consists of designated text. See also hot area, hot object, and hot rectangle.

"How do I" heading In the Full Access window, a heading for topics that show the user how to accomplish a task. See also "Definitions" heading and "Why can't I" heading.

howdy text Text that describes a guide file and that appears in the access window's instructions.

Huh? button A button that appears in the navigation bar of a panel and that, when active, the user can click to view an associated panel with crucial information.

ignore list A list of words you tell Apple Guide to remove from a user search phrase entered with Look For features selected in the Full Access window. See also Look For button, exception list, and synonym list.

Index button On the Full Access screen, a built-in button that the user can click to display a list of index terms for the guide file contents. This list appears in the left column of the window.

information panel A panel that provides brief conceptual explanations.

introductory panel A panel that begins a panel sequence or branch and that describes its contents.

invisible index term A term that does not correspond to a visible term in the Look For index but that Apple Guide uses to match a search phrase with guide file topics. See also visible index term.

item coach A coachmark for an item in a dialog box or other interface element in a window (or dialog box). See also coachmark, menu coach, object coach, window coach, and AppleScript coach.

Localize utility The Guide Maker utility you use to localize all elements of your guide files that are language-specific, such as text strings and pictures.

Look For button In the Full Access window, a built-in button that the user can click to access information in the guide file using a search phrase.

Macintosh Guide A guide file included with system software that provides its main help through step-by-step instructions for a variety of tasks.

Macintosh Guide additions Four guide files--PowerBook Guide, Speech Guide, Video Guide, Video Player--that add content to Macintosh Guide about a specific piece of hardware attached to the Macintosh computer or about certain system software features.

main guide file A guide file containing help instructions that can be modified using a Mixin guide file. See also Mixin guide file.

menu coach A coachmark for a specific menu or menu item. See also AppleScript coach, coachmark, item coach, object coach, and window coach.

Mixin guide file A file you use to add to or modify the contents of a main guide file. See also main guide file.

navigation bar On the lower portion of a panel, the bar that displays the left and right navigation arrows that the user clicks to move between panels. This bar may contain additional navigation buttons (such as GoStart and Huh?). See also content area and sequence display title area.

navigation button A button that always appears in the navigation bar of a panel that takes the user to different parts of the guide file. See also GoStart button and Huh? button.

object coach A coachmark for an object based on a rectangle that an application returns for the named object. See also coachmark, menu coach, item coach, window coach, and AppleScript coach.

Oops panel A panel that tells the user a condition specified on a previous panel was not met. The user needs to make the condition true to continue to the next panel. Compare Continue panel.

Other guide file A guide file that does not conform to the content guidelines for the four other Apple Guide guide files (About, Tutorial, Help, and Shortcuts) or that is a particularly advanced or specialized version of these other types. See also guide file types.

panel An Apple Guide help window that describes a concept or step.

panel associated with a Huh? button A panel that appears when the user clicks a Huh? button on a panel. This associated panel provides information crucial to understanding the original panel.

panel branch See branch.

panel height On a panel, the distance between the title area and the navigation bar.

panel number The number appearing
on a panel between the left and right navigation arrows. Guide Maker automatically assigns this number in a dynamic sequence.

panel sequence See sequence.

panel width The area across the panel, which is a fixed measurement of 344 pixels.

presentation panel See panel.

prompt The panel text that tells the user what to do and where to go (for example, click the right arrow to continue).

prompt set A collection of four prompts that Apple Guide chooses to display based on what a panel's position in the sequence is (first, middle, or last) or whether it contains controls (radio buttons, checkboxes, or standard buttons). See also default prompt set and prompt.

random access A method of access in which the user can select help topics in any order.

related topics panel A panel that describes topics in a guide file pertaining to either a specific panel or sequence.

ResetPen Format A format that resets the current format to the default format.

second-level panels The panels that provide supplemental help, and Oops and Continue panels. See also first-level panels.

sequence A set of related panels that the user can access linearly using left and right navigation arrows.

sequence display title area In the upper portion of a panel, the bar that contains the panel title. See also content area and navigation bar.

sequential access A method of access in which the user can select help topics in a structured order.

Shortcuts A guide file included with system software that provides Macintosh keyboard commands and tips.

Shortcuts guide file A guide file that provides condensed reference material similar to that found on a quick reference card. See also guide file types and guide file.

Simple Access window A window that takes the user directly to the help information unless you provide your own access method. See also Full Access window and Single List Access window.

Single List Access window A window that provides a single scrollable list of topics for the user to choose from. See also Full Access window and Simple Access window.

standard button A two-dimensional button, drawn by the Macintosh toolbox, that has an event associated with it. See also content area button.

standard panel types A set of panel designs that apply to and should be used for specific categories of help information.

stemming The process by which Apple Guide reduces common word variations to root words in search phrases entered by the user.

synonym list A list containing words that have identical meaning to index terms but that do not appear in the index. See also exception list, ignore list, and Look For button.

Tag In the left column of a panel, a bold phrase that describes the Body text that appears in the right column of the panel. See also Tag and Body format.

Tag and Body format A two-column format for panels created by two Guide Script commands. See also Full format,
Tag, Tag format, and Body format.

Tag format A format that provides a left column that you can use to format tags and that is designed for use with the Body format.

three-dimensional button A button whose appearance is determined by a graphic that you place in it. See also content area button, navigation button, and standard button.

tip panel A panel that gives a hint about how to perform an action or use an application feature.

topic A category of help information in
a guide file that the user views from an access window.

topic area A broad category of help that breaks into one or more topics. It appears in the left column of the Full Access window when the user selects the Topics button.

Topics button A built-in button on the Full Access window that the user clicks to display topic areas in the left column of the window.

transition panel A panel that connects parts of multipart panel sequences.

Tutorial A guide file included with system software that provides training in Macintosh skills.

Tutorial guide file A type of guide file that leads users through the basic features of an application. See also guide file types and guide files.

visible index term A term that appears in the left column of the Full Access window with Index features selected. See also invisible index terms.

"Why can't I" heading In the Full Access window, a heading for topics that explain why a certain action cannot be performed. See also "Definitions" heading and "How do I" heading.

window coach A coachmark for a specific area of a window. See also coachmark, menu coach, item coach, object coach, and AppleScript coach.