Working with Mac Applications - Discovering MacBook Pro - Teach Yourself VISUALLY MacBook Pro, 2nd Edition (2014)

Teach Yourself VISUALLY MacBook Pro, 2nd Edition (2014)

Part I. Discovering MacBook Pro

Chapter 5. Working with Mac Applications

Understanding Applications and Documents

The main reason to use a computer is to run applications, which enable you to do all sorts of useful things, such as create text documents, analyze spreadsheets, edit and view photos and movies, browse the web, create presentations, send and receive e-mail, play games, and so on. Many types of applications are available for OS X, so you can choose applications that provide exactly the functionality you need. To enable you to use them easily, all applications share fundamental concepts and tools. Understanding them will help you use a wide variety of applications on your MacBook Pro.

Applications

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An application is a compilation of programming statements, more commonly called code, constructed according to a specific programming language. Applications give you an easy way to interact with the detailed code: You control what the application does using the menus and graphical elements of the user interface instead of having to create the lines of code anew each time you want to do something. Applications vary greatly in size, complexity, and purpose. For example, Microsoft Excel is a large application you can use to create spreadsheets containing billions of items of data, whereas a Dashboard widget is a tiny application that performs a limited task, such as showing you weather information.

Documents

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Most applications work with documents. A document is much more than just a text file; documents can certainly contain text, but they can also be images, e-mails, and songs. Basically, a document is the content an application works with. So, for a text processor such as Microsoft Word, a document can include text and graphics. A graphics application, such as Photoshop, uses images as documents. The songs and video stored within iTunes can also be considered documents. If you open or save a file with an application, that file can be called a document.

Windows

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Chapter 2 explains the various kinds of windows you see on your MacBook Pro. As that chapter mentions, applications provide windows through which you view documents, or controls and functions when an application does not work with documents — for example, in a game that runs full screen. An application's windows are whatever you see when you open and use that application. Most applications allow you to have many documents open at the same time, with each appearing in a separate window.

Standard Menus

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Applications contain commands that you use to perform actions. For example, when you want to save changes to a document you are working on, you use the Save, Save As, or Save a Version command. Commands are organized into logical collections on menus. When you open a menu, you can see and choose the commands it contains. Most OS X applications have a set of standard menus that contain similar commands; these menus include the Application menu, which bears the application's own name, the File menu, the Edit menu, the Window menu, and the Help menu. These menus also contain sets of standard commands; for example, the application menu always contains the Quit command. Most applications also have other menus that give you access to the other available commands. Some applications, mostly games, do not include standard menus at all.

Application Preferences

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Not everyone uses applications in the same way; everyone has her own preferences. Because of this, applications include preferences that enable you to configure various aspects of how the application looks and works. You can use preferences to enable or disable functions, change the appearance of the application's windows, and so on. In effect, these commands enable you to tailor the way they work to your preferences, thus the name for this type of command. You can set preferences by opening the application menu and choosing Preferences.

Install Applications from the App Store

The Mac App Store is an online service that provides a wide range of Apple-approved applications for OS X. You have to pay for most of the applications, but some are free. You use the App Store application to download, install, and update applications.

To use the Mac App Store, you need an Apple ID; you sign in to the store using your ID. Your Apple ID contains the payment information you use to purchase applications — for example, the credit or debit card associated with your Apple ID account. This makes the purchase process fast and convenient.

Install Applications from the App Store

Sign In to the Mac App Store

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image Click the App Store icon (image) on the Dock.

The App Store window opens.

image In the Quick Links section, click Sign In.

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image Type your Apple ID.

image Type your password.

image Click Sign In.

You sign in to your account and are ready to shop in the App Store.

Browse for and Install Applications from the Mac App Store

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image Click one of the three tabs that enable you to browse for applications: Featured, Top Charts, or Categories.

image Browse for applications of interest to you.

image Click an application's icon to get more information about it.

The application's information screen appears.

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A You can search for applications by typing search terms in the search box.

image Read the information for the application; this includes a description, screenshots, user reviews, and so on.

image To download and install the application, click the button showing the price or the word Free.

image If the application has a license fee, click Buy at the prompt; skip this step for free applications.

Note: The App Store may prompt you to confirm the purchase.

OS X downloads and installs the application. You can then launch the application from the Launchpad.

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How can I install applications I obtain through the App Store on more than one Mac without paying for them again?

To install the same application on a different Mac, launch the App Store application on that Mac. Sign in to the account under which you downloaded the application. Click the Purchases tab. Click the Install button for the application you want to install.

Install Applications from Distribution Files

Although the Mac App Store has many applications, it certainly does not have all the applications that are available. You can add other applications by downloading them from the web and installing them or installing them from a disc. Some applications include an installer program; to install the application, you open the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. Other applications use a drag-and-drop installation method that requires you to drag a folder or file into the Applications folder.

Install Applications from Distribution Files

Install Applications with an Installer

image Download the application's installer from the Internet or insert the CD or DVD it came on in an optical drive connected to your MacBook Pro or a drive you are using via Remote Disc.

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image Double-click the application installer's icon.

image If prompted to accept the license agreement, click Agree.

image Read the information on the first screen of the installer and click Continue.

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image On the Install screen, click Install.

You are prompted to authenticate yourself as an administrator.

image Type your username.

image Type your password.

image Click Install Software.

image Click the button for closing the installer, such as Close or Quit.

Install Applications with Drag and Drop

image Download the application's installer from the Internet or insert the CD or DVD it came on in an optical drive connected to your MacBook Pro or a drive you are using via Remote Disc.

Note: In most cases, the files are provided as a disk image, which OS X usually mounts automatically. If so, skip step 2.

image Double-click the disk image file ending in .dmg.

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A OS X mounts the disk image.

image Drag the application file to the shortcut representing the Applications folder.

OS copies the application to the Applications folder.

image Click Close (image).

The Finder window closes.

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image Click Launchpad (image) on the Dock.

The Launchpad screen appears.

image Click the application's icon.

The application opens, and you can start using it.

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How do I customize an install?

Most installer applications include a Customize button that enables you to customize the application's installation; for example, you can exclude features or resources you do not need. In most cases, you can ignore this and just perform a standard install. However, if your MacBook Pro is low on drive space, you might want to use the customization options to see if you can skip features or resources you do not need.

Launch Applications with the Launchpad

The Launchpad provides quick, one-click access to your applications. When you install applications to the Applications folder or one of its subfolders, OS X adds them to the Launchpad automatically. To use an application, you simply open the Launchpad and click the application's icon. To locate applications quickly on the Launchpad, you can organize them in folders. Alternatively, you can simply search for an application by typing the first part of its name.

Launch Applications with the Launchpad

Open Applications from the Launchpad

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image Click Launchpad (image).

The Launchpad fills the screen. The Launchpad has pages, each of which contains a set of applications.

A The first page has OS X's default applications.

image To move through the Launchpad's pages, swipe your fingers to the right or left, or press image or image.

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B The applications on the page appear.

C The page you are currently viewing is indicated by the lighted dot just above the Dock.

Note: You can jump to a specific page by clicking its dot.

Note: To locate an app by name, simply start typing its name. As you type, the Launchpad displays only the apps that match.

image To open an application, click its icon.

Access Applications in Folders

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image If the application you want to use is in a folder, click the folder's icon.

D The folder opens and you see the applications it contains.

image Click the application you want to use.

The application launches.

Organize the Launchpad with Folders

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image To create a folder, drag one application's icon on top of another one.

E OS X creates a new folder named after the type of applications you put in it.

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image To rename the new folder, click its name.

OS X highlights the name.

image Type the new name.

image Press image.

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How can I remove applicatifons?

When you no longer want an application on your MacBook Pro, you can remove it. If the application included an uninstaller application, run the uninstaller application to remove the application from your MacBook Pro. If it does not include an uninstaller, just drag the application's icon into the Trash. You cannot remove the applications that come with OS X.

How can I get an application that I have removed back?

To restore an application, you need to reinstall it. If you got it from the App Store, move to the Purchases tab and click Install. If you installed it from an install application, run the installer again. If you saved a copy of the disk image, use that to reinstall the application.

Launch Applications from the Desktop

The first step in using an application is to open it, which is also called launching it. You can do this in many ways, and as you use your MacBook Pro, you will no doubt develop your preferred method. It may be the Launchpad described in the last section. However, the Launchpad is just one way to open applications. You should try other ways to launch applications too; you have probably already used some of them. Over time, you will probably find that some methods work better for you than others.

Launch Applications from the Desktop

Open Applications from the Dock

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image Click an application's icon on the Dock.

A When the application has loaded, its windows appear. You can start using the application.

Open Applications from the Sidebar

image Click the desktop.

The Finder becomes active.

image Press image+image+image.

A Finder window opens with the Applications folder displayed.

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image Click the application you want to add to the Sidebar.

image Press image+image+image.

B The application's icon is installed in the Sidebar and is ready to use.

image Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all the applications you want to be available in the Sidebar.

image To launch the application, click its icon in the Sidebar.

Open Applications from the Applications Folder

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image Click the desktop.

image Click Go and then click Applications.

Note: You can also click Applications on the Sidebar to move into that folder.

C The Applications folder appears in a Finder window.

image Scroll in the window until you see the application you want to open.

image Double-click the application's icon.

Open Applications from Documents

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image Open a Finder window showing the folder that contains the document.

image Double-click the document's icon.

The application with which the document is associated opens, and you see the contents of the document.

Note: To open the document with a different application, Control+click the document's icon, click or highlight Open With, and then click the appropriate application on the Open With submenu.

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Why do some applications disappear from the Dock when I quit them?

Only applications whose icons are kept in the Dock appear there at all times. When you open an application that is not kept in the Dock, its icon appears on the Dock; when you quit the application, its icon disappears from the Dock. To keep the icon on the Dock, Control+click it, click Options, and then click Keep in Dock.

Control Applications

No doubt you will find lots of applications to be very useful. Fortunately, you can have multiple applications running at the same time, such as Mail, Safari, iTunes, and so on. This means you do not have to waste time opening and closing applications; you can leave them running until you do not need them anymore. Once applications are running, you can control them in a number of ways. You can switch between them, hide them, minimize their windows, and eventually, quit them.

Control Applications

Switch Applications

image Open several applications.

image Press and hold image, and then press image.

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A The Application Switcher appears, showing an icon for each currently running application.

B The application you were last using is highlighted in the white box.

image Click the application you want to display. Alternatively, continue to hold image and press image until the application you want to use is highlighted, and then release image.

Hide Applications

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image Click Application and then click Hide.

OS X hides all the application's windows, and the menu bar displays the menus for the application you used before this one.

Minimize Application Windows

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image Click Minimize (image).

OS X shrinks the window to a thumbnail and places it at the right end of the Dock.

Switch Applications with Mission Control

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image Swipe down on the trackpad with the gesture you configured for Mission Control to activate it. Alternatively, press image or Control+image.

C Thumbnails of the Dashboard, your spaces, and the applications in Full Screen mode appear.

D Thumbnails of the applications that are open on the current desktop appear.

E The windows that are open in an application appear as individual thumbnails.

image To move into an application, click its icon if it is Full Screen mode, or move onto the desktop on which its windows are shown and click the thumbnail into which you want to move.

Quit Applications

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image Click Application.

image Click Quit Application.

Note: You can also quit an application by pressing image+image.

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How do I handle an application that does not appear to be doing anything, although a spinning wheel appears on the screen?

Occasionally, an application hangs. Let some time pass to see if the application starts working again. If not, click Apple (image) and click Force Quit. Click the application having problems and then click Force Quit. Click Force Quit again. You lose any unsaved changes, so do this only as a last resort.

Save Documents

After creating a new document, you save it to a location and assign it a name. When you subsequently change the document, you need to save the changes. If an application quits before you save changes, you may lose all the changes you have made, so you should get in the habit of saving documents frequently. OS X supports versioning of documents, which means you can save multiple versions of a document in the same file and return to earlier versions as needed. But only some applications support versioning; not all applications that run on OS X do.

Save Documents

Save New Documents

image Open the application with which you want to create a new document.

Note: Some applications automatically create a new document when you open them. In other applications, you click File and then New to create a new document.

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image Click File.

The File menu opens.

image Click Save.

The Save As dialog opens.

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image In the Save As field, type a name for the document.

Note: If the Save As field shows the filename extension — for example, .docx for a Word document — leave it as is.

image Click in the Tags field.

The Tags list appears.

image Click each tag you want to apply.

image Click Expand Dialog (image).

The dialog expands so that you see more details.

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image Select the location in which you want to save the file.

Note: You can choose save locations from the Where pop-up menu just under the Tags field.

A In many applications, you can click the Format pop-up menu to change the format used for saving the file.

B You can show the filename extension by deselecting the Hide extension check box (image changes to image).

The filename extension is appended to the filename.

image Click Save.

The application creates the document file in the location, and you can work in the document.

Save an Existing Document

Note: This section applies only to applications that do not support OS X's Version feature.

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image Open a document and work with it using its associated application.

image Click File.

image Click Save.

The application saves the document in its current state, and the new version replaces the previous version you saved.

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Can my documents be saved automatically?

If an application supports OS X's Version feature, it saves your documents automatically. Open the application's Preferences dialog and look for the save preferences. Set them to save frequently so as to reduce the number of changes you will have to redo if the application crashes.

Work with Versions of Documents

Applications that support OS X's Version feature automatically save documents as you change them. Each time an application saves a document, it creates a version. Applications create versions at least every hour, and more frequently when you are making “significant” changes to the document. You can also save a version at any time. Versions are useful because they enable you to go back to a previous edition of a document. OS X saves hourly versions for 24 hours. Daily revisions are available for a month, after which time weekly versions are available.

Work with Versions of Documents

Save a Version of a Document

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image Click File.

image Click Save.

The current version of the document is saved and becomes available in the document's version history.

Restore a Previous Version of a Document

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image Open the document for which you want to recover a version.

image Click File.

The File menu opens.

image Click Revert To.

The Revert To submenu opens.

image Click Browse All Versions.

The available versions of the document fill the screen.

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A On the left, you see the current version of the document.

B On the right, you see the saved versions, with the most recent facing you and the older versions behind it. The date and time shown under the document is for the frontmost version.

C To the right is the timeline history of the document from the frontmost version back to the oldest version (from bottom to top).

image To move back to a previous version, click in the windows behind the current one or click the timeline.

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D The version you selected comes to the front.

image To compare the versions, scroll up and down in each window.

image To restore the frontmost version, click Restore.

The version you selected replaces the one you were working on.

Note: To return to the version of the document you were working on, click Done.

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How does versioning relate to Time Machine?

Time Machine automatically backs up files every hour. So, the most amount of working time at risk is one hour. Versioning also saves documents every hour, and also saves them when a significant amount of changes have been made. So if a problem occurs with the current version of a document and you made changes over the past hour, try reverting to a previous version instead of restoring from Time Machine.

Expand an Application to Full Screen Mode

Almost all Apple applications, and some third-party applications, support OS X's Full Screen mode. In this mode, the application fills the entire desktop, giving you the maximum amount of room. OS X even hides the menu bar to make as many pixels available for you as possible.

Expand an Application to Full Screen Mode

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image Click the Dock icon for the application you want to use. For example, click iPhoto (image).

The application opens.

image Click Full Screen (image).

The application fills the screen.

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A To access the application's menu bar, point to the top of the screen and the menu bar will appear.

image To exit Full Screen mode, press image.

Note: You can also exit Full Screen mode by moving the mouse pointer (image) to the top of the screen and then clicking Exit Full Screen (image) on the menu bar that appears.

Work with Multiple Application Windows

Many applications allow you to have multiple windows open at the same time. For this to be effective, you must understand how to easily move between the windows open in the application you are using. Like so many other tasks, there are multiple ways to work with more than one window at a time.

Work with Multiple Application Windows

Managing Windows with App Exposé

image Swipe three or four fingers — depending on your trackpad setting — down the trackpad.

Note: On the keyboard, you can press Control+image or Control+image.

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A App Exposé shows you thumbnails of all the open windows in the application at the top of the screen.

B Thumbnails of the windows and related files appear at the bottom of the screen.

image Click the window you want to display.

Managing Windows with the Windows Menu

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image Click Window.

C The check mark indicates the current window.

D A diamond indicates a minimized window.

image Click the window you want to display.