Window Structure

Just like Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X uses 'windows' to physically represent an application to the user. Overall, a Mac OS X window is a collection buttons, bars, icons, scroll bar(s), and other useful items that an end user can click, move, or interact with in some way. This guide will discuss the structure of a Mac OS X window.

Every application, utility, and document window in Mac OS X must possess at a minimum a Title Bar and a Close Button. Most windows however have many more components such as a minimize button, a zoom button, icons, a toolbar control, and a resize control.

Here's an image of a modified Finder window (Sidebar has been excluded) with all of these components pointed out:

Title Bar
The Title Bar is made up of the Title Bar Buttons (Close, Minimize, Zoom), The Proxy icon, The Window Title, and the Toolbar Control. When using the Aqua theme, the in-use (the window in front of all other windows) window's Title Bar will have colorful buttons on the upper left as well as a dark black Window Title. Other windows will have grey buttons and dimmed letters in the Window Title.

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