Mouse Pointers

The mouse is operationally linked with a graphic on the screen called the pointer (also referred to as the cursor). By positioning the pointer and clicking the buttons on the mouse, a user can select objects and their operations.

As a user moves the pointer across the screen, its appearance can change to provide feedback about a particular location, operation, or state. Table 4.1 lists some common pointer shapes and their uses.

Table 4.1 Common Pointers

Shape	Screen location	Available or current action
	Over most objects	Pointing, selecting, or moving.
	Over text	Selecting text.
	Over any object or location	Processing an operation.
	Over any screen location	Processing in the background (application loading), but the pointer is still interactive.
	Over most objects	Context-sensitive Help mode.
	Inside a window	Zooming a view.
	Over a sizable edge	Resizing an edge vertically.
	Over a sizable edge	Resizing an edge horizontally.
	Over a sizable edge	Resizing an edge diagonally.
	Over a sizable edge	Resizing an edge diagonally.
	Along column gridlines	Resizing a column.
	Along row gridlines	Resizing a row.
	Over split box in	Splitting a window (or vertical scroll bar adjusting a split) horizontally.
	Over split box in	Splitting a window (or horizontal scroll bar adjusting a split) vertically.
	Over any object	Not available as a drop target.

Note
The system does not provide all of these pointers. For more information about designing your own pointers, see Chapter 13, "Visual Design."

Each pointer has a particular point — called a hot spot — that defines the exact screen location of the mouse. The hot spot determines what object is affected by mouse actions. Screen objects can additionally define a hot zone; the hot zone defines the area the hot spot must be within to be considered over the object. Typically, the hot zone coincides with the borders of an object, but it may be larger, or smaller, to make user interaction easier.