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How do I show the user which text is hot?

Apple Guide doesn't display hot text in any special way, so you need to apply a format - a special color, style, font, or other indication - so that the user can tell which text is clickable.

The most common way of formatting hot text is to underline it. Many users are familiar from web browsers with the convention that underlined text is clickable. Apple also uses underlining in its guides to show which text is hot.

You can use color to mark hot text, but make sure this is not the only distinguishing characteristic of clickable text, because color differences aren't visible on black & white monitors and may not be perceived well by color-blind users. If you use color for hot text, also use underlining or some other characteristic.

To add underlining (or other styles) to the text of your panels, you edit your source files with a word processor that supports styled text, such as Word or MacWrite II. You'll also need to make sure that the <define format> commands in your source files leave the style parameter blank; otherwise, the style parameter will override any styles you use.

How do I make hot text pop up a new window?

Jeanne A. E. DeVoto jaed@jaedworks.com
Copyright © 1996 Jeanne A. E. DeVoto