Jeanne's World
   Apple Guide Place
       Apple Guide FAQs

Apple Guide:

What is hot text?
How do I decide whether to use hot text?
How do I show the user which text is hot?
How do I make hot text that pops up a new window?
How do I make hot text perform an action?
How do I make pictures and non-text objects hot?
Why can't the compiler find my hot text?
Why doesn't my hot text formatting appear in the guide?
Why doesn't hot text work when the user clicks it?

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.

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

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