RE-SIZE  A  WINDOW

To re-size a window means to keep that window in its current position whilst altering its width and/or height. This is done by dragging (moving) the edges or corners of a window into its new width and/or height location. Only a non-maximized window can be re-sized.

As you approach the left or right edge of a window the mouse pointer changes into the Left/Right directional cursor (Fig 1.1) and as you approach the top or bottom edge of a window the mouse pointer changes into the Up/Down directional cursor (Fig 1.2). These indicate that the window can now be re-sized (shrunk or expanded). Likewise. As you approach one of the corners of a window the mouse pointer changes into the Diagonal directional cursor (Fig 1.3) to indicate that the window can be re-sized in any direction (up, down, left, right or diagonally).


Fig 1.1  Move the cursor Left or Right

Fig 1.2  Move the cursor Up or Down

Fig 1.3  Move the cursor in Any Direction

Moving the Up/Down cursor (Fig 1.1) either shrinks or expands the window's height, whereas moving the Left/Right cursor (Fig 1.2) either shrinks or expands the window's width. Moving the Diagonal cursor (Fig 1.3) in any direction (left, right, up, down or diagonally) either shrinks or expands the window's width and/or height, depending on how you move the cursor of course. To move the cursor just follow these 4 simple steps:

  1. Move the mouse pointer towards one edge or one corner of the window until the mouse pointer changes into a directional cursor. At this stage keep the cursor's position steady, otherwise the cursor will change back into a mouse pointer.

  2. With the cursor steady, click and keep clicked the left mouse button. After a short second or so an Elastic Band will appear (Fig 1.4).

  3. With the left mouse button still clicked, slowly start to move the cursor (mouse pointer) either inwards (left and/or upwards) to shrink the Elastic Band or outwards (right and/or downwards) to expand the Elastic Band until you have the desired size. The elastic band acts as a preview to the window's new size (Fig 1.5).

  4. When you have the desired size simply let go of the left mouse button. At this point the elastic band will disappear and the window will be re-sized (Fig 1.6).

Fig 1.4  Click the left mouse button and then wait for the Elastic Band to appear



Fig 1.5  Move (Drag) the cursor until the Elastic Band (window) is of a desired size



Fig 1.6  The Window is Re-Sized when you release the left mouse button

The above expanded the window's width and height for the example. However. In reality you might need to shrink two windows to equal size, side by side, so you can compare their contents. For example. You might have two text files open, side by side, so you can compare them and/or copy text from one file to the other. Or you might need to shrink a window so it is not taking up too much space on the desktop but at the same you can still see its contents. These are the normal scenarios.

Take this scenario. You have the Documents window (folder) open small. You then create sub-folders and files inside it, but cannot see the new sub-folders and files because the Documents window is not big enough to view all contents (sub-folders and files). In this case you would have two choices. Either re-size (expand) the Documents window or simply maximize it. Remember. Each time you maximize a window you can then restore it back to its original (smaller) size. This way you get the best of both worlds - You maximize so you can see all of the window's contents and then restore back to a smaller (uncluttered desktop) window. Shrinking, Expanding and/or Moving a window only can be tedious sometimes, but sometimes that is the only choice you have.

A window can only be re-sized when it is not maximized, simply because the maximize button locks the window's maximized size. The only way to unlock a maximized window is to click on its restore button.



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