Last updated 8 Jul 1999
Jerboa recognizes signs drawn by the user with the mouse while holding down the right mouse button, and runs a script binded with them. You can use keyboard shortcuts built in any application with the mouse. You don't need to set your hands on keyboard anymore to use those shortcuts. Just hold down the right mouse button and do the desired sign by moving the mouse a little. This is incredibly faster in any program where you otherwise don't need to use keyboard all the time.
Especially surfing the web is much faster and funner. You can go back or forward by moving the mouse a bit to the left or right while holding down the right mouse button, open the bookmarks with a bit stylished letter f, open new window with letter N and so on. And when you want to enjoy some music, you can access your favorite CD or MP3 player with just moving the mouse a bit. You don't need to go through start menu any more or try to hit those little buttons with the mouse.
The best part in Jerboa is that it is FREEWARE! You don't have to pay anything. You don't have to watch nag or splash screens or wait unregistered delays. All I am asking you to do is that you register at the Jerboa web site. Registering is free and is done anonymous and without revealing your e-mail address. I would just like to know the country you live in and whether you are a new user or upgrading Jerboa. This way I will know how many and where uses Jerboa. If you are a new user and haven't yet registered, please don't go straight to register. Use first a couple of days or a week Jerboa and if you still think that you will continue using Jerboa then register. This way I will know how many really uses Jerboa and not how many have tried it. Registering is not mandatory but I would be very thankful if you registered.
When you run Jerboa, all you can see is the little icon appearing in your system tray (that thing in the lower right corner of your desktop which has the clock). There are no nag or splash screens disturbing you.
The most important things in Jerboa are signs and bindings. Signs are the things you draw and bindings are the ones that tell Jerboa what to do when a certain sign is drawn on certain program. Jerboa comes with default signs and bindings but you can also make your own ones to get more out of Jerboa.
When you can see the mouse icon in your system tray (with no cross on it) you can start to draw signs. Though I recommend that you open the Jerboa dialog box by double clicking on the Jerboa icon in the system tray and check out which sign does what.
First read at least What are sign? and What are bindings? sections. These are very important.
Now run Jerboa. You should then see a icon of mouse in the system tray (at bottom right corner of your desktop). Now double click on that icon to open Jerboa dialog box. You can later read the Jerboa user interface section to get more information on that dialog. But first select the signs tab and then check the "test mode" check box. Now you can practice drawing signs. Then select sign of letter A at the drop down menu. Now press and hold down the right mouse button and try to draw a figure drawn in blue on the big white box (sign view). Notice that a black line will appear on the sign view. This is the sign you draw. If the selected sign changed, it means that Jerboa recognized the sign you drew as the new sign. Notice that the Jerboa icon at the system tray changes color after you draw a sign. A green icon tells you that jerboa recognized the sign and found a binding for the sign and ran the script (int test mode the script will not be ran). A yellow icon tells that Jerboa recognized the sign but there were no binded script. A red icon telss that Jerboa did not recognize the sign you drew. You can now practice drawing signs a little. After you release the mouse button check the icon in the system tray to see if Jerboa recognized your sign. The recognized sign will be selected in Jerboa dialog.
If you find drawing signs difficult, here are some tips:
Now read the bindings tab section if you haven't read it yet. Go to the bindings tab in Jerboa dialog. Select binding set "<GLOBAL>" in the droplist at the top of the dialog. Now select binding "copy". You can see that the sign for this binding is "up". If you wish you can try to figure out what the script does with the Jerboa script reference. (Here is the spoiler: it sends key stroke ctrl+c which usually copies the selected text, image or whatever the program deals with). Now open your favorite text edior and write some text. Now select some of the text. Then draw the "up" sign by holding down the right mouse button and moving the mouse up a bit. If the icon in the system tray didn't flash green do the same again until you get it right. Then deselect the text. Now draw the sign "down" (yes, move the mouse down a bit with right mouse button). If the icon went green the text you first selected (and copied with the "up" sign) should be pasted. This is how Jerboa works.