To familiarize you with DiscVue, we've put together this brief tutorial to show you some of it's main features and functions. We recommend that you print this document out before beginning the steps below. NOTE: this tutorial requires that you only have three columns visible - if you have more, make the DiscVue window thinner, and wider if there are less.

Step 1. Open up DiscVue by double-clicking it's icon. Now you are presented with an interface showing three columns. Above the first column, it says "Desktop Folder", then the number of items in the column. In the column you will see that some items have bold text - these are the folders. Some items have plain text - these are documents and applications. Some items have italics text - these are aliases.

Step 2. Single-click on the row that says "Macintosh HD," or whatever your hard drive is titled. Now notice that just below the buttons at the top of the window, it gives the following information about your hard drive - the icon, the name, the amount of items in it, the creation date, and the modification date. Similar information will appear here on whatever you select in one of the columns.

Step 3. Now, double-click on your hard drive (which should be already selected). The second column shows the contents of the hard drive. Next, double-click on the Applications (for Mac OS 9.2.1 or lower) folder. The third column shows the contents of the application folder. Next, in the third column look for an application called SimpleText (assuming you have it residing in this folder. If not, look for some other similar application.) You may have to scroll down the column (using the scroll-bar, just to the right of the column) to see it.

Step 4. When you find SimpleText (or any text editor), click on it once. Now, in that info bar just below the toolbar, it gives the following information about SimpleText - the icon, the name, the file type code, the creator code, the creation date, and the modification date.

Step 5. In the toolbar at the top of the window one of the buttons is a magnifying glass. Click it. If SimpleText is still selected, a dialog box should pop up showing info on SimpleText, including it's full-size icon. In this window, you can change it's name, it's creator or type, and it's locked and visibility status. Do not change anything. The visibility checkbox is disabled because DiscVue is set by default to not show invisibles. If you made this file invisible, it could no longer be seen. Click the "Okay" button to go back to the three-column view.

Step 6. Double-clicking on SimpleText will launch it. Do this, and wait for it to load. Then type in "Once upon a time...". Go to the File menu, and select Save. Name it "Abe's Novel" and then save it to your Applications folder. After you've done that, go to the File menu, then select Quit. This will quit SimpleText, and you will be returned to DiscVue. Since you saved the document to the Applications folder, which is being shown in the third column right now, it should appear near the top of the first column (all items are listed alphabetically).

Step 7. Single-click on this document you just saved - Abe's Novel. A new window should pop up, showing what you've typed so far. This window is the Text Viewer. A similar window will show pictures. Click the close box on the top-left of the Text Viewer to close it. (The Viewer is set by default to display in the Preferences - it can be turned off, if desired)

Step 8. Just in case you want to work on your novel later, let's add it to the Favorites Bar (If there isn't a long rectangular bar at the bottom of the DiscVue window, push the fourth button from the left in the toolbar and then one will appear). There are three ways you can do this; 1) With your mouse you can select the file and then with the mouse down, drag it to the Favorites bar, and then release the mouse. 2) You can go to the Navigation menu and select "Add to Favorites". 3) You can type cmd-A. Make a choice and do it.

Step 9. Now that we've done that, let's clean out the DiscVue columns of all items except for those in the Desktop Folder. Click the second button from the left in the toolbar - it's the one with a picture of a desktop with a small arrow pointing to the left. This "housekeeping" button's sole function is for cleaning things up (similar to closing all the windows on the Macintosh desktop).

Step 10. Now suppose that we decide that more work is needed on that new novel. Since we just added it to the favorites, let's access it from there. As you move the mouse over the document in the Favorites Bar, the text "Abe's Novel" will appear just under the mouse. Click the document once, and Able's Novel will open. Give it a moment, then Abe's Novel will appear on your screen, again in SimpleText. After what you've already typed in, type "There was a bear. The end." Now you've written your epic novel! Select Save in the File menu, then quit SimpleText. You are now back in DiscVue.

Step 11. Now let's suppose that the novel you just started writing was a waste of time. Let's get rid of it! We're still showing only the Desktop Folder, but we want to delete a file in the Applications folder. We can get to the file much more quickly than doing it the conventional way of opening folders and finally dragging the item to the trash. First, hold down the Command key on the keyboard. Then, while still holding down the Command key, single-click that document again in the favorites bar. Release the mouse button. Release the Command key also. Give it a second, then your novel will be selected in the appropriate column. The Text Viewer will open, showing your completed novel (this is NOT SimpleText - you are still in DiscVue). Type Command-W on the keyboard to close the Text Viewer. (NOTE: If you don't like the Text Viewer option, it can be disabled by selecting the menu "Auto. Open Viewer" in the Edit menu OR by going to the Preferences box and disabling it there.)

Step 11 1/2. Your novel is still selected in its column. At the top-right of the DiscVue window there is a picture of a trash can. This button will delete "Abe's Novel." When you click the trash can, a confirmation dialog will appear. Click Delete in the dialog to move the file to the trash. Now, it's still not gone from your hard drive - it's in the trash. To empty the trash, go to the Special menu and select "Empty Trash".

Step 12. Since we deleted that document, we really don't need it in the favorites anymore. If the document didn't already disappear from the favorites bar, hold the "option" key, then click the mouse on the document in the favorites bar. It is now removed from the favorites. Alternatively, this can be done through "Delete Favorites..." in the "Navigation" menu.

Step 13. Now, go to the third column and look for any folder there (in bold text). Double-click it. If there are still only three columns showing in DiscVue, all the contents of the columns will be shifted to the left by one column. The Desktop Folder column will have disappeared off to the left. When you're done looking at the contents of the folder you've just opened, you may want to make the Desktop Folder visible again. Click the back arrow at the far top-left of the window. The reverse of what just happened will occur: all the contents of the columns will be shifted by one column to the right, and your Desktop Folder is again in the left-most column, but the folder you opened will have disappeared off to the right.

Now that you know the basics of DiscVue, you should definitely read the Interface document we have provided. After you become familiar with all of DiscVue's features, you'll hopefully find it to be a simple, straight-forward, intuitive application that makes your daily computer live easier and more rewarding.

If you have unanswered questions or suggestions, you can email me here.