At present - the time of universal computerization - the question of what a cursor may seem to someone strange. But now, for the first time, someone is confronted with a computer, and for him everything in this area requires clarification, including this issue.
Cursor definition
The word "cursor" comes from the English word cursor, which has many meanings, but the main thing is a "pointer".
And this pointer can show:
1. The place on the monitor (screen) where the next character will be displayed.
2. The place from which the action of various manipulators connected to a computer will be executed - such a manipulator can be a computer mouse, graphic tablet, joystick and many others.
Distinguish between text cursors and pointing device cursors.
The former include those that determine the location of the next character when printing (see paragraph 1 above), and the latter include the cursors used when using the manipulators, in particular, this can be the mouse cursor.
The cursor not only indicates the place of entry, but can also indicate:
• in what mode the text is entered, for example, in input mode or in replace mode (by pressing the Insert button);
• type of text, such as font size, style, etc.
For a more visual representation of what a cursor is, mention should be made of its modifications and forms.
To make the text cursor easier to find in the text, it is most often made blinking. This is usually a vertical flashing line. Its height corresponds to the font size. Sometimes instead of a vertical bar , other elements are used, such as a rectangle, a horizontal bar, etc.
Cursor Pointer Forms
There are a significant number of such forms. Some of them are given below, since in the fact-finding article it does not make sense to list all their diversity.
1. The arrow is called the default cursor. Usually, the object pointed to by such a cursor informs the user about the possibility of interacting with him.
2. Hand denotes a hyperlink.
3. Crosshairs are primarily used for graphic highlighting.
4. Highlighting text indicates the possibility of entering text in this field.
5. The move cursor says that the selected object can be dragged.
It is best to get acquainted with the rest of the forms of cursors while working on a computer. At the same time, what is a cursor, it becomes especially clear.
Problems in cursor control
There are times when the cursor does not move. The reasons for this situation can be a great many. And to list them all, most likely, is impossible. This depends, in particular, on what device is used to control the cursor, and on how it is connected to a computer, etc. But the most likely reasons are as follows. If the device is connected to the computer with wires, then most likely the cursor does not move due to wire breaks. If the connection is wireless, it is most likely that either the control device is not turned on, if it is equipped with a switch, or the battery has run out in it. In addition, maybe the signal receiver of the control device is out of order. These receivers often connect to a computer via USB connectors.
The probability that the corresponding driver is not installed in the computer is, in general, small. But such a check is also useful to do.
In other cases, only a specialist can fix this problem.
In the first approximation, this is the answer to the question of what a cursor is.