Section: The Tools
...Subsection: Commands Within Browsers Are Tools

In addition to the features listed above, most browsers will have some form of a few basic commands. They can almost always be accessed by the browser's menu structure. You may also find a button on the toolbar that does a specific command. Toolbars contain buttons which have pictures on them; when they are clicked with the mouse a certain task is performed. Many commands have specific key combinations attached to them. Generally, beginners don't worry about these shortcut keys. As you get more comfortable with any type of program, you will find yourself ready to learn shortcuts such as key combinations. Don't worry about memorizing commands now. You can always check the on-line help for assistance in how to do something. The important thing is that you recognize what these tools are, and think about them when you are searching for a specific tool to do a web navigating job. Once you know WHAT you want to do and what tool you are using to do it, figuring out exactly how to do it is not a terribly difficult exercise. We deliberately will not give you specific command names or key combinations, because they will vary from browser to browser. Below is a list of commonly found commands on Internet browsers.

Previous page

- This is often shown by an arrow pointing left. When you want to back up one page, (which will happen frequently) activate this command.

Home page

- This is frequently depicted as button with a picture of a house. The home page is the page your browser starts up with. In universities, businesses, or other public settings, it is frequently a special page designed for the specific university or corporation that owns the computers you are using. If you are ever confused, or you come to a browser somebody else has been using, pressing the home page button should get you to a page you should recognize. As you get more experience with your browser, you can set up a browser so that the home page is any page you specify, even one you have created yourself!

Search

- There is usually some type of command that takes you to a series of search engines. These are special pages that allow you to type in a word or phrase, then press a button. The program will return a list of sites (often thousands of them!) that contain the word you are looking for. There are many search engines available. Experienced Internet users have passionate arguments about which one is best. It really is a matter of personal preference. Try a few out, and see which ones you prefer. Some search engines are faster than others, some have more detailed databases, some have easier interfaces. Most experienced Internet users choose one or two of their favorites and use a bookmark (see below) to return to them.

Directory

- You will often see a button or command that allows you to do a directory search. This takes you to another series of pages that allow you to browse parts of the Internet. These pages are edited lists of links, organized by content. (Yahoo is by far the most influential, although there are many others) The advantage of a directory search over a search engine is that if you know the type of information you are looking for, you can browse through a set of topics until you find the one you want, then have a list of potential pages to visit. The advantages of this approach are organization and editing: Somebody has gone out and checked the content of these pages. They are likely to contain the kind of information you are looking for, and it is relatively easy to find pages on any topic that the directory engine covers. There are some disadvantages. There may be very good pages that the list editor didn't know about or did not add to the list. The lists are never as up-to-date as the search engines. Finally, such lists often include advertising targeted specifically to the subject matter you are looking up. If you search for vacations, for example, you are very likely to see advertising for travel agencies on the pages you peruse, even before you start dealing with the actual pages that contain real content.

History

- Often you will find yourself taking advantage of the easy links between pages and discover you have strayed far from your original intention. Most browsers automatically keep track of the places you have been. There will be some kind of command that lets you look at this history list and return to one of your previous pages.

Bookmarks

- When you find a place you like, you might want to return there directly. Most browsers have bookmark capabilities. This means you can add a 'bookmark' to a page, and then when you want to return to the page, consult a 'check bookmarks' command to see a list of the pages you have bookmarked. This feature works well on your own computer, but it is often disabled on public computers.