View source for How to use a web browser

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A [[web browser]] is a software application that finds and retrieves information resources on the [[web]], and displays the retrieved information on the user's computer screen.

The following discussion describes the use of [[Firefox]], because that is the browser that I prefer. Similar functions can be found in other browsers. See the [[#Summary of the browser interface|Summary of the Browser Interface]] at the bottom of this page.

==Opening the browser==
The browser is a software program installed on the user's computer. Different browsers can be installed on the same computer, and can even be opened at the same time (for instance opening both [[Firefox]] and [[Internet Explorer]] - in separate windows).

When the browser opens it takes instructions from the start-up options set by the user (in the Tools menu), which may be one of the following:
*load a [[start page]], which is the [[web page]] (or a local file) that the browser routinely starts with – this is often set to a [[search engine]] website such as [[Google]]
*open the last windows and tabs used in the previous session
*open a blank page

==Using the address bar==
The address bar (also called location bar or URL bar) is a long box of short height, usually located near the top of the web browser interface. The address bar shows the [[URL]] of the web page currently being displayed by the browser.

The address bar will also accept a typed URL that the user wishes to go to. Most address bars offer a list of suggestions while the address is being typed in, formed by [[autocomplete|autocompletion]] based on addresses stored in the browser history.

==Using windows and tabs==
[[To be written]]

==Browsing history and back arrow==
[[To be written]]

==Bookmarks (favorites)==
[[To be written]]

==Browser extensions (plugins and add-ons)==
[[To be written]]

==Summary of the browser interface==
The web browser provides a [[Graphical User Interface]] (GUI) for the user. The main elements of the Firefox GUI in a standard configuration are (from top to bottom):
*'''title bar''': the blue bar across the top of the screen, indicates the title of the web page currently being viewed
*'''menu bar''': contains drop-down menus (use the View menu to choose to hide the menu bar, in which case it is replaced by a single Firefox button in the upper left corner)
*'''address bar''': shows the URL of the current web page, with a separate search box to the right of it, offering a selection of [[search engine]]s (in the Chrome browser there is only one box which serves as both address bar and search box)
*'''other tool bars''' (optional): use the View menu to choose various other tool bars to show or hide
*'''tabs''': all of the open tabs are displayed in a horizontal row (you can use the View menu to move the tabs to above the address bar)
*'''side bar''' (optional): use the View menu to chosoe various side bars to display or hide
*'''main window''': shows the web page currently being viewed
*'''status bar''': appears at the very bottom of the screen to indicate status of page loading operations, and disappears when loading is complete

==See also==
*[[Web browser]]

[[Category:Web browsers]]
[[Category:How-to]]
[[Category:Draft]]