A flick (フリック) is a touch gesture in which a finger on the screen is quickly brushed across and lifted off.
Rather than sliding a finger a long way while keeping contact, it is a short, quick brush. It is used to move to the next page or photo, or to scroll a list rapidly. On smartphones, the text input method of brushing up, down, left, or right from a key to pick a character is also called flick input (フリック入力).
AnalogyIt is like flicking an eraser on a desk with your fingertip so that it slides away.
How to rememberThe English verb "flick" means to snap something away with a fingertip.
Exam points
Mix-upA swipe (スワイプ) slides a finger across the screen while keeping contact, and a flick (フリック) is a short, quick version of that motion that ends by lifting the finger. The difference lies in the speed and length of the finger's movement.
A pinch (ピンチ) is a touch gesture that enlarges or shrinks the display by changing the gap between two fingers on the screen.
Spreading the fingers apart to zoom in is called a pinch-out (ピンチアウト), and bringing them together as if pinching to zoom out is called a pinch-in (ピンチイン). Because it uses two fingers at once, it works on screens that support multi-touch (マルチタッチ), a method that lets you operate by touching with several fingers simultaneously.
AnalogyIt resembles stretching a rubber sheet with two fingers: the pattern looks larger, and when you bring the fingers together it looks smaller.
How to remember"Pinch" means to squeeze between the fingers. Pinch in and the view shrinks; open out and it grows.
Exam points
ExamMulti-touch (マルチタッチ) is an input method that reads several contact points at once, and a pinch (ピンチ) is possible only with it.
Mix-upA pinch-out (ピンチアウト) spreads the fingers to zoom in, and a pinch-in (ピンチイン) brings them together to zoom out. Closing the fingers corresponds to shrinking.
A long press (ロングプレス) is a touch gesture in which a finger is placed on one spot and held down for a while; it is also known as press and hold.
Gesture
Fingers
Finger movement
Main use
Flick
1 finger
Short, quick brush, then lift
Page turning, scrolling
Pinch
2 fingers
Widen or narrow the gap
Zoom in, zoom out
Long press
1 finger
Press and hold without moving
Show a context menu
A long press is often assigned to showing a context menu or to switching icons and similar items into a state where they can be moved. In some situations it plays a role close to a right-click on a computer mouse.
AnalogyIt is like a doorbell: a short push and holding the button down send different signals.
How to rememberThe name joins "long" and "press", built the same way as the Japanese word 長押し ("long push").
Exam points
Mix-upA tap (タップ), a brief single touch, and a long press (ロングプレス), a touch that is held down, are distinguished by how long the finger stays in contact.
A window (ウィンドウ) is a framed area on a GUI screen that displays the contents of an application or document.
A GUI (graphical user interface) is a style of screen where, instead of typing text commands, you operate with a mouse or finger while looking at pictures and frames. Several windows can be opened on one screen, side by side or overlapping, and each can be moved, resized, minimized, or closed.
AnalogyPicture spreading the papers for each task in separate trays on a desk; each tray corresponds to a window.
How to remember"Window" literally means an opening in a wall. Think of peering at the contents through a window opened on the screen.
An icon (アイコン) is an on-screen marker that represents a file, function, application, or the like with a small picture.
Even without reading any text, you can tell from the picture what it stands for, and clicking or tapping it opens or runs it. Being able to operate intuitively without relying on words helps make a GUI easy to use.
AnalogyIt can be compared to a road sign that conveys its meaning through a picture, even without words.
How to rememberThe word comes from the Greek "eikon", meaning "image".
Exam points
Mix-upA thumbnail (サムネイル) shows a shrunken view of the actual content of an image or document, while an icon (アイコン) is a picture that depicts the type or function of an item as a symbol.
Mix-upAn icon (アイコン) is a marker that points to an item, and a window (ウィンドウ) is the area where you open content and work on it. Opening an icon often displays its contents in a window.
A radio button (ラジオボタン) is a GUI selection control that lets the user pick only one of the given options.
Select option A
Select option B
A's mark clears automatically
A's mark disappears, and only B remains selected.
3 / 3
Selecting one option automatically clears the mark from whichever option was selected before. This makes it suited to input fields that narrow the answer to one of a fixed set of choices, such as specifying a delivery method.
AnalogyOn old radios, pushing in one station button made the previously pressed one pop back out, so only one was ever held down. The name comes from this mechanism.
How to rememberOn screen it is usually shown as a round mark (○).
Exam points
ExamA radio button (ラジオボタン) is the control suited to input fields where the user narrows the answer to one of a predetermined set of options.
A checkbox (チェックボックス) is a GUI selection control in which each item can be turned on or off independently, so any number of applicable items can be selected.
It appears as a square box, and selecting it puts a check mark inside. Because the items do not affect one another, you can select none or all of them. It is also used as a single item to confirm on or off, as when agreeing to terms of use.
AnalogyIt is like ticking off items one by one on a packing list as you get each one ready.
How to rememberThe look of putting a check into a square box gave it its name.
Exam points
Mix-upRadio buttons (ラジオボタン) and checkboxes (チェックボックス) are chosen by how many selections a field allows: radio buttons where exactly one choice is allowed, checkboxes where zero or any number can be chosen.
Radio button vs. Checkbox
Aspect
Radio button
Checkbox
Key differenceNumber of choices
Only one
Any number (zero allowed)
Relation to other items
Choosing one clears the others
Each item is independent
Typical look
Round mark (○)
Square box (□)
Key points
A flick is a brushing motion of one finger, while a pinch works by changing the gap between two fingers.
A long press is distinguished by how long the finger is held down and is often used to bring up supplementary functions.
In a GUI, you can operate while looking at framed and pictorial elements such as windows and icons.
With radio buttons, selecting one option automatically deselects the others.
Choosing a control that fits the nature of each input field reduces the effort and errors in what users enter.