mouse trails
(operating system)A feature (usually of Graphical User Interfaces) which causes the mouse pointer to leave a
trail across the screen. This is done by keeping track of the
last eight or so (maybe configurable) pointer positions, and
only erasing the oldest. This means that at any time, there
may be up to eight pointers on the screen, but if the mouse is
still, they will all be in the same position, and so only one
will be visible. When the mouse moves, it appears to leave a
trail of pointers behind it, and this can dramatically
increase the visibility of the pointer when using LCD
screens. The older ones had such long persistence that a
single mouse pointer, when moving, tended to be completely
invisible, and on a cluttered screen, was very difficult to
find.
This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
mouse trails
The creation of repeating, trailing images of the pointer (cursor) when it moves across the screen in order to make it more visible on passive matrix screens. See submarining. |
| Mouse Trails |
|---|
| On a passive matrix screen, mouse trails are left when an object, such as this pointer, is moved quickly across the screen. |
Copyright © 1981-2025 by The Computer Language Company Inc. All Rights reserved. THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.