MatchWare Mediator 9 Documentation

Important terms
Most of the terms used in Mediator belong to the familiar Windows® environment. Some terms however
represent important concepts in Mediator. They are defined below.
Data files
All the files that you attach to your project, such as pictures, videos and sounds, are referred to as data files.
Design mode
Mediator can operate in three modes, design mode, test mode and runtime mode:
• Design mode is the mode you spend most of the time in while creating your project.
• Test mode is the mode you use to test that it works properly before you export it. Testing your project allows
you to check how it will look and behave once exported, without having to go through the actual export
procedure.
• Runtime mode is the mode used when you or your end users view the exported version of your project.
Display profiler
Because it is not possible to define a single method for displaying data that is guaranteed to be the fastest
regardless of the computer used, Mediator profiles the computer the first time it is run, and selects the fastest
options for that particular system. This ensures that your projects will run with maximum speed on all
computers.
Document type
Mediator allows you to create projects of different types, namely Standard, HTML and Flash. Because some of
the features and effects available in Mediator are not supported on the Internet, Mediator automatically adapts its
user interface to the document type you choose. See "Mediator 9 feature list" for more information.
Exporting
Mediator lets you export your projects to create CD-ROM versions, HTML web sites, Flash files and so on.
You can distribute the exported version of your project to end users that do not have Mediator installed on their
computer. End users are able to run your exported projects, but not to edit them. See the section "Exporting:
Introduction" for more information.
End users
These are the users to whom you distribute the exported version of your project.
Mediator Viewer
The Mediator Viewer is the cut-down version of Mediator that allows your end users to view your project once
exported. It is automatically packaged with your project when you export it to any format other than HTML or
Flash®. When exporting to HTML or Flash, the Mediator Viewer is not needed as the project is viewed via the
Internet browser.
Objects
This is the word used to refer to all the items that you can place on your page, such as backgrounds, text,
pictures, videos and so on.
Presentation - Project - Document
All these terms are synonyms. They refer to the Mediator project that you create with Mediator and then export
for distribution to your end users. See "Exporting" above.
Runtime mode and Test mode
See "Design mode".
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