13.2. Cursors

Another important part of the user interface is the cursor (referred to in the CSS specification as the "pointing device"), which is controlled by a device such as a mouse, trackpad, graphic tablet, or even an optical-reading system. The cursor is useful for providing interaction feedback in most web browsers; an obvious example is that the cursor changes to a small hand with an extended index finger whenever it crosses over a hyperlink.

13.2.1. Changing the Cursor

CSS2 lets you change the cursor icon, which means that it's much easier to create web-based applications that function in a manner similar to desktop applications in the operating system. For example, a link to help files might cause the cursor to turn into a "help" icon such as a question mark, as shown in Figure 13-2.