Editing Aqua (user interface) (section)

{{Short description|User interface of macOS}}
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{{Infobox software
| name                   = Aqua
| screenshot             = Macosxpb.png
| screenshot size        = 350px
| caption                = The first version of the Aqua interface, from [[Mac OS X Public Beta]] (Kodiak)
| developer              = [[Apple Inc.]]
| released               = {{Start date and age|2000|1|6}}
| programming language   = [[C++]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |title=The Programming Languages Beacon, v10.0 |first=Vincent |last=Lextrait |date=January 2010 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |archive-date=May 30, 2012 }}</ref>
| operating system       = [[macOS]]
| genre                  = [[Desktop environment]]
| license                = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[EULA]]
| website                = 
}}

'''Aqua''' is the [[graphical user interface]], [[design language]] and [[Theme (computing)|visual theme]] of [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s [[macOS]] and [[iOS]] [[operating system|operating systems]]. It was originally based on the theme of [[water]], with droplet-like components and a liberal use of reflection effects and [[translucency]]. Its goal is to "incorporate color, depth, translucence, and complex textures into a visually appealing interface" in macOS applications.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developer.apple.com/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/OSX_Technology_Overview/UserExperience/chapter_6_section_2.html|title=Developer documentation on Aqua|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007191229/https://developer.apple.com/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/OSX_Technology_Overview/UserExperience/chapter_6_section_2.html|archive-date=October 7, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> At its introduction, [[Steve Jobs]] noted that "... it's liquid, one of the design goals was when you saw it you wanted to lick it".<ref name="macworld2000">{{cite web|title=Macworld San Francisco 2000| date=August 20, 2006 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko4V3G4NqII |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/Ko4V3G4NqII| archive-date=2021-12-12|url-status=live|access-date=January 6, 2009|at=6 min 45 sec|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Aqua was first introduced at the 2000 [[Macworld Conference & Expo]] in [[San Francisco]]. Its first appearance in a commercial product was in the July 2000 release of [[iMovie]] 2, followed by [[Mac OS X 10.0]] the following year.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2000/jul/19imovie.html | title=Apple Introduces iMovie 2 | author=Apple PR | date=July 19, 2000 | work=Apple.com | access-date=January 5, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117080543/http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2000/jul/19imovie.html | archive-date=January 17, 2008 | url-status=dead }}</ref> Aqua is the successor to [[Appearance Manager|Platinum]], which was used in [[Mac OS 8]], [[Mac OS 9]], and developer releases of [[Rhapsody (operating system)|Rhapsody]] (including [[macOS Server|Mac OS X Server]] 1.2). The appearance of Aqua has changed frequently over the years, most recently and drastically with the release of [[macOS Big Sur]] in 2020 which Apple calls the "biggest design upgrade since the introduction of Mac OS X."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Apple introduces macOS Big Sur with a beautiful new design|url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/apple-introduces-macos-big-sur-with-a-beautiful-new-design/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Apple Newsroom|language=en-US}}</ref>

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