cables - the basic rules

I'm knitting my third pair of Stulpen gloves, and I've figured out a few things about cables and working with cable charts.

For all the cables I've worked thus far, you always

1. Knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches.

2. Pass knit stitches over purl stitches.

Huh. So if I highlight all of the symbols that indicate a front cross, I can glance at the chart to see if I'm crossing in front or behind, and the cable tells me everything else. A doorway of comprehension has opened in my brain!