Top

Which Mouse Click?

Posted on October 13, 2008

Image of a computer mouseThe mouse is a simple device, but there is a surprising amount of different ways to use it. Knowing how to use it for a particular task will make you more efficient at your job and can even help your computer to run more smoothly.

If you’ve ever wondered why there are 4 copies of Outlook open on your screen, please read on!

 

The Different Kinds of Mouse Clicks

Depending on the type of mouse you are using, there are about 5 different types of clicks.

  • Left-Click
  • Right-Click
  • Middle-Click (if you have a wheel mouse)
  • Double-Click
  • Click and Drag

I’m sure these sound obvious enough, but the important thing to know is what they do and when they should be used. Each type of click has their own special purpose!

Mouse Clicks Explained

Left-clicking is simply clicking the left mouse button one time. This is probably the most common type of click. You should left-click to highlight a folder or file, to navigate a program’s menu, to follow a link on a web page, or to click a button. Sure, a double click would work in most of these instances, but you would be wasting a click and running the risk of telling the computer to do something twice. A good example of this is the Quick Launch toolbar (located on the task bar next to your Start button). These icons only need a single left-click.[ad name=”250×250″]

Right-clicking is clicking the right mouse button one time. If you right-click on a file or folder, you are presented with a menu of common actions such as Open, Copy, Paste, and Properties. Viewing the properties of a file or folder is how you can learn about the size, location, and creation date (and more). In a web browser, you can right-click on links to save their “target” (what they link to) to your computer, view the location and file size of images, not to mention the ever-useful Copy and Paste.

Middle-clicking is clicking the mouse’s scroll wheel down. Lots of people don’t know you can do this! The best application of middle-clicking is doing so in a web browser (Firefox or Internet Explorer). If you middle-click in a web page, a circle with two arrows will show up. If you move your mouse up or down after middle-clicking, the page will scroll accordingly. The farther up or down you move your mouse the faster it will scroll! Once you’re done scrolling, middle-click again.

Some programs, such as Firefox, use the middle-click as a way to control tabs. Middle-clicking on a link will open the linked page in a separate tab. Middle-clicking a tab will close it.

Double-clicking is quickly clicking the left mouse button two times. Double-clicking is most often used to open a file, folder, or application. Double-clicking in an application has a variety of effects depending on which application is being used. Double clicking on text in most applications will highlight that word, for example.

Click and dragging is left clicking once but holding the button down while you move the mouse. This is useful for highlighting several objects (or words) at once. A related maneuver, called the Drag and Drop, is much like the click and drag. Once you have highlighted a file or group of words, you can then left-click and hold on the highlighted items, and then move your mouse (drag) to a different area on your screen. In Windows, the Drag and Drop is a quick way to move and organize files. In a word processor, you can easily reformat your document by rearranging entire paragraphs.


Keep Reading!

Comments

Got something to say?





Bottom