Apr 27 2009
Click Wisely
Brought to you by: James
If you’re in an environment that demands quick actions, nothing could improve your workflow more than simply clicking wisely.
If you have a one-button mouse, you probably won’t be using it to economize your workflow any time soon. That single button is referred to as “left click”, because it carries the functions of the left button on most two-button mice. Left click is used primarily for selection. Fortunately, few know that there are actually four different methods of selecting files via left click.
Click selects one file.
Click and Drag, when used away from a file, will create a rectangular “lasso” with which you can select multiple files.
Shift + Click selects all files between the first and last sift+click. This is useful for selection a large quantity of files that are already presented in an ordered fashion. For example, selecting the entire contents of folder filled with over a hundred objects.
Command + Click allows you to individually select multiple files. This is useful for selection a large quantity of files that are not presented in an ordered fashion. Every file that receives a command+click will be selected.
If you have a two-button mouse, then you’re in luck. Now you can truly experience an improved workflow by clicking wisely. The right mouse button, or “right click”, opens the horizon to more than you think. On most mice, right click will activate a contextual menu. This menu provides a set of actions that can be done on whatever object the mouse pointer is currently hovering over. Single button mouse users can emulate a right click by holding down the “control” button while clicking. Most mouse manufacturers also provide software that allows you to change the behavior of the right mouse button.
If you are fortunate enough to have mouse or trackball that has more than two buttons, then you’re on the home stretch to having an improved workflow. Many popular mouse manufacturers, such as Logitech and Kensington, provide mice and trackballs with far more than two buttons. These manufacturers also provide software that allows you to customize the function of each mouse button to your wildest imagination. One single click could launch an application, open a file, visit a website, or even activate a Photoshop action.
Now, buy a mouse or trackball with two or more buttons, and enjoy clicking wisely!
