Appendixes and References - Mouse Interface Summary
Mouse Interface Summary
The tables in this appendix summarize the basic mouse interface, including selection and direct manipulation, such as drag-and-drop operations.
If the user selects single-click activation, then use hover (pointer held for time-out) for click operations and click for double-click operations. Drag-and-drop operations remain unaffected.
| Interaction Guidelines for Common Unmodified Mouse Actions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Action | Target | Effect on current selection state | Effect on anchor point location | Resulting operation using primary mouse button | Resulting operation using secondary mouse button |
| Press | Object | Clears the active selection | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects the object | Selects the object |
| Selected object | None | None | None1 | None | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection | Resets the anchor point to location of the pressed button | Initiates a region (marquee) selection | Initiates a region (marquee) selection | |
| Click | Object | Clears the active selection | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects the object | Selects the object and displays its shortcut menu |
| Selected object | None2 | None2 | Selects the object1 | Selects the object1 and displays its shortcut menu | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection | None | None | Displays the shortcut menu for the white space3 | |
| Drag | Object | Clears the active selection | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects object and performs the default transfer operation4 at the location of the button release | Selects object and displays the non-default transfer shortcut menu4 at the location of the button release |
| Selected object | None | None | Performs the default transfer operation4 on the selection at the location of the button release | Displays the non-default transfer shortcut menu4 at the location of the button release | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection | None | Selects everthing logically included from anchor point to active end | Selects everthing logically included from anchor point to active end and displays shortcut menu for the selection | |
| Double-click | Object | Clears the active selection | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects the object and performs the default operation | Selects the object |
| Selected object | None | None | Performs the selection's default operation | Selects the object | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection | None | Performs the default operation for the white space3 | None | |
1 Alternatively, you can support subselection for this action, which means to distinguish an object in a selection for some purpose. For example, in a selection of objects, subselecting an object may define it as the reference point for alignment commands.
2 Alternatively, you can support clearing the active selection and resetting the anchor point to the object if this better fits the context of the user's task.
3 The white space (or background) is an access point for commands of the view, the container, or both. For example, white space can include commands related to selection (Select All), magnification (Zoom), type of view (Outline), arrangement (Arrange by Date), display of specific view elements (Show Grid), general operation of the view (Refresh), and containment commands that insert objects (Paste).
4 The default transfer operation is determined by the destination of the drag-and-drop operation. Similarly, the destination determines the transfer commands displayed in the resulting shortcut menu when the mouse button is released. If the object cannot be dragged, then you can optionally use this action to create a range selection.
| Interaction Guidelines for Using the SHIFT Key to Modify Mouse Actions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Action | Target | Effect on current selection state | Effect on anchor point location | Resulting operation using primary mouse button | Resulting operation using secondary mouse button |
| SHIFT+Press | Object | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object3 |
| Selected object | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object3 | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object logically included by the pressed button2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object logically included by the pressed button3 | |
| SHIFT+Click | Object | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 and displays the shortcut menu for the selection3 |
| Selected object | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 and displays the shortcut menu for the selection3 | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object logically included by the pressed button2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 logically included by the pressed button point and displays the shortcut menu for the selection3 | |
| SHIFT+Drag | Object | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 and displays the shortcut menu for the selection3 |
| Selected object | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 and displays the shortcut menu for the selection3 | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection1 | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object logically included by the pressed button2 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 logically included by the pressed button point and displays the shortcut menu for the selection3 | |
| SHIFT+Double-click | Object | Clears the active selection1 | Resets the anchor point to the object | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 and performs the default command on the selection3 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 |
| Selected object | None | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 and performs the default command on the selection3 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object2 | |
| White space (background) | Clears the active selection | None | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object logically included by the pressed button2 and performs the default command on the selection3 | Extends the selection state from the anchor point to the object logically included by the pressed button2 | |
1 Only the active selection is cleared. The active selection is the selection made from the current anchor point. Other selections made by disjoint selection techniques are not affected, unless the new selection includes those elements.
2 The resulting selection state is based on the selection state of the object at the anchor point. If that object is selected, all the objects in the range are selected. If the object is not selected, all the objects included in the range are not selected.
3 If by extending the selection, an object or a range of objects is removed from the selection, the operation applies only to the remaining selected objects.
| Interaction Guidelines for Using the CTRL Key to Modify Mouse Actions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User Action | Target | Effect on current selection state | Effect on anchor point location | Resulting operation using primary mouse button | Resulting operation using secondary mouse button |
| CTRL+Press | Object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects the object1 | Selects the object1 |
| Selected object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | None | None | |
| White space (background) | None | Resets the anchor point to location of the pressed button | Initiates a disjoint region selection | Initiates a disjoint region selection | |
| CTRL+Click | Object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects the object1 | Selects the object1 and displays the shortcut menu for the entire selection |
| Selected object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Cancels the object1 selection | Cancels the object1 selection and displays the shortcut menu for the remaining selection | |
| White space (background) | None | None | None | Displays the shortcut menu for the selection | |
| CTRL+Drag | Unselected Object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects object1 and copies the entire selection2 | Selects object1 and displays the transfer shortcut menu at the location of the button release |
| Selected object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Copies the entire selection to the location of the button release2 | Selects object1 and displays the transfer shortcut menu at the location of the button release | |
| White space (background) | None | None | Toggles the selection state of objects logically included by region selection3 | Toggles the selection state of objects logically included by region selection3 and displays the shortcut menu for the resulting selection4 | |
| CTRL+Double-Click | Object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Selects object1 and performs the default command on the entire selection | Selects object1 |
| Selected object | None | Resets the anchor point to the object | Cancels the object selection and performs the default command on the entire selection4 | Unselects the object | |
| White space (background) | None | None | Performs the default command on the selection5 | None | |
1 The CTRL key toggles the selection state of an object; this table entry shows the result.
2 If the user releases the CTRL key before releasing the mouse button, the operation reverts to the default transfer operation as determined by the destination. If the destination does not support a copy operation, it may reinterpret the operation. If the object cannot be dragged, you can optionally use this operation to create a disjoint range selection.
3 The range of objects is toggled to the same selection state, which is based on the first object included by the bounding region (marquee).
4 If the effect of toggling cancels the selection of the object, the operation applies to the remaining selected objects.
5 The white space (background) is an access point to the commands of the view, the container, or both.
Fundamentals of Designing User Interaction
Windows Interface Components
Design Specifications and Guidelines
Appendixes and References