| Harris Web Page Study Notes - Mouse What is a Mouse? How is it used? A mouse is a small pointing device (about the size and shape of a mouse) with a cord connected to the computer (the mouse's tail) that rolls around on a flat surface, usually a desk. A mouse user can use the mouse for at least SEVEN different tasks: 1. Point: As the mouse is moved around on the desk, an arrow appearing on the computer screen moves in the same direction. This movement is called pointing. 2. Click: Press and release the left mouse button. 3. Double Click: Quickly, press and release the left mouse button twice. Double clicking is a shortcut to many different options in all Windows applications. Try the following double click shortcuts:
Location | Double Click Shortcut... | Instead of having to...
Open File dialog box | double click file name | click file name, then click OK
Control Menu box | double click the box | click box, then click Close
Desktop Icons | double click the icon | click icon, then click Run
File Manager | double click file name | click File, then click Run
Word Processors | double click a word | highlight the word
Word Ruler Bar | double click tab markers | format, then click tabs, then set
Word Ruler Bar | double click margin marks | format, then click paragraph
NOTE: Double clicking will take a little practice. The amount of time between two clicks is small so that the computer will not confuse two single clicks as one double click. This time between clicks (Double Click Speed) can be adjusted in the Control Panel under Mouse. From the Start Menu, click Settings, then click Control Panel, then double click the Mouse icon. Adjust the double click speed and test it out with the Jack-In-The-Box. Improve your ability to Double Click by playing Solitaire, but be sure to double click your cards to the top row of Aces rather than dragging and dropping them. 4. Drag or (Drag and Drop): Point to something. Press and hold down the left mouse button while moving the mouse to a new location. Finally, release the left mouse button - called dropping the object. 5. Right Click: Press and release the right mouse button. Whenever you are to click on an object, you will always use the left mouse button. Right clicking used to be rare! Any instructions will have to tell you specifically to RIGHT CLICK if you are to use the right mouse button. Right clicking will access special features of certain programs - often a shortcut menu as an alternative to pulling down menu options. 6. Right Drag and Drop: Point to something. Press and hold down the right mouse button while moving the mouse to a new location. Finally, release the right mouse button - called dropping the object. Right Dragging is safer than the standard Drag and Drop with the left mouse button since you'll be prompted with a shortcut menu before the object is moved, copied, or the short-cut is created. 7. Hover: New to Windows 98's Active Desktop, this mouse action will select an object when you point to an object for a second or two. You've probably seen this feature in programs when you hovered over a toolbar icon for a second or two, then a yellow flag popped up to tell you the name of the toolbar button. SPECIAL NOTE FOR LEFT HANDED USERS: Windows allows the user to swap the right and left mouse buttons so that each act like the other. From the Start Menu, click Settings, then click Control Panel, then double click the Mouse icon. Change your button configuration to right-handed. Once you click OK, you will have to use the RIGHT button as a LEFT mouse button until you return and change the button configuration back to right-handed, swapping the left and right mouse buttons back the way they were.