337:
Second, the user must wait for the software to detect the click as a press-and-hold, otherwise the system might interpret the button-depression as a single click. Furthermore, the remedies for these two drawbacks conflict with each other: the longer the lag time, the more the user must wait; and the shorter the lag time, the more likely it becomes that some user will accidentally press-and-hold when meaning to click. Studies have found all of the above workarounds less usable than additional mouse buttons for experienced users.
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diverse or malfunctioning hardware. Those favoring multiple-button mice argue that support for a single-button mouse often requires clumsy workarounds in interfaces where a given object may have more than one appropriate action. Several common workarounds exist, and some are specified by the Apple Human
Interface Guidelines.
328:
on a
Macintosh for contextual menus). This has the disadvantage that it requires that both the user's hands be engaged. It also requires that the user perform actions on completely separate devices in concert; that is, holding a key on the keyboard while pressing a button on the mouse. This can be a
457:
The
Macintosh user interface, by design, always has and still does make all functions available with a single-button mouse. Apple's Human Interface Guidelines still specify that other developers need to make all functions available with a single-button mouse as well. Various functions commonly done
309:
Those favoring single-button mice argue that a single button is simpler for novice users to understand, and for developers to support. In addition, as a lowest common denominator option, it offers both a path gradual advancement in user sophistication for unfamiliar applications, and a fallback for
525:
which almost always encourages a three-button mouse. X numbers the buttons by convention. This allows user instructions to apply to mice or pointing devices that do not use conventional button placement. For example, a left-handed user may reverse the buttons, usually with a software setting. With
336:
Another involves the press-and-hold technique. In a press-and-hold, the user presses and holds the single button. After a certain period, software perceives the button press not as a single click but as a separate action. This has two drawbacks: first, a slow user may press-and-hold inadvertently.
473:
While there has always been a
Macintosh aftermarket for mice and other pointing devices with two, three, or more buttons, and extensive configurable support (usually through keyboard emulation) to complement such devices in many major software packages on the platform, it wasn't until Mac OS X
591:
will bring up a context-sensitive menu appropriate for the position of the pointer, and this often provides the only means of activating this menu. This menu in most applications equates to the “Application Menu” found at the top of the screen in Mac OS, and underneath the window title under
269:
first mouse had a single button; Xerox PARC soon designed a three-button model, but reduced the count to two for Xerox products. Apple decided on one button for their GUI environments on commercial release in 1983, while most other PC environments standardized on two, and most professional
234:
If the second click is made after the time expires it is considered to be a new, single click. Most modern operating systems and mice drivers allow a user to change the speed of a double click, along with an easy way to test the setting. Some software recognises
305:
wrote in 1983. In the matter of the number of buttons, Engelbart favored the view “as many as possible.” The prototype that popularized the idea of three buttons as standard had that number only because “we could not find anywhere to fit any more switches.”
485:
While historically, most PC mice provided two buttons, only the primary button was standardized in use for MS-DOS and versions of
Windows through 3.1x; support and functionality for additional buttons was application specific. However, in 1992,
502:
choice,” and the innovation was widely hailed as intuitive and simple. Other applications quickly followed suit, and the “right-click for properties” gesture was cemented as standard
Windows UI behavior after it was implemented throughout
270:
workstation environments used three. Aside from such OEM bundled mice, usually having between one and three buttons, many aftermarket mice have always had five or more, with varying amounts of additional software included to support them.
437:
In Linux, pressing the left and right mouse buttons simultaneously simulates a middle click, and middle-clicking into a text area pastes the clipboard at the mouse cursor's location (not the blinking cursor's existing location).
387:
Scrollmice almost always mount their scroll wheels on an internal spring-loaded frame and switch, so that simply pushing down makes them work as an extra button, made easier to do without accidentally spinning it by wheel
230:
refers to clicking and releasing a button (often the primary one, usually the left button) twice. Software recognizes both clicks, and if the second occurs within a short time, the action is recognised as a double click.
372:
changes) can give a player an advantage. Because software can map mouse-buttons to virtually any function, keystroke, application or switch, extra buttons can make working with such a mouse more efficient and easier.
417:
by middle-clicking and moving the pointer in any direction. This can be done by holding and scrolling until released, or by short clicking and scrolling until clicking once more (any mouse button) or pressing the
214:
The reason for the clicking noise made is due to the specific switch technology used nearly universally in computer mice. The switch is a subminiature precision snap-action type; the first of such types were the
176:
currently sits. By default, the primary mouse button sits located on the left-hand side of the mouse, for the benefit of right-handed users; left-handed users can usually reverse this configuration via software.
352:
Aftermarket manufacturers have long built mice with five or more buttons. Depending on the user's preferences and software environment, the extra buttons may allow forward and backward web-navigation,
596:
serves for selecting multiple items in the “Filer” desktop, and for altering parameters of objects within applications – although its exact function usually depends on the programmer.
748:
1305:
1274:
356:
through a browser's history, or other functions, including mouse related functions like quick-changing the mouse's resolution/sensitivity. As with similar features in
494:(QPW), which used the right (or secondary) mouse button to bring up a context menu for the screen object clicked (an innovation previously used on the
185:
In contrast to its motion-tracking mechanism, the mouse's buttons have changed little over the years, varying mostly in shape, number, and placement.
281:
incidentally made 3-button pointing devices ubiquitous on OEM hardware. The one major holdout, Apple, finally went multi-button in 2005 with their
741:
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Some mice have scroll wheels that can be tilted sideways for sideways scrolling; others may contain a second scroll wheel for this purpose.
1279:
526:
non-conventional button placement, user directions that say “left mouse button” or “right mouse button” are confusing. The ground-breaking
1310:
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243:, such as progressively selecting a word, sentence, or paragraph in a word processor text page as more clicks are given in a sequence.
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168:
The three-button scrollmouse has become the most commonly available design. Users most commonly employ the second button to invoke a
105:
458:
with additional buttons on other platforms were, when implemented on the Mac by most developers, instead done in conjunction with
172:
in the computer's software user interface, which contains options specifically tailored to the interface element over which the
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43:
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present in most scrollmice. The wheel can both be rotated and clicked, thus most mice today effectively have three buttons.
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58:
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tells me there's great controversy in the artificial intelligence community over how many buttons a mouse should have",
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is accomplished by pressing on the real mouse button while the pointer is placed over the onscreen button's icon.
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207:) a button to trigger an action, usually in the context of a graphical user interface (GUI). “Clicking” an
1300:
360:, however, not all software supports these functions. The additional buttons become especially useful in
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Omnidirectional scrolling can be performed in various document viewers including web browsers and
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software, a mouse button's current state (“mouse up” and “mouse down”) is monitored, allowing for
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computers from the mid-1970s used three-button mice, and each button was assigned a color.
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This state of affairs continued until the late 1990s, when growing support for mice with a
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498:, but new to most users). Borland actively promoted the feature, advertising QPW as “The
470:-click,” a behavior later explicitly adopted by Apple in OS 8's Contextual Menu Manager.
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A workaround for users of two-button mice in environments designed for three buttons is
317:, to allow both the “select” and “open” operation to be performed with a single button.
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allow switching between open tabs by scrolling while the cursor points at the tab bar.
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functions in the same way as the “Primary” mouse button in other operating systems.
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can also run, have been developed with the use of two or three-button mice in mind.
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difficult task for a disabled user, although can be remedied by allowing keys to
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627:"Zenith Z-100, Epson QX-10, Software Licensing, and the Software Piracy Problem"
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557:, and can be less confusing than the right, middle and left designations.
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for the right (meta or tertiary). This naming convention lives on in some
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based computers necessarily use all three mouse buttons throughout their
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344:, to simulate a tertiary-click by pressing both buttons simultaneously.
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based GUI. RISC OS refers to the three buttons (from left to right) as
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364:, where quick and easy access to a wide variety of functions (such as
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Another workaround has the user hold down one or more keys on the
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The Many Things You Can Do with a Middle Click on Your Mouse
285:, though all Apple laptops would continue to use one-button
474:
shipped that support for multi-button mice was hardcoded.
313:
One workaround was the double click, first used on the
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970:
913:
842:
777:
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407:, and clicking on a tab itself usually closes it.
46:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
161:. Mouse buttons are most commonly implemented as
289:until their first buttonless trackpad in 2008.
203:is the action of pressing (i.e. 'clicking', an
1275:History of computing hardware (1960s–present)
742:
8:
324:before pressing the mouse button (typically
541:was used for the left (or primary) button,
277:after the 1996 introduction of Microsoft's
1162:
774:
749:
735:
727:
333:so that they do not need to be held down.
106:Learn how and when to remove this message
617:
633:. Vol. 8, no. 6. p. 411
1306:History of human–computer interaction
7:
1280:List of pioneers in computer science
153:which can be pressed (“clicked”) to
44:adding citations to reliable sources
118:Electric switch on a computer mouse
717:"The Linux GUI: Of mice and menus"
195:with electrocapacitative “buttons”
14:
157:or interact with an element of a
545:for the middle (secondary), and
20:
217:Honeywell MICRO SWITCH products
31:needs additional citations for
625:Pournelle, Jerry (June 1983).
163:miniature snap-action switches
1:
1270:History of computing hardware
686:– April 22, 2014 – LifeHacker
1138:Network interface controller
466:were most often invoked by “
935:Refreshable braille display
877:Refreshable braille display
149:is an electric switch on a
141:Five-button ergonomic mouse
1332:
1311:Video game control methods
657:"A Second Wind for Athena"
655:(November–December 1988).
380:
453:Software environment use
159:graphical user interface
1044:Central processing unit
492:Quattro Pro for Windows
441:Text editors including
553:environments, such as
510:Most machines running
196:
142:
134:
126:
191:
140:
132:
124:
653:Garfinkel, Simson L.
478:applications, which
40:improve this article
1316:American inventions
697:"Linuxmint/Xreader"
592:Microsoft Windows.
267:Douglas Engelbart's
254:operations such as
403:opens it in a new
348:Additional buttons
197:
193:Apple Mighty Mouse
165:(micro switches).
143:
135:
133:Three-button mouse
127:
1288:
1287:
1258:
1257:
1188:Analog audio jack
909:
908:
664:Technology Review
262:Number of buttons
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90:
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814:Optical trackpad
779:Pointing devices
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719:. 3 August 2004.
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519:operating system
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462:. For instance,
432:tablet computers
426:devices such as
399:, clicking on a
125:One-button mouse
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523:X Window System
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303:Jerry Pournelle
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228:Double clicking
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209:onscreen button
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381:Main article:
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342:mouse chording
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151:computer mouse
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55:"Mouse button"
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705:. 7 May 2022.
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460:modifier keys
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299:Marvin Minsky
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256:drag and drop
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57: –
56:
52:
51:Find sources:
45:
41:
35:
34:
29:This article
27:
23:
18:
17:
1126:Power MOSFET
1109:Power supply
1078:Data storage
1014:Flash memory
992:Optical disc
974:data storage
711:
700:
691:
679:
667:. Retrieved
663:
647:
635:. Retrieved
630:
620:
559:
509:
499:
484:
472:
456:
440:
436:
424:touch screen
412:
409:
397:web browsers
394:
386:
383:Scroll wheel
377:Scroll wheel
351:
339:
335:
319:
312:
308:
296:
283:Mighty Mouse
279:IntelliMouse
275:scroll wheel
272:
265:
245:
233:
226:
213:
205:onomatopoeia
200:
198:
184:
167:
147:mouse button
146:
144:
102:
96:January 2017
93:
83:
76:
69:
62:
50:
38:Please help
33:verification
30:
1225:Serial port
1216:(IEEE 1394)
1193:DisplayPort
1183:Thunderbolt
1056:Motherboard
1019:Memory card
987:Floppy disk
829:Touchscreen
468:Control Key
428:smartphones
415:PDF readers
297:"My friend
241:more clicks
201:mouse click
1295:Categories
972:Removable
957:Sound card
887:Sound chip
882:Sound card
872:Microphone
762:components
669:25 January
637:20 October
612:References
606:Mouse keys
528:Xerox Parc
505:Windows 95
496:Xerox Alto
248:abstracted
246:With less
66:newspapers
1235:PS/2 port
1230:Game port
1143:Fax modem
982:Disk pack
834:Trackball
797:Light pen
551:Smalltalk
516:Unix-like
490:released
401:hyperlink
358:keyboards
354:scrolling
287:trackpads
223:Operation
1214:FireWire
1207:Obsolete
1173:Ethernet
952:Speakers
850:Keyboard
824:Touchpad
759:computer
600:See also
521:run the
480:Mac OS X
322:keyboard
293:Computer
1263:Related
1166:Current
1007:Blu-ray
945:Plotter
940:Printer
923:Monitor
899:Softcam
807:Optical
565:RISC OS
488:Borland
420:Esc key
390:detents
326:control
174:pointer
80:scholar
1121:MOSFET
1061:Memory
928:Screen
894:Webcam
757:Basic
702:GitHub
594:Adjust
585:Select
581:Adjust
573:Select
555:Squeak
543:yellow
535:Dorado
366:macros
181:Design
155:select
82:
75:
68:
61:
53:
1240:eSATA
1158:Ports
843:Other
802:Mouse
660:(PDF)
561:Acorn
514:or a
500:right
331:stick
252:modal
237:three
87:JSTOR
73:books
1198:HDMI
1114:SMPS
1102:SSHD
1096:NVMe
1092:SATA
1071:BIOS
671:2016
639:2013
631:BYTE
589:Menu
579:and
577:Menu
569:WIMP
547:blue
533:and
531:Alto
512:Unix
445:and
443:Kate
430:and
368:and
315:Lisa
59:news
1250:VGA
1245:DVI
1178:USB
1131:VRM
1088:SSD
1083:HDD
1066:RAM
1002:DVD
865:GPU
563:'s
539:Red
447:Xed
405:tab
395:In
370:DPI
239:or
42:by
1297::
1094:/
997:CD
699:.
662:.
629:.
583:.
575:,
507:.
434:.
258:.
219:.
199:A
145:A
1098:)
1090:(
750:e
743:t
736:v
673:.
641:.
109:)
103:(
98:)
94:(
84:·
77:·
70:·
63:·
36:.
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