Click
A term used to describe the action of pressing a mouse button (generally the left mouse button
if the mouse has a left and right mouse button) one or more times. Depending on
the computer you're using or the software program you are in will change the action performed when
clicking the mouse button.
Below are the general ways to click a computer mouse and the actions they perform. As mentioned above these actions may change depending on the program you're using.
- Single-click (pressing and releasing the mouse button) will perform an action if you clicked on a button, icon, or other object.
- Click and drag (pressing and holding the mouse button and moving the mouse while you continue to hold the mouse button) is often used to highlight or select text or more than one object.
- Double-click (pressing the button two times fast) is used to execute or open something with all Microsoft Windows programs as well as most other programs and operating systems.
- Right-click (pressing the alternate mouse button, often the right one) will perform a special action. For example, in Microsoft windows, right-clicking the mouse button will often bring up a menu with additional options for whatever was clicked.
- Middle-click (pressing the middle button on a three-button mouse or using the mouse wheel as a button) will perform any pre-programmed option setup through the mouse settings or a function setup through the program. For example, in most Internet browsers, using the mouse wheel as a button on a link will open that link in a new tab.
Below are some different examples of what happens in Microsoft Windows with mouse clicks.
- Single-click - Open a drop-down-menu, select an icon or other object, or perform an action such as clicking the ok button.
- Click-and-drag - Highlight multiple icons or other objects and highlight multiple characters or lines of text.
- Drag-select - Clicking and dragging the mouse and selecting text or other objects.
- Double-click - Execute or run a program or shortcut.
- Right-click - View the properties of the selected icon, text, or other object.
- Middle-click - Act as a third-button that can be programmed to perform a special task. For example, a browser that supports tabbed browsing can use the middle-button to open a link in a new tab.
Also see: Click fraud, Double-click, Drag, Drag-and-drop, Drag-select, Hover, Mouse, Mouse definitions, Right-click