Re: question about RMB

[Telsa Gwynne <hobbit aloss ukuu org uk>]

On Thu, Oct 19, 2000 at 08:02:19AM +0100 or thereabouts, Pat Costello wrote:
> Hi Dan (and everyone else), 
> 
> Sorry to be obtuse but I don't really understand Telsa's suggested 
> convention for the mouse buttons.

It was 2am and I was re-editing in a hurry :) I am off for a for days
so I wanted it to get out. 

My position is basically that we stick with button-1, button-2, and button-3.
And that's (in this oppressive right-hand-world), left, middle, right in
order. (Or right, middle, left, for me :)) Your index finger on button-1
(assuming you're not using your foot...) Sasha added an option of
using "context-click" as a short way to say "click on button 3", and
I said, "sure, provided the translators don't kill us". 

Arlo said "context click" for button-2, if I understood him. Now I'm
confused. To me, that's the middle button, and that's for moving. 
The terminology which my husband tells me he's used to is that
one click on button-1 is 'select'; a double-click on button-1 is
'default action'; and button-3 is 'menu' generally across OSes and
specifically 'context menu' in X and some others: the difference 
is that on things like the Amiga, it brought up a general menu 
across the top of the screen which could be used for any app and 
in X it brings up a menu that's specific to the application, hence
a context menu. So if we're going to use context-click, then I had
thought it would be for button-3. But since I much prefer one, two
and three in the first place, it's a bit immaterial. 

> I think that the suggestion for the middle button is 
> "Context click", but I'm not sure. Could someone give me three examples 
> of how the three separate mouse buttons would be used in this convention? 

The panel is the classic example. 

button-one (your left, I imagine) on an applet: does something.
button-two (middle one) click-down-and-drag: move it about.
button-three (right, allegedly): menu for that applet. 

Or in gnorpm you can click on an icon of a package to select it, 
and then click on the toolbar for gnorpm to say install, query or
whatever. Or you right-click (that would be this "context-click") on
it and you get a menu of things you can do to the package that was
under the pointer when you did the click. So there's no cut, paste, 
save, and other things you'd find on a generic menu or toolbar for 
all apps, because they're irrelevant for an rpm. But install, query, 
uninstall are relevant, so they appear on the context menu.

> And again, 
> sorry for continuing to be dense, but whatever we call the buttons, don't we 
> still have the same confusion when you reverse the handedness polarity? 

Not if you're thinking in terms of "this button has a number". "context
menu is found on button number 3". Etc. Honestly, the numbers are much
easier. You just move the numbers :) 

If I steal someone's computer, I know that it's likely to have a 
right-handed mouse. Button-1 to select, button-2 to move, etc. Say
I now remap the buttons. It's -still- button-1 to select, button-2 to
move, button-3 for a context menu. It's just that the buttons moved
position. 

> So, Sasha called for a vote on options one (RML) and two (123). I think Telsa 
> suggested a third option but like I said, I'm not fully sure what it entails. 

Oh! That 'select' and 'context' thing? I just thought I'd muddy the
waters by asking that. :) Context had been mentioned as a term for
this right-hand-click (button three!) thing. I've met this kind of 
thing before: it's very easy to mangle English like that. But if we 
use a very specific term in English, are the translators going to be 
able to find a specific word in their language which conveys the same 
thing? Can you even -do- things like taking the verb "to click (on)" 
and add a term like context and get "context-click" in all the languages 
we get translated into? Or is someone going to contact us and say we 
have just created the world's first untranslatable introduction? 

I have the feeling it may be a problem for translators if we start
introducing weirdo-verbs, especially if they look at the English and
think "and -what- is that?" :) 

Telsa

PS I am away for a few days and won't see email until I'm back.
Taxi at door! Bye!