Re: [Usability] triple mouse click behavior

[Nadyne Mielke <nmielke acm org>]

At 10:24 PM 2/18/2004, John F Dixon Iv wrote:
> Please correct me if i am wrong, but in most/all applications triple 
> clicking on text selects the entire line, correct? (I haven't really 
> examined this issue deeply) I don't know for whom or why this is useful. 
> If someone could provide an example, i would love to hear it, i am 
> genuinely interested. Personally, i rarely, if ever use it. On the other 
> hand, when using word processors for example, i frequently cut and paste 
> individual sentences to move them around inside my documents. What would 
> be the pros and cons of making triple mouse clicks select an entire 
> sentence for some applications such as word processors? Personally, i 
> think this would be a great improvement. Selecting a sentence is 
> relatively hard because it requires such fine motor coordination 
> especially if you want to select the punctuation and white space exactly.

Pro: It's easier for you.

Con: It's more difficult for everyone else who's learned that you 
double-click to select a word and triple-click to select the whole 
line/paragraph/whatever.  You're suggesting breaking a fairly well-known 
mental model.  Further, you're suggesting breaking it in such a way that 
probably won't make your usage any easier, since you talk about exactly 
selecting punctuation and white space.  Should triple-clicking get the 
sentence up to but not including the period, up to and including the 
period, or everything before the next sentence (so it grabes your one or 
two spaces after the period)?  O

Personally, if I need to select more than a whole word but less than a 
paragraph, I shift-arrow to get what I need.  That way, I have complete 
control over what I get, including punctuation and white space.

/nm