Double-click (computing)
A double-click is the act of pressing a computer mouse button twice quickly without moving the mouse. Double-clicking allows two different actions to be associated with the same mouse button. Often, single-clicking selects (or highlights) an object, while a double-click executes that object, but this is not universal.
| Contents |
On Icons
Screenshot-Gnome-mouse-properties.png
By default on most computer systems, for a person to execute a certain software function, he or she will have to click on the left button in quick succession. An example of this can be a person clicking on an icon.
On Text
In a web browser, if a person double-clicks on text then the clicked word is selected. In Unix operating systems, it will also copy that piece of text into a clipboard. A person can retrieve the information from the clipboard later by pressing the scroll button.
Adjusting speed
The maximum delay required for two consecutive clicks to be interpreted as a double-click is not standardized. This delay can usually be configured by the user. Adjusting double-click settings can be done by:
- Windows XP - Start > Control Panel > Mouse > Activities
- In the GNOME Desktop under Unix operating systems - GNOME Menu > Preferences > Mouse
- Mac_OS_X - Applications > System Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse > Mouse
Difficulties
New mouse users often have difficulty with double-clicking. They may have trouble clicking fast enough or keeping the mouse still while double-clicking.
Solutions to this may include:
- Cleaning the mouse.
- Using keyboard navigation instead of a mouse.
- Configuring the system to use single clicks for actions usually associated with double-clicks.
- To prevent the mouse from moving during a double-click, bracing the mouse by putting the thumb on the side of the mouse and the bottom of the hand on the bottom of the mouse.
Another complication lies in the fact that some systems associate one action with a single click, another with a double click, and yet another with a two consecutive single clicks. Even advanced users sometimes fail to differentiate between these properly. An example is the most common way of renaming a file in Microsoft Windows. A single click highlights the file's icon and another single click makes the name of the file editable. A user who tries to execute this action may inadvertently open the file (a double-click) by clicking too quickly, while a user who tries to open the file may find it being renamed by clicking too slowly. This may be avoided by Windows' users by using the menu to initiate renaming and opening rather than multiple clicks. On Fedora Linux, this problem is avoided entirely by simply not allowing file renaming by this method, while the Apple Macintosh uses a slightly different procedure that is arguably less problematic.
Patents
In 2004, Microsoft was granted a patent on using a double-click on "limited resource computing devices." As a result of this, some observers fear that any U.S. company which uses double-clicking may have to change their product to not use the technology, pay licensing fees to Microsoft, or give Microsoft access to intellectual property. [1].