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The magic of right-clicking

People take in and process information in different ways. Some of us prefer words, others pictures. One person can learn out of a book, another needs to sit in a classroom with other students, enriched by the social interaction. We learn in diverse ways, and also have individual styles in the way we do things. Computer programs take these preferences into account, offering varied routes to the same goal, so the user can find a way of working that is personally comfortable and productive.

For instance, if you want to save a document in Word, you can do it by using a menu command (File > Save). Or you may click on the Save icon (a picture of a diskette) in the toolbar. There is also a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + S) that accomplishes the same thing. All of these methods are equally good – you have to choose the one you like best.

This column focuses on one of my favorite ways of doing common computer tasks that you may not yet have tried—but that can speed up your work and turn you from a beginner to a power user: Using the right-hand button of your mouse.

Why right-click?

The right-hand mouse button isn’t there just for its good looks. It has an important function.. And if you aren’t using it, you are probably going the long way around to complete simple, everyday tasks.

In many applications, when you right-click an item (a button, some text, even a blank space on the screen), a shortcut menu of options pops up. This menu is context-sensitive; what it displays will depend on where your mouse is pointed when you right-click. You will see different menus if you click an area on your desktop or a a web page in the internet.

Let’s see the right-click button in action:

Example #1: Finding and correcting spelling errors

1. In MS Word, write a sentence with some spelling errors. When you misspell a word, Microsoft Word underlines the word in red.

  1. If you right-click the red underlined word, a shortcut menu appears listing suggested spellings for the word. Run your mouse over the list and watch as different items are highlighted. 

  2. Left-click the correctly spelled word and the misspelled word will be replaced with the one you have chosen.

Example #2: Cutting and pasting with the right-click button

In the following paragraph, you want to switch the order of the sentences:

  1. Select the first sentence, right-click the selection with your mouse, and from the shortcut menu, left-click Cut.

  1. The selected sentence disappears.  Place your cursor where you want to insert the sentence, right-click your mouse, and from the shortcut menu, left-click Paste.

Sentence one is pasted into its new location, and the paragraph now makes sense.



Example #3: Finding files and folders in your computer

You have so many files and folders in your computer, and you don’t always remember where you store them.  Here’s how you find one:

    1. Right-click the Start button  at the bottom left of your screen, and a shortcut menu appears. Highlight and left-click Find (or Search in Windows XP).

  1. The Find or Search dialog box appears, and you can enter the name of files or folders that you wish to search for.
 
  1. When the results are displayed, left-click on a listed folder or file to open it.


Example #4: Alphabetizing the Program File list

When you install a new program, the name of the program is usually added to your Program List.   However, the Program List is not automatically alphabetized, and you may have difficulty locating the program.  Let’s use the right-click button to solve this problem.

  1. Click Start.
  2. Click Programs (or All Programs in Windows XP)
  3. Right-click anywhere in the Program List.
  4. In the menu which appears, left-click Sort by Name.

The Program list is now alphabetized, and it is easy to find the program you just installed.

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