Motif and Common Desktop Environment: Style Guide Reference Migration Version

Motif and CDE 2.1 Style Guide Reference

Mouse (Device)

Reference

Description

A mouse includes the following:

Pointing device

An input device, such as a mouse, trackball, or joystick, used to move a pointer on the screen. The operating environment may specify a mode of operation in which the directional keys act as a pointing device with other keys acting as pointer buttons.

Mouse

A commonly used pointing device that has one or more buttons that a user presses to interact with the operating environment.

This book uses a model mouse as the pointing device (see Appendix C for more information).

Guidelines

Required

Provide support for a mouse as a pointing device.

Required

Support the following virtual mouse buttons:

SELECT

The virtual pointer button used for selection, activation, toggling, and forms of direct manipulation not assigned to other virtual mouse buttons.

ADJUST

The virtual pointer button used for adjusting a selection.

TRANSFER

The virtual pointer button used for data transfer operations.

MENU

The virtual pointer button used to obtain pop-up menus.

Required

The period of time between button release and the subsequent press in a multi-click event is user adjustable, and the default is not less than 100 milliseconds.

Required

Do not assign double-click functions to choices on which the user will typically perform multiple single clicks, such as on push buttons.

Required

Support a 3-button mouse.

Required

Treat a 2-button mouse as a 3-button mouse if it has been configured so that the third button is available by chording the other two buttons (for example, with MB1+MB2 treated as MB3).

Required

On a 3-button mouse, bind MENU to MB3.

Required

Allow the user to choose whether the bindings on a 3-button mouse support one of the following:

SELECT and TRANSFER integrated on MB1 and TRANSFER bound to MB2 (recommended)

SELECT bound to MB1 and TRANSFER bound to MB2

SELECT and TRANSFER integrated on MB1 and ADJUST bound to MB2

SELECT and TRANSFER integrated on MB1 and nothing bound to MB2

Required

If you support binding TRANSFER to MB2 and also integrate TRANSFER with SELECT on MB1, then whenever MB1 is pressed and moved, interpret the action as a drag-and-drop operation. Ensure that when MB2 is pressed and the pointer is moved along the same path, it will have an identical effect.

Required

If you support binding ADJUST to MB2, design your application so that using ADJUST is identical to using Shift SELECT.

Optional

If nothing is bound to MB2, your application can use it for application-specific functionality; however, this functionality must be accessible in other ways if the user chooses a different binding for MB2.

Required

Support a 2-button mouse.

Required

Allow the user to choose whether the bindings on a 2-button mouse support one of the following:

SELECT and TRANSFER integrated on MB1 and MENU on MB2

SELECT and TRANSFER integrated on MB1, TRANSFER bound to MB2, and MENU bound to Alt MB1

SELECT bound to MB1, TRANSFER bound to MB2, and MENU bound to Alt MB1

Recommended

Support a 1-button mouse, with SELECT and TRANSFER integrated on MB1 and MENU bound to Alt MB1.

Essential Related Topics

For more information, see Appendix C and the Data Transfer and Pointer (Predefined) reference pages.

Supplemental Related Topics

For more information, see the Default Action and Pointer reference pages.