Using the Mouse: Selection and Drag-and-Drop

 

I don't know about you, but I like to keep things organized. Luckily, computer files are organized into folders and files, so in folders that aren't specifically part of Windows structure, you can organize documents, pictures, music, video...anything, in files of your choosing. On this page, we will discuss selecting items, and moving them by drag and drop.

SELECTING

There are several ways that selecting items is used. You can select files and folders, with the intent that you are going to do something with them, or you can select text in a document, with the same intent. This does take some practice.

There are two ways of selecting files that you want to move. This depends on whether you have Windows set to double-click or single-click. How this option is set changes the way that files are selected. You can tell which option is set on your machine. If the icon text on your desktop is NOT underlined, you must SINGLE-click items to select them. If the icon text is underlined, you just mouse over the item to select them. DO NOT click them to select, or they will open.

Double-click to open, Single-click to select (NOT underlined)	Single-click to open, mouse-over to select (IS underlined)

 

TO SELECT MULTIPLE FILES THAT ARE NOT TOGETHER:

Select the first file; it really doesn't matter which one is first. Again, if you normally double-click to open a file, you must single-click a file to select, and if you normally single-click to open, you only mouse over the file. It will highlight as a different color. It is then selected. After the first file is selected, press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard. While holding that key, select the other files you need to.

 

TO SELECT MULTIPLE FILES THAT ARE TOGETHER:

There are two ways to do this type of selection.

 

The first is to select the first item. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard, and select the last item. This will select all files in that range.

 

 

 

 

Another way to select these files together is to draw an outline (holding the left mouse button) and drag the mouse across the files that you want to select. They will become shaded. The files in the shaded area are selected.

 

SELECTING TEXT

Text in any document is selected using the same theory as that of selecting files described above. In your document, place the cursor near the text you want to select. You should see the select bar, which looks like an I-beam:

 

 

Drag the cursor across the text you want to select. It will highlight like the picture below:

You can then cut, copy paste, change fonts, whatever you want to do.

 

NOTE: In order to change fonts or font size in a document, the text MUST be selected before the change is made, otherwise the change will not take place.

 

DRAG AND DROP

Once a file or files are selected, you can move them to another location. There are several ways to do this. They can be Cut or Copied, then Pasted into the other location, or they can be physically moved, in a virtual sense. This moving of files is called Drag and Drop, which pretty much describes what is being done.

In Windows XP, the selected files can be moved by holding the left mouse button and dragging the files to the destination folder. You can even have two windows open and drag between windows.

NOTE: In Windows 98, dragging files using the left mouse button will result not in moving the file, but in creating a shortcut.

In all versions of Windows, files can be dragged by holding the right mouse button. Hold the button and drag the files. When the files are where you want them, you will get a dialog box giving you the options of Copying, Moving, or Creating a shortcut. Left-click your choice, and the action will take place.

 

LEARNING TIP:

A good way to get comfortable with using the mouse to drag items is to play Solitaire, which comes with all versions of Windows. The default location to start Solitaire is Start>Programs>Accessories>Games>Solitaire.In Vista, just start typing Soli... in the Search Bar under the Start Menu. Solitaire will show up in the list above.