Do like the IT pros by adopting this very simple gesture in your applications: you will instantly find all the functions adapted to the situation without having to search for them. Guaranteed time saving every day!
You will have noticed: all computer mice – like touchpads or laptop touchpads – have two buttons, a left and a right. The role of the left button is simple and intuitive: you click on it with your index finger to select or move an element displayed on the screen – a file, a sentence, an image, etc. – or to trigger an action – press a button, choose an option from a menu, draw a line or pattern, etc. By combining this simple click with a key on the keyboard – Shift, Control or Command – you can perform more complex operations, such as multiple selection. And by double-clicking, you open an application or a document. Gestures accessible to everyone, even children and beginners, which we adopt very quickly.
But the right button, naturally placed under the middle finger, is just as useful. And even much more practical for carrying out certain manipulations. Clicking on it brings up what is called a “context menu”. In short, a list of options and actions that depend on the selected element. And which therefore varies depending on the case. For example, by right-clicking on a file or folder displayed in a Windows or macOS window, this menu generally allows you to open, copy, rename, compress or even delete said file among other options.
In a word processor like Word, right-clicking on a word or part of a sentence opens a menu offering many options (copy, paste, format, etc.).
Similarly, right-clicking an image posted to a web page copies it to the clipboard or saves it locally on the computer. And in a browser like Google Chrome, right-clicking in an empty area of the displayed page immediately translates its content into French! And it’s the same across apps and operating systems: you can use right-click to pull down a context menu in Windows and macOS to any item, even the desktop background, the desktop icon, software or the taskbar, to find suitable functions.
You will have understood: whatever the application used and the item selected, right-clicking gives you access to all the associated and useful options. No more need to rummage through the menus looking for a function: the most common actions are there, directly at your fingertips, within reach of a simple right click! It is therefore not surprising that IT professionals constantly exploit this gesture which saves precious time on a daily basis. And which becomes very much a reflex, once you have tasted it. It’s even an excellent way to discover the functions of software when you’re just starting out. Especially since this gesture is risk-free: simply left-click outside the context menu to exit it, without triggering any action. In short, trying the right click means adopting it!
That’s all very well, but how do you do it on a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet, which by nature lacks a mouse and therefore a button? Well there is a similar technique, which achieves practically the same result. All you need to do is press and hold for one or two seconds on an element to once again bring up a context menu which presents the current actions available! Actions, which again vary depending on the selected item.
For the record, let us point out that computer mice have not always had two buttons: the very first Mac – the famous Macintosh released in 1984 – had only one, Apple believing at the time that one second button would be too complicated to use. But since these prehistoric times, and with the democratization of personal computers – IBM PCs, Atari ST, and other Amiga – all manufacturers have adopted the two buttons. And that’s good !