4
Mouse Functions

This chapter describes the special functions assigned to the mouse and how to redefine them.

Introduction

You can assign up to six special functions to the left and right mouse buttons when used in conjunction with modifier keys. The following functions are defined by default:

Left Button Right Button

Normal: Select Edit Copy
Shift: Extend Selection Edit Paste
Control: Action Hotspot Unassigned
Control + Shift: Select Rectangle Unassigned
Alt: Move Cursor Send Keyword
Double Click: Select Word Unassigned

Redefining Mouse Functions

You can redefine the functions assigned to the mouse buttons using the Mouse Button Actions dialog box, which is displayed from the Settings menu.

This enables you to specify the functions of the left and right mouse buttons when clicked on their own or in conjunction with modifier keys. You can assign up to six functions to each button, either entering your own definition in the same format as described for keyboard macros and soft buttons, or selecting from a list of standard built-in functions. Clicking one of the arrow buttons will display a drop-down list box which lists all the standard functions that can be assigned:

Unassigned Send CR
Select Send Keyword
Extend Selection *Middle Button
Edit Copy Select Rectangle
Edit Paste Select Word
Show Hotspots Select and Copy
Action Hotspot Cursor Select
Move Cursor Rectangular Select and Copy

Note: The item marked with * does not perform any function.

The setting of the Highlight When Actioned option determines whether or not a visual indication is given that a function has been actioned when a hotspot is clicked.

Selecting & Copying Text

You can use the mouse buttons to copy and paste text. The region of the display that will be selected for copying depends on whether you use the Select, Select and Copy, Select Rectangle, Rectangular Select and Copy or Select Word function.

The Select function will select all text from the start position to the finish position, working left to right across the entire width of the display, whereas the Select Rectangle function will only select text contained within the rectangular area defined by the start position (top left corner) and the finish position (bottom right corner). The Select Word function will cause the word under the mouse cursor to be selected.

The Select and Copy function is the same as Select but will also copy the selected data to the Clipboard automatically. The Rectangular Select and Copy function is the same as Select Rectangle but will also copy the selected data to the Clipboard automatically.

Moving The Cursor In Block Mode

When the emulator is in any of the local block modes you can use the mouse instead of the cursor keys to position the text cursor using the Move Cursor function. To position the text cursor, move the mouse pointer to the position required, hold down the Alt key then click the left mouse button.

The Cursor Select function does the same as Move Cursor, but when running the IBM 3270 or IBM 5250 emulation it also performs a cursor select.

Send Keyword

The Send Keyword function enables you to click on any delimited word displayed on the screen and it will be sent to the host, as long as the word is not already defined as a hotspot. Keyword delimiters are space, NULL, / , : = ( ) [ and ].

Show & Action Hotspots

A hotspot facility is provided which enables you to invoke a function by clicking the mouse pointer on a keyword displayed on the screen. For example, an application may display information relating to keys you can press to perform a particular function. Instead of pressing the key on the keyboard, you could invoke the function by holding down the Alt key and clicking the mouse pointer on the displayed key name (assuming default mouse configuration).

Hotspots are supported in ALL terminal emulation modes. A set of default hotspot keywords is provided for each mode. These relate to key functions specific to the emulation. For example, in VT500 mode you can click on the word Help displayed on the screen and the emulator will execute the function associated with the Help key.

You can identify hotspots that are currently present in display memory by using the Show Hotspots function. All colour attributes will be temporarily removed from the display and the hotspots will be highlighted with a red background.

Notes