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List:       kde-look
Subject:    Re: The KDE status gear
From:       CP <de_cp () linuxstart ! com>
Date:       2000-04-11 18:47:18
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Steven D'Aprano <dippy@mikka.net.au> wrote:

> Federico Cozzi wrote:
> > 
> > And, most importantly: why you double-click icons, but single-click menu
> > entry and buttons? I never understood the reason of the "double-click" on
> > icons - perhaps this is a Mac heritage, but Mac's mice have a single
> > button. PC's mice have two or more buttons, and the left one is for
> > ACTIONS.
> 
> Excuse me if I'm stating the obvious, but the difference between
> single and double clicking is fundamental, A single click *selects* an
> object. A double click is a *short cut* for whatever action you are
> most likely to do after selecting the object ie Open for icons that
> represent files.

Thats not true. There are _some_ "standards" declaring the functionality of
single/double clicks this way. Still there are other ways, and after all
the double click was just an idea of Apple, and there's no need to do everything the \
same way. E.g. browsing the web is much easier with single clicks, and also some \
filebrowsers (KDE) show that there are excellent possibilities of using the single \
click for _the_ standard shortcut.

> I admit the select/action (or noun/verb) paradigm can be >inconsistant,

It actually _is_ inconsistant, it doesn't even exist (it's only a paradigm in \
Windoze).

> mainly because most graphical widgets aren't selectable (you shouldn't
> have to select a scroll bar before you can scroll with it). But in,
> for instance, vector drawing apps, the ability to *select* an object
> by single clicking (so you can apply commands to it repeatedly) is
> vital. 

OK, in some cases (like in very complex apps (vector drawing, office) ) it is \
sensible to use the single click just for selecting. But in most cases, it shouldn't \
be so. I also don't think that this will confuse the users: regulary, they should \
expect, that the single click will start an action (like in KFM/Konquerors file \
views). In those programs where it only selects, they'll quickly find out that they \
need the double click as "nothing" happens otherwise...

Kind regards
Chris

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