Re: [usability] mouse-1 for performing actions?

[Simon Josefsson]

address@hidden (Kai writes:

> Karl Eichwalder <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> Richard Stallman <address@hidden> writes:
>>
>>> It would be interesting to try implementing this in Emacs; I don't
>>> think it should be terribly hard.
>>
>> Note, using mouse-2 for dragging is "wrong" -- maybe, Motif does it this
>> way, but the majority of all potential user are used to drag objects
>> with mouse-1.
>
> Programs which use mouse-1 for dragging the selected text:  How do
> they enable the user to make a new selection?  This is presumably also
> done with dragging mouse-1.

Yes.  If you drag mouse-1 inside the current selection you get
drag'n'drop, if you drag mouse-1 anywhere else it marks.

>> BTw, mouse-2 is basically a no-op on many a lot devices, esp. on such a
>> device like my notebook.  And there are mice with only 1 button!
>
> You mean it's hard to hit?  Maybe yes.

I agree.  I don't have mouse-2 on my laptop.  I can use all GNOME &
KDE applications just fine, but Emacs is almost unusable until I plug
in an external mouse.

The mark/drag behaviour above isn't the only problematic thing in
Emacs if you don't have mouse-2 -- GNOME and KDE have RMB (mouse-3)
menus in input fields which contain "Paste" and "Copy" which are very
useful if you don't have mouse-2.

I would offer to work on this if I had time, but making user
interfaces usable isn't my area of expertise so I'll probably just
waste my time.  Still, as a user I certainly have opinions on how the
application should work though. :-)