Area Click Technique

Reference

Description

The area click technique is a group selection technique in which a rectangular area of elements can be selected or deselected by indicating each corner of the area in discrete actions. The following describes the steps for mouse-based and keyboard-based techniques:

Mouse-based area click technique

1. Click the SELECT button at the initial corner of a rectangular area.

2. Move the mouse to the opposite corner of the area.

3. Click the ADJUST button at that opposite corner.

Mouse-based area click technique, forcing toggle mode

1. Click Ctrl SELECT at the initial corner of a rectangular area.

2. Move the mouse to the opposite corner of the area.

3. Click the ADJUST button at that opposite corner.

Keyboard-based area click technique

1. Press Select, Space (unless in text) or Ctrl Space with the cursor at the initial corner of a rectangular area.

2. Use keyboard navigation to move the cursor to the opposite corner of the area.

3. Press Shift Select, Shift Space (unless in text) or Ctrl Shift Space.

When to Use

Required

Support the area click technique only when a common selection in the scope consists of a set of spatially adjacent elements.

Required

Support the area click technique only when discontiguous selections are allowed.

Required

Support the keyboard-based area click technique in normal mode only when a text cursor is used for all navigation between the two corners of the area. The result of attempted use in other cases is undefined.

Guidelines

Required

Define the current selection region to consist of the specified area as follows:

1. Enlarged to include the element, if any, on which the technique was initiated

2. Enlarged, if indicated by the end-point inclusion policy, to include the element, if any, on which the technique finished

Required

After a mouse-based area click technique is used:

1. Identify the anchor point to be the point at which the SELECT button was clicked.

2. Identify the anchor element to be the element, if any, within the selection region nearest to the anchor point.

Required

After a mouse-based area click technique, place the active cursor as follows:

1. At the point at which the ADJUST button was clicked, if it can be placed there

2. If using an element cursor, on some element within the region

3. If there are no elements in the region, where the cursor previously was in the scope

Required

When using the area click technique in select mode:

1. Select all the elements in the selection region.

2. Deselect all other elements in the scope.

Required

If currently in select mode, clicking Ctrl SELECT instead of SELECT causes the area click technique to act as if toggle mode were in use.

Required

When using the area click technique in toggle mode:

1. Toggle all elements in the selection region, based on the toggling policy.

2. Do not change the selection state of the other elements in the scope.

Required

After a keyboard-based area click technique is used:

1. Identify the anchor point to be the point at which Select, Space (unless in text), or Ctrl Space was pressed.

2. Identify the anchor element to be the element, if any, within the selection region nearest to the anchor point.

Required

When using the keyboard-based area click technique in normal mode:

1. Select all the elements in the selection region.

2. Deselect all other elements in the scope.

Required

When using the keyboard-based area click technique in add mode:

1. Toggle all elements in the selection region, based on the toggling policy.

2. Do not change the selection state of the other elements in the scope.

Essential Related Topics

For more information, see the Adjustment Techniques, Selection Policies, and Selection Techniques reference pages.

Supplemental Related Topics

For more information, see the Area Adjust Click Technique, Area Click Technique, Area Swipe Technique, Range Adjust Swipe Technique, Selection Models, Selection Modes, and Touch Adjust Swipe Technique reference pages.