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Go backPBNav 3.9 tutorialsMouse tutorial

Welcome to a brief lesson on using your mouse. Before we begin, remember – you can always use the keys on your keyboard to move around. To return to where you were originally, just press the Escape key. To move ahead, press the Enter key. If you need help at any time, just press the question mark key.

Now we’ll introduce you to a mouse and answer some basic questions: Why should I use a mouse? How do I use it? And how do I use the mouse when I’m working with text?

To find out about a specific topic, click on it now on the overview panel.

You can move to a specific topic by clicking on it.

To begin with, your mouse is a tool to let your computer know what you want it to do.

You use the mouse to point, click and drag. Try moving the mouse.

Rest your hand on the round part of the mouse and move it around on the mouse pad.

You can see how the arrow pointer on screen mirrors the mouse movement.

Now practice pointing. Try to move the mouse so the arrow moves over the blue gear.

You CLICK on an object by pressing and quickly releasing the left mouse button while the pointer is over that object.

The right mouse button is used for more advanced functions.

Practice clicking on the red gear.

When you click on an object, it highlights to show you that it’s selected and is ready for the next action you choose.

Click on the red gear again to de-highlight or de-select it.

Now use the mouse to click on the forward arrow to go to the next screen.

Let’s try DOUBLE-CLICKING the mouse by quickly pressing the left mouse button twice.

Try it on the GREEN gear.

The next thing you need to know is DRAGGING with the mouse.

You drag an object by pointing to it and holding down the left mouse button while you move the mouse.

Practice dragging the gears into place on the blueprint using the mouse.

When you’re working with text, you can use your mouse to tell the software where you want to work.

Move the pointer so it’s over the word BETTER in the text on the screen.

Notice how the pointer looks like the letter “I.” This shows you where you’ll begin typing.

You can use your mouse to select a word to remove it.

Move the cursor over the word ROAD and double-click the left mouse button.

Notice that the word is HIGHLIGHTED.

Now press DELETE or BACKSPACE to remove the word ROAD.

You can also HIGHLIGHT a whole line or paragraph. Start at the beginning of what you want to HIGHLIGHT.

Hold the left mouse button down while moving the mouse over the first line.

Then use your mouse to move the cursor down, one line at a time, to cover the area you want to HIGHLIGHT.

Try it on the sentence on-screen.

Normally – just like with words – if you press the ENTER or DELETE keys, you erase whatever is highlighted. But let’s keep going...

Let’s try changing the letters in a word using the mouse and keyboard.

Position the cursor before the O in PISTON and click the left mouse button.

Then press and release the BACKSPACE key three times to delete the letters T, S, and I.

Now type E, R, and S to spell PERSON.

Congratulations!!

Thanks for learning how to use the mouse to point, click, double-click and drag, and to edit text. These skills will come in handy whenever you use your computer. To go over any part of this tutorial and practice using your mouse, just click on a topic, or you can click on the control panel to return to the Gallery Wall.

Page added on 6th October 2005.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Marcin Wichary, unless stated otherwise.