Selection (user interface): Difference between revisions

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Selections are enacted through combinations of key presses on a [[Computer keyboard|keyboard]], with a precision [[pointing device]] ([[Mouse (computing)|mouse]] or [[touchpad]] and [[Cursor (computers)|cursor]], [[Stylus (computing)|stylus]]), or by hand on a [[touchscreen]] device. The simultaneous selection of a group of items (either a subset of elements in a list, or discontinuous regions in a text) is called a ''multiple selection''.

[[Context menu]]s will usually include actions related to the objects included in the current selection -– the selection provides the "context" for the menu.

== Types ==

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=== Range selection ===

A variationselection method to facilitate the selection of alarge rangeamounts of text or items in a long list onsuch touchas screenfiles devicesand folders in [[file manager]]s is ''range selection'', sparing the user from clicking or tapping each item individually.

ItOn desktop file managers such as the [[Windows Explorer]] and [[Nemo (file manager)|Nemo file manager]], it can be used by clicking on the first item to be selected, then holding the <kbd>⇧</kbd> [[shift key]] while clicking on the last item to be selected. In mobile file managers, it is implemented since early versions of [[ES File Explorer#Popularization and functionality|ES File Explorer]], where only two listed items (file or directory) need to be highlighted and a button pressed to select all inbetweenitems in-between.

Ideally, the two list items are navigated to with a draggable [[scroll bar]]., since it can move through long lists faster.

=== Selection with dragging ===

The user taps or clicks on the first item, drags upward or downward, and waits for the list to scroll to the last desired item, at which the user releases the pointer or finger. The same applies to text.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nield |first1=David |title=The best ways to select text on your phone and computer |url=https://www.popsci.com/diy/how-to-select-all-text/ |website=Popular Science |access-date=30 September 2024 |date=14 October 2022}}</ref>

== Simultaneous editing ==

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The feature is known by different names in different applications:

* '''block selection''' -– [[LibreOffice Writer]],<ref>[http://help.libreoffice.org/Writer/Selection_Mode Writer/Selection Mode -– LibreOffice Help]</ref> [[Kate (text editor)|Kate]]<ref>[http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/applications/kate/kate-part-selection.html The Kate Handbook] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512220601/http://docs.kde.org/stable/en/applications/kate/kate-part-selection.html |date=2014-05-12 }}</ref>

* '''column selection''' -– EditPlus,<ref>[http://editplus.info/wiki/FAQ FAQ -– EditPlus Wiki]</ref> [[Vim (text editor)|vi]], [[Emacs]]

* '''non-linear text selection''' -– [[TextEdit]]<ref>[http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20050509093516708 10.4: Use non-linear text selection in TextEdit]</ref>

* '''rectangular selection''' -– [[jEdit]]<ref>[http://www.jedit.org/users-guide/selection.html Selecting Text -– jEdit]</ref>

* '''column block selection''' -– [[Microsoft Visual Studio]]<ref>[https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa265698%28v=vs.60%29.aspx Selecting Text -– MSDN]</ref>

* '''column mode editing''' -– [[Notepad++]]<ref name="npp" />

=== Free-form simultaneous editing ===