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I always have a 'Using This Manual' preface that explains the basics
of dealing with the book. 'The basics' vary from company to company
and book to book.
For GUI books, I include a 'Windowing Basics' section,
which includes a 'Using the Mouse' subsection:
Use the *left* mouse button unless directed otherwise.
Note: some computers use a mouse that adapts to left-handed
and right-handed users. For right-handers, the leftmost
button is the most usual button used (it may be called the
Select button). For left-handers, the rightmost button
is used.
Each term is illustrated. This section gives me a set of simple verbs
that help keep later instructions short and focused on the task rather
than on mouse clicks.
In my opinion, this problem benefits more from an analysis that
generalizes for most users rather than one that attempts to introduce
a doggedly precise naming convention. Directionality (left-right) is a
stronger cue than numbering or naming, and most users are
right-handed. Basing instructional terminology on the most common and
obvious case makes sense. Including a terminology section acommodates
minority users fairly. When you can't be precise, strategizing
to minimize the likely number of mistakes or frustrations is a
good approach.
If mouse buttons were always labeled, I would use those labels. If the
population were more evenly divided (50-50 righty/lefty), I would make
the presentation convention appear to be chosen arbitrarily, rather
than perumptorily basing it on a right-hander. If there were a
varying number of mouse buttons, I would work with developers to
create a convention and present it:
For two-button mouses, use Ctrl-right-click instead of middle-click.
For one-button mouses, use ...
(The actual choice of buttons to remap would depend on platform
constraints and frequency of use--remap the least-used key(s),
and avoid fooling with the commonly used keys.)
My books are intended for an audience that probably already knows how
to use a mouse. If I were writing for real neophytes, I would
promote this section to a chapter. Apple does a nice job with their
explanations in the Macintosh manuals.
Regards,
John
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John Gough Atrium Technologies Austin TX john -at- atrium -dot- com
