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Can't triple click in Windows
#47527 01/11/18 04:39 PM
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deniro Offline OP
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An odd problem. I've been scratching my head over this for a long time. I can't find a way to triple click in Windows.

In the Mac OS I use USB Overdrive to program my mouse to triple click to high a line of text. I use this often. But in Windows I can't find a way to do it. There's software to program the mouse, but none that I've found give me the option to triple click. Sounds amazing, but I've tried several, including the Logitech software and open source alternatives. What an odd difference this is in Windows. I don't know why this is such a big deal, but I can't figure it out.

Last edited by deniro; 01/11/18 04:39 PM.
Re: Can't triple click in Windows
deniro #47552 01/12/18 04:23 PM
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I've never heard of triple clicking to highlight an entire line before. Interesting idea, though I don't think I would find it very useful. Double clicking to highlight a word however is a feature I use a lot. Occasionally I wish it would do ALL characters, including symbols, and recognize only spaces and linefeeds as word breaks. I periodically find myself being forced to use shift and arrows or reach for the mouse if I have say a password I want to copy, where embedded symbols are common.

IE: pass-word



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Re: Can't triple click in Windows
deniro #47568 01/12/18 11:11 PM
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The triple click works in both MacOS and iOS and is a standard function. Not so in Windows. You might try posting on CNet or Microsoft forums for suggested Windows apps.


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Re: Can't triple click in Windows
joemikeb #47569 01/12/18 11:24 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
The triple click works in both MacOS and iOS and is a standard function.

Has it changed, though?

My recollection is that, as per deniro, it used to select only the single line that was clicked, but I'm finding that it now works for a single line only if it's "isolated", and selects the entire paragraph in which the clicked line is included otherwise.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Can't triple click in Windows
artie505 #47570 01/13/18 03:15 AM
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I don't think it has changed. Triple click is technically paragraph select and is from the previous carriage return (or start of file in the case of the first paragraph in a file) and the following carriage return, (unless it is the last paragraph of text in the file in which case the termination is end of file}. When looking at a display line, its length is a function of the Font, pitch, and window width so it is essentially arbitrary. The only way I know of to consistently copy a display line is with a screen shot. This works in many windows throughout MacOS/IOS their apps and most third party apps.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Can't triple click in Windows
joemikeb #47572 01/13/18 09:08 AM
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Yeah, I did read that many years ago and have since totally confused the functionality.

Any complete line I copy is an entire paragraph, so I've gotten to thinking that triple clicking works for a single line, and when I want to copy an entire paragraph I drag my cursor from start to finish. crazy

To copy a single line in the middle of a paragraph I'd move my cursor from its left end to its right end via command-shift-right arrow or drag, and then hit command-C. (A screen shot can't be pasted.)

Last edited by artie505; 01/13/18 11:32 AM. Reason: Rewrite

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Can't triple click in Windows
artie505 #47577 01/13/18 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Any complete line I copy is an entire paragraph, so I've gotten to thinking that triple clicking works for a single line, and when I want to copy an entire paragraph I drag my cursor from start to finish. crazy

[slightly off-topic] No click - Shift-click? [/slightly off-topic] tongue


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Re: Can't triple click in Windows
alternaut #47588 01/14/18 12:12 AM
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Originally Posted By: alternaut
Originally Posted By: artie505
Any complete line I copy is an entire paragraph, so I've gotten to thinking that triple clicking works for a single line, and when I want to copy an entire paragraph I drag my cursor from start to finish. crazy

[slightly off-topic] No click - Shift-click? [/slightly off-topic] tongue

You lost me with that one. confused


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Can't triple click in Windows
artie505 #47589 01/14/18 02:44 AM
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I was referring to an alternative way of selecting text, by clicking at the beginning and Shift-clicking at the end of the selection.


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Re: Can't triple click in Windows
alternaut #47590 01/14/18 02:47 AM
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Considering that I'm aware that the same procedure works vertically, that should have been intuitive, but I wasn't aware of it.

Thanks for the hint.

More: Command-shift-arrow for an entire/partial line extending to either end is more in keeping with my mouse-phobia, but your command will be great for copying an internal part of a line...no dragging required.

Last edited by artie505; 01/14/18 03:20 AM. Reason: Expand

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Can't triple click in Windows
artie505 #47604 01/16/18 03:07 AM
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deniro Offline OP
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With some of the editing I do, it's handy to program the left sidebutton of the mouse to triple click. In Tex-Edit Plus and Firefox this will highlight one line. Sometimes it will highlight a paragraph.

I can rest my right hand on the mouse, press the side button with my right thumb to highlight a line of text, then with my left hand type command-X to cut the line. Sometimes I have to paste a line of text to a different line on the screen. Works great. Almost like a video game.

I often have to clean up text and this is a great way to do it. I've tried to teach myself something about grep but have had no luck. It looks like very useful knowledge if you can understand it.

One equivalent of USB Overdrive on Windows is X Control, which is freeware. I figured out how to program a key combination to highlight one line in Windows, but it doesn't work as well. So the problem is more or less solved.

This is with a Logitech MX500. I had another one quit on me last week after about four months of use. Before that I had one that was dead on arrival and one that lasted about three days. Things are getting junkier and cheaper all the time. I used to use the scroll wheel button to double click. But the scroll wheel button on this mouse intentionally tilts, so trying to get a directly vertical click is nearly impossible. I almost returned it because of that, but I learned to use the tilt wheel for clicking and dragging, which I had never found useful before. But I still think I prefer the double click. Windows has a system setting where you can single click everything, but the Mac insists I double click.

I looked at different kinds of mice. Even bought a gaming mouse, but I'm going to return it. It's not nearly as flexible as the reviews suggested. It's not for everyday work, though it's more expensive than the one I own.

Re: Can't triple click in Windows
deniro #47605 01/16/18 07:56 AM
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joemike's explanation that a triple click goes from line break to line break because there's no indication at which point in a string of characters a screen line either begins or ends sounds perfectly logical and seems to make perfect technical sense as well, and in keeping with that, the only time triple clicking highlights only one line for me is when that line is an entire paragraph.

Any thoughts on how it can work otherwise?


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Can't triple click in Windows
artie505 #47633 01/19/18 06:52 PM
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deniro Offline OP
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The line break makes sense.


Moderated by  joemikeb, MacManiac 

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