(axe.info)Selection

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Selecting text using the mouse
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Some features involve the notion of a *selection*. A selection is
identifiable as an area of highlighted text. You may already have
accidentally created one by moving the mouse with the left button
pressed down when attempting to adjust the insertion point. So, one way
to create a selection is to move the mouse until the pointer is where
you want the selection to start, then press and hold down the left
mouse button. Now move the mouse with the button still held down and
the text between the starting point and the current pointer position
will be highlighted, i.e. selected. Release the mouse button when you
are satisfied with the selection you have made.

If you didn't quite get it right, a selection can be adjusted at either
end.  Just move the pointer to the new end point and click (quickly
press and release) the right hand mouse button, or press it down and
sweep out the extension while continuing to hold the button down.
Another way to make a selection is to move the pointer to where you
want it to start and click the left hand mouse button, then move the
pointer to the required end point and adjust with the right hand
button. A selection can be cancelled by clicking the left hand mouse
button within the buffer, but remember that doing so will likely affect
the insertion point.

Once you have mastered using the mouse as just described you might like
to try performing multiple clicks to make some selections.  Rapidly
clicking mouse button 1 the following number of times will make a
selection as follows:

  2. selects the word under the pointer. Words are delimited by Spaces,
     Tabs and Carriage Returns.

  3. selects the line under the pointer.

  4. selects the paragraph under the pointer. A paragraph boundary is
     defined by two Carriage Returns with only Spaces or Tabs between
     them.

  5. selects the entire text.

The reason for making a selection is so that some operation can be
applied to it, e.g. deletion, or copying to another part of the file.
Copying can either be carried out by using the *Selection* entry from
the *Insert* menu or by clicking the middle mouse button. The selection
will be inserted at the current insertion point.  The insertion point
will be at one of the ends of the selection immediately after it has
been made, so will normally have to be moved.  Using the mouse to move
the insertion point will cause the selection to be unlighted, but it
will remain available for insertion until another one is made.

You should be aware that the selection mechanism is not peculiar to
this application - many other X applications support it - but there can
only be one selection across all applications at any one time.
Selecting *Selection* from the *Insert* menu [the notation
*Insert:Selection* for indicating a choice from a menu will be used in
future], however, will result in the selection, whichever application
owns it, being inserted at the current insertion point.  And a
selection made in this application can be transferred to some other by
using its insertion method - probably clicking the middle mouse button.