To select text for copying, deleting, or replacing, press the left mouse button with the pointer at one end of the text you want to select, and drag it to the other end. The text will become highlighted. To select a whole word, double click (click twice quickly in succession). Double clicking and then dragging the mouse will select a number of words. Similarly, you can select a whole line or a number of lines by triple clicking or triple clicking and dragging. Clicking four times selects the entire contents of the window. After releasing the mouse button, you can still adjust a selection by holding down the shift key and dragging on either end of the selection. To delete the selected text, press delete or backspace. To replace it, begin typing.
You may drag selected text to a new location in the file, or to another window using the middle mouse button. Holding the control key while dragging the text will copy the selected text, leaving the original text in place. Clicking the middle mouse button will also copy selected text to the clicked position, even if the text is selected in another window or another program.
The easiest way to copy and move text around in your file, or between windows, is to use the clipboard, an imaginary area that temporarily stores text and data. The Cut command removes the selected text from your document and places it in the clipboard. Once text is in the clipboard, the Paste command will copy it to the insert position in your document. So, to move some text from one place to another, select it by dragging the mouse over it, choose Cut to remove it from your document, click the pointer to move the insert point where you want the text inserted, and then choose Paste to insert it. Copy copies text to the clipboard without deleting it from your document.
Text selected with the right mouse button is called a secondary selection; the type of selection described in previous paragraphs is called the primary selection. The secondary selection is highlighted by underlining. When you release the mouse button after making a secondary selection, NEdit immediately copies the selected text to the insert point (which can be in another window). Holding the control key while making the secondary selection will delete the text as well as copying it. Secondary selections are most useful for copying text at the point where you are currently typing, and for substituting text for the primary selection.
Select a topic for more information.
Return to the Software page.
Return to ACS home page.
Please send comments and suggestions to
consult@rpi.edu