# The Mouse Pointers used by Gnumeric

The shape of the mouse pointer (the pointer which is movable by the mouse) changes in different contexts. This indicates that different functionality is available and that mouse clicks will have different results. The different mouse pointers and the actions they indicate are discussed below.

An arrow pointing to the upper left. The left pointing arrow pointer:

  The left hand pointing arrow pointer is the standard pointer used for most of the interaction with &gnum;. This pointer is used to select menus and menu entries, toolbar buttons, columns or rows, the scrolling `thumbs' and various other elements.

A wide white cross with black shading. The cell selection pointer:

  This pointer appears over the cell grid area and can be used to select cells for editing.

A vertical bar limited at each end by short horizontal stubs. The text editing pointer:

  The text editing pointer is used to indicate the location in the text where new edits will appear. This cursor can be used to change the scale of the zoom, to change the name and size of the font currently used or to edit the cell contents in the cell entry area (the white area to the right of the equals (=) sign.

A thin cross pointer The crosshair pointer:

  The crosshair pointer can be used to change the cell selection area. The pointer appears when the mouse pointer is placed over the handle box, the black square at the lower right hand side of the selection. When the crosshair pointer appear, the selection can be altered by clicking the left-hand mouse button and dragging the handle to a new position. The cross hair pointer can also be used to insert a graphic object, by clicking with the left hand mouse button to place one corner and releasing the button to place another of the corners.

A double ended vertical arrow. A double ended horizontal arrow. The expansion pointers:

  These pointers can be used to change the height of rows or the width of columns. These pointers appear in certain dialog windows to resize the different parts of the dialog. The pointers are also used to resize graphical objects as is explained below.

A left pointing hand icon. The sheet selection and hyperlink pointer:

  This pointer appears above the sheet tabs and can be used, by left clicking, to change the currently selected sheet or, by right clicking, to obtain the sheet dialog box. This pointer also appears above cells which are hyperlinks. Left clicking on a hyperlink may change the view to a new location, or may open an external file.

An arrow pointing to the upper right. The right pointing arrow pointer:

  The right hand pointing arrow pointer is used to select graphical objects (such as drawing objects (e.g. arrows, ellipses) and graph objects (e.g. charts)).

A four way arrow. The movement pointer:

  The movement pointer can be used to move graphical objects around a worksheet without resizing the object.

A double ended vertical arrow. A double ended horizontal arrow. A diagonal double arrow with center box. The graphical object re-sizing pointers:

  These pointers allow the resizing of graphical objects. If the mouse pointer is placed over one of the handle boxes of the graphical object, the handle box will turn green and the pointer will change to one of these forms. When these pointers appear, click dragging with the left mouse button will resize the graphical object either scaling or stretching the object.

Several pointers used to resize dialogs and windows. The window resizing pointers:

  These pointers are used to change the size of &gnum; windows and dialogs.