Access Contextual Menu Commands

Task #14

Difficulty Level 1

Because most Macintosh computers have a mouse with one button, some people mistakenly believe that the Mac OS does not have a right-click mechanism. If you are using a Macintosh with a one-button mouse or a trackpad, holding the Control key while clicking opens a menu with items that correspond to the context of the click. For example, if you Control+click a document, you will see a pop-up menu that pertains to documents. Likewise, Control+clicking a folder opens a menu for folders.

Apply It

Typically, you will Control+click files and folders to perform some operation with a contextual menu, but you do not need to Control+click a file or folder to see a contextual menu. You can also Control+click the desktop or the dock itself to reveal a contextual menu that applies to the desktop.