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From: Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: Re: + shaped mouse pointer in Safari's address field
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.apps
Date: 11 Jan 2015 05:44:57 GMT
Organization: People for the Ethical Treatment of Pirates
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On 2015-01-11, Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> wrote:
> I noticed this in Yosemite, but don't recall seeing it in previous
> versions.
>
> If you press the option key when the mouse pointer is in the address
> field (the one where you enter a URL or search item) in Safari, it
> changes to a + shape.  Anyone know why it does this?

What you are describing is what is often referred to as rectangular
selection mode. It allows you to select text by drawing a rectangle
around the text you wish to select. It's not very useful in single-line
text fields, but is enabled by default by Mac OS X so that users may use
it in multi-line text fields. You can get a better idea of how it works
in an application like TextEdit:

<http://jollyroger.kicks-ass.org/rectangular_selection.mov>

If you hold down the Command key instead, you can select multiple
disparate or disconnected sections of text as well.

-- 
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JR