Pathagoras has always provided easy access to its functions for the two basic kinds of computer users: those who prefer mice to perform computer tasks, and those who prefer to invoke as many commands as possible from the keyboard. That's why you can call just about any Pathagoras function using either the keyboard or the mouse.

   This feature, however, is for 'mouse fans.'  Mousers know that a good set of right-click commands will speed up computing faster than just about anything else. Pathagoras will surely please with this new feature.

   Pathagoras 2016 introduces robust, personalized, Right-Click functionality. It starts with our new Right-Click Assignments screen (discussed below). Via that screen, you can:

assign up to 30 right-click functions help you speed through document editing and other automation features.

assign up to 10 locations into which you can disassemble your documents. (After you have made your right-click assignments, you can simply highlight a snippet text and, with right-click speed and ease, create a new entry in one of your DropDown Lists or into your Super Folder or Super Glossary.)

easily designate a set of variables for right-click insertion. (When you are not sure of the precise spelling of your various variables, this can be a real time- and click-saver.)

make the contents of your Super Folder and of your Super Glossary available for instant insertion into any document. (Here we mean no navigation!)

avoid the need to first click the Pathagoras tab to access the functions you have assigned a right-click menu.

   When we initially designed right-click functionality, we pre-assigned all choices. But that turned out to be an instant non-started. So we started over. Rather than or restricting the menu to the ones we thought were 'most important'), we made it possible for you to design your own menus. A right-click menu that you can personalize is way better than a pre-set menu.

Getting Started. Designing your Right-Click Menu:

   Setting the buttons you want to appear in your right-click menu is done via the Right Click Assignments screen. To access it, click Pathagoras Features | Authoring/Editing tools. Look for the Right-click element.

 

Before you start, it may be a good idea for you to elevate the call for Right Click Assignments screen to the Quick Access Toolbar. You likely will be calling on the Right-Click Assignments screen quite a few times as you build and refine your Right Click menus. The button for the Assignments screen can be found at "Pathagoras Features | Authoring/Editing Tools" (look for the' Right Click Menu' element. Right click on it and click 'Add to Quick Access Toolbar.')

With that done, you can call the Assignments screen  from the QAT quickly and without any navigation.
 
 (You will likely need the Assignments screen frequently while you are assigning elements to the right-click menus, but once they are 'mature', you may never need this screen again. At that time you can remove the Assignments screen element from the QAT.)

 

Screen Tour:

Main, Editing and Misc.

Click to enlarge.

This is the screen you will see when the  'Main', 'Editing' or 'Misc.' sub-menu choice selected.

Context Menu 'Type':

  Microsoft provides dozens of right-click possibilities. (The actual number is 120 separate right-click menus.) Which one appears when you right-click the mouse depends upon the location and context of the cursor at that precise moment you click. (The contexts include clicks on plain text, numbered text, text boxes, images, numbered lists, spelling errors, etc. This is why Microsoft has also accurately dubbed the feature the 'context menu').

   It simply is not possible to add a Pathagoras right click tool to every possible right-click context menu. We initially provide connections to the most popular 3 (Text, Lists and Tables). Not to worry: we will be adding more as this feature matures and customers tell us what they need. All three are checked by default, but if you know a specific command is not needed in a specific context, you may uncheck it.

Sub-Menus

   You can assign up to 10 right-click commands to the 'Main' level ('Pathagoras') right click menu and into to each of the sub-menus titled 'Editing' and 'Misc.'  (The 'Variables', 'Super Folder', 'Super Glossary' and 'Disassembly' sub-menu options are discussed in the sections further down this page.)

Menu Positions:

 When you click one of the first 3 Sub-Menu type, a series of numbered boxes will appear at the right side of the screen. These boxes contain (or will contain) the Pathagoras command you wish to assign to your right-click menu. Currently you can assign up to 10 commands for each Sub-Menu type. (Note: 'Main' is actually not a 'sub'-menu. It's the top level in the right-click menu labeled 'Pathagoras'. All others, however, will fall under the Pathagoras menu as sub-menus.)

   The order of commands in the Menu Position display will be the order in which the commands will appear in your right-click menu. You can set any order you wish: alphabetical, frequency of anticipated use, etc. But you must set the order manually.

Command List:

   The left side of the screen displays the various Pathagoras commands that you can assign to a right-click menu or sub-menu.

The upper section contains a few of what we have dubbed 'Popular' commands. This listing is entirely arbitrary on our part. Let us know what else you think should be in this list.

The lower section are the other commands that can be inserted as right-click options. These are the same ones you can assign to an Alt-Q 'My Button'.

  To assign a command to a button, click on one of the Menu Position buttons (left side) and then select a command you want to be placed in that position. Then click the Transfer button. (No blank lines are allowed. So if you try to save a command to #9 in the above example, you will get a process error.)

   Nothing is written out at this point. You can change your mind, and reorder your commands to your heart's content.

Update:

   When you have finished with your selections and ordering, click the Update button. (Note:You must 'Update' each sub-menu page one at a time. ) Pathagoras will quickly create the right-click menu for the displayed level from the selections made.

Testing: To test things out, close the Right Click Assignments screen.  Then right-click on some text. The Pathagoras menu will appear at the top of the context menu. Select an item to experience the right-click action.

Clear & Clear All: If you see your lists duplicating on otherwise not making sense, Clear or Clear All and start over. You do not have to worry about losing any of your previous selections. All the commands you selected in the last session when you pressed Update was preserved. You will just have to re-click the Update button for each screen after you Clear All. Clearing and resetting take mere seconds. Do not hesitate to edit and refine your selections.

Variables:

   When you click "Variables", the screen will change to show a message that the press of the 'Update' button will insert your collection of variables as shown in the DropDown List bearing that name into the right-click sub-menu titled 'Variables.' From then on, when you click on a variable shown in the 'Variables' right-click menu, that variable will be inserted into your document. This is more than cool.

Click to enlarge.

This is the screen you will see when you select Variables from the Sub-menu listing at the top.

    Of course, you must have previously created a Variables Drop Down that contains the variables you want also to be right-click available. The steps on how to create this DropDown can be found at this link.

Super Folder and Super Glossary:

 Choose one of these options and the screen will change to show a message that the press of the 'Update' button will insert your collection of documents and terms into your right-click menu. Then, when you click on a button in your right-click menu, the term assigned to that button will be instantly inserted into your document. No more navigation to get to common terms, phrases and even whole documents!.

 Of course, you must have previously pointed Pathagoras to a Super Folder or Glossary. The steps on how to do so can be found at these links: Super Folder   Super Glossary

 

Disassembly:

    The right-click menu was originally conceived by us as a document assembly tool. Right click . . . insert text . . . right click . . . insert text. But users who frequently disassembled text using DropDown Lists and the Alt-G function proposed that the right-clicks be used to enhance those document dis-assembly function as well. So we obliged. Now it is even easier to create libraries and folders containing your building blocks of primary documents.

   When you click the 'Disassembly' option, the screen will change to display the various locations into which you likely would want to disassemble your documents. (We assume those locations to be your DropDown Lists and your Super Folder and Super Glossary. If we have guessed wrong, let us know.)

 

Click to enlarge.

This is the screen you will see when you select 'Disassembly' from the Sub-menu listing at the top.

   The Disassembly screen lets you assign up to 10 locations that (when you call on the right-click menu) you can quickly select for receiving highlighted text. The left side displays your (up to 10)  DropDown List folders as well as the Super Folder and Super Glossary you may have assigned. Just select and 'Transfer'. When done, click 'Update.'

   Once done, try it out. Highlight a snippet of text you want to disassemble from the main document. Right click and select the 'Disassembly' sub-menu. Then select the target. Pathagoras will ask for a name for the new document snippet. Provide the name and press OK. The highlighted term will be instantly saved as a new document in the desired location. (If you are saving to a DropDown List and it doesn't immediately appear, click the <Refresh> button in the List.


Your Help Requested: This feature was first released in early July 2015. Being a brand new feature, we are not quite sure the extent to which users will implement this tool, and how. We anticipate it will be used for common tasks, but could just as easily be used for 'remembering' rarely used features. We have included a list of many of Pathagoras features, but we know that not all are included. We are working on that. And we will need your help. Your comments, complaints and suggestions and wishes are most welcomed. Write to us about the design, the included features, the ones we forgot, etc., at info@pathagoras.com with any words you wish to share.