A mouse or any similar point placement tool is absolutely necessary to fully utilize Xclamation. The norm on X terminals and Unix workstations is a mouse with three buttons. However, some Unix systems or X servers running on PC compatibles more frequently use a mouse with two buttons. Macintosh, for the most part, uses a mouse with only one button.

Xclamation uses the three buttons to manipulate different functions; however, the middle and right buttons are only used to shortcut other manipulations. These buttons are therefore not indispensable; full utilization of the application can be achieved with a single mouse button.

Using the three buttons in Xclamation:

1. The left button is used to execute all point placement operations, selection from lists, selection of a button or an icon, and drag and drop functions. It is possible to fully utilize Xclamation using only this button. The only two keys which might be used in conjunction with the left mouse button are:
    
   • the Shift key at the time of frame creation and manipulation is used to create a square or circular frame, to select multiple frames, and to copy a frame.
      
   • The Ctrl key in certain dialog boxes listing elements. Using this key simultaneously with the left mouse button allows the user to select several elements from a list.
     

   A double click with the left mouse button is used in the following situations:

   • double-clicking on a frame opens the 'Frame Attributes' dialog box.
      
   • double-clicking on a filename in a file selector.
      
   • double-clicking in a text field selects an entire word. Triple clicking selects the entire line of text.
      
2. The right button is used in the following cases:
    
   • to return to frame selection mode. When Xclamation is in frame creation, rotation, scale, text sequencing mode or new zoom choice...
   • pour abandonner une opération en cours. Dans les modes d'action cités ci-dessus, il faut souvent désigner un emplacement source et un emplacement destination grâce au bouton gauche de la souris. Après avoir désigné l'emplacement source, il est possible de cliquer sur le bouton droit afin d'annuler l'opération.
   • to open contextual menu.
      
3. The center mouse button is rarely used. However, it may be useful in the following situations:
    
   • to shift from frame selection handle mode to peaked mode and vice versa.
      
   • to reset the origin on rulers.
      
   • to perform a paste command in a text field in order to insert a piece of copied text from an xterm or any other X11 application using memory stamps. In the text editor the user chooses the memory stamp to be pasted by simultaneously pressing the shift key and the center mouse button.
      

To know what operation mode Xclamation is in the user must observe the shape of the mouse cursor. Each operation mode corresponds to a specific type of mouse cursor.