Canvas mouse gestures

The pipeline and workflow canvas react to where you click and with which button. This page is the reference for all of it. Two options in the configuration perspective (General tab, Canvas section) change the behaviour:

Use double click on canvas — off by default. When on, a double-click opens the properties of the item under the pointer. A single click then does the same as without the option, but only after the double-click interval has passed, so that a second click can take over.
Use right click for the context dialog — off by default. When on, a left click never opens the context dialog; a right click does. Everything else a left click does (open properties from a name, press a badge, select, drag) stays the same.

On macOS, Ctrl-click and a two-finger click both count as a right click. Where this page says Ctrl, use Cmd on macOS.

Clicks

Unless a cell says otherwise, the behaviour is the same on a pipeline and on a workflow. "Context dialog" means the dialog for the item in that row: the pipeline/workflow dialog, the transform/action dialog, the hop dialog or the note dialog.

Where you click	Left click	Double-click (Use double click on canvas: on)	Right click (default)	Right click (Use right click for the context dialog: on)
Empty canvas, nothing selected	Opens the pipeline/workflow context dialog. While the palette tree is shown the dialog lists only the pipeline/workflow actions, not the transforms/actions to create.	Opens the pipeline/workflow properties.	Nothing.	Opens the pipeline/workflow context dialog. The left click does nothing.
Empty canvas, something selected	Clears the selection ("Selection cleared"), no dialog.	Opens the pipeline/workflow properties.	Nothing.	Opens the pipeline/workflow context dialog. The left click clears the selection.
Transform / action icon	Selects it and opens its context dialog.	Opens its properties. With the middle or right button: a pipeline opens the description editor, a workflow opens the referenced pipeline/workflow.	Nothing.	Opens its context dialog. The left click only selects it.
Transform / action name	Opens its properties. Hovering the name highlights it (not in double-click mode).	Opens its properties.	Nothing.	Opens its context dialog, like on the icon.
Hop line	Opens the hop context dialog.	Pipeline: opens the hop dialog. Workflow: nothing.	Nothing.	Opens the hop context dialog. The left click does nothing.
Hop badge on a pipeline: copies, row distribution	Opens the hop context dialog.	Opens the hop dialog.	Nothing.	Opens the hop context dialog. The left click keeps working: badges are buttons.
Hop badge on a pipeline: info stream, target stream, error stream	Opens the properties of the transform the badge points to.	As left click.	Nothing.	Opens the hop context dialog. The left click keeps working.
Hop badge on a workflow: unconditional / true / false	Cycles the evaluation (only when the source action evaluates).	Cycles twice: each press counts.	Nothing.	Opens the hop context dialog. The left click keeps cycling.
Hop badge on a workflow: parallel	Opens the hop context dialog.	Nothing.	Nothing.	Opens the hop context dialog.
Badge on a transform: info (description), copies, error handling, data service, output data (after a run)	Opens the editor for that badge: description, number of copies, error handling, properties, or the rows.	As left click.	Nothing.	Opens the transform context dialog: a badge belongs to its transform. The left click keeps working.
Badge on a transform: partitioning	Opens the partitioning editor.	Opens the partitioning editor.	Nothing.	Opens the transform context dialog. The left click keeps working.
Badge on an action: info (description)	Opens the description editor.	As left click.	Nothing.	Opens the action context dialog. The left click keeps working.
Note	Selects it and opens the note context dialog.	Opens the note editor.	Nothing.	Opens the note context dialog. The left click only selects it.
Link in a Markdown note	Follows the link.	Opens the note editor.	Nothing.	Opens the note context dialog. The left click still follows the link.

Where you click

Left click

Double-click (Use double click on canvas: on)

Right click (default)

Right click (Use right click for the context dialog: on)

Empty canvas, nothing selected

Opens the pipeline/workflow context dialog. While the palette tree is shown the dialog lists only the pipeline/workflow actions, not the transforms/actions to create.

Opens the pipeline/workflow properties.

Nothing.

Opens the pipeline/workflow context dialog. The left click does nothing.

Empty canvas, something selected

Clears the selection ("Selection cleared"), no dialog.

Opens the pipeline/workflow properties.

Nothing.

Opens the pipeline/workflow context dialog. The left click clears the selection.

Transform / action icon

Selects it and opens its context dialog.

Opens its properties. With the middle or right button: a pipeline opens the description editor, a workflow opens the referenced pipeline/workflow.

Nothing.

Opens its context dialog. The left click only selects it.

Transform / action name

Opens its properties. Hovering the name highlights it (not in double-click mode).

Opens its properties.

Nothing.

Opens its context dialog, like on the icon.

Hop line

Opens the hop context dialog.

Pipeline: opens the hop dialog. Workflow: nothing.

Nothing.

Opens the hop context dialog. The left click does nothing.

Hop badge on a pipeline: copies, row distribution

Opens the hop context dialog.

Opens the hop dialog.

Nothing.

Opens the hop context dialog. The left click keeps working: badges are buttons.

Hop badge on a pipeline: info stream, target stream, error stream

Opens the properties of the transform the badge points to.

As left click.

Nothing.

Opens the hop context dialog. The left click keeps working.

Hop badge on a workflow: unconditional / true / false

Cycles the evaluation (only when the source action evaluates).

Cycles twice: each press counts.

Nothing.

Opens the hop context dialog. The left click keeps cycling.

Hop badge on a workflow: parallel

Opens the hop context dialog.

Nothing.

Opens the hop context dialog.

Badge on a transform: info (description), copies, error handling, data service, output data (after a run)

Opens the editor for that badge: description, number of copies, error handling, properties, or the rows.

As left click.

Nothing.

Opens the transform context dialog: a badge belongs to its transform. The left click keeps working.

Badge on a transform: partitioning

Opens the partitioning editor.

Nothing.

Opens the transform context dialog. The left click keeps working.

Badge on an action: info (description)

Opens the description editor.

As left click.

Nothing.

Opens the action context dialog. The left click keeps working.

Note

Selects it and opens the note context dialog.

Opens the note editor.

Nothing.

Opens the note context dialog. The left click only selects it.

Link in a Markdown note

Follows the link.

Opens the note editor.

Nothing.

Opens the note context dialog. The left click still follows the link.

A click that ends a gesture never opens a dialog: releasing the mouse after a drag, a lasso or a hop gesture ends that gesture and nothing more.

Modifiers, middle button and drag

These do not depend on the two options.

Where Shift-click Ctrl-click Shift+Ctrl-click Alt-click Middle button

Where	`Shift`-click	`Ctrl`-click	`Shift`+`Ctrl`-click	`Alt`-click	Middle button
Empty canvas	As a plain click.	Drag pans the canvas.	Drag pans the canvas.	As a plain click.	Drag pans the canvas.
Transform / action icon	Starts a new hop: click or drag onto the target to create it, onto empty canvas or `Esc` to cancel.	Adds to or removes from the selection.	Opens the referenced pipeline/workflow.	Pipeline: opens error handling (transforms that support it). Workflow: as a plain click.	Starts a new hop, as `Shift`-click.
Hop line	As a plain click.	Enables or disables the hop.	Deletes the hop.	As a plain click.	Enables or disables the hop.
Note	As a plain click.	Opens the note editor.	As a plain click.	As a plain click.	Nothing.
Link in a Markdown note	Follows the link.	Opens the note editor.	Follows the link.	Follows the link.	Drag pans the canvas.

Empty canvas

As a plain click.

Drag pans the canvas.

As a plain click.

Drag pans the canvas.

Transform / action icon

Starts a new hop: click or drag onto the target to create it, onto empty canvas or Esc to cancel.

Adds to or removes from the selection.

Opens the referenced pipeline/workflow.

Pipeline: opens error handling (transforms that support it). Workflow: as a plain click.

Starts a new hop, as Shift-click.

Hop line

As a plain click.

Enables or disables the hop.

Deletes the hop.

As a plain click.

Enables or disables the hop.

Note

As a plain click.

Opens the note editor.

As a plain click.

Nothing.

Link in a Markdown note

Follows the link.

Opens the note editor.

Follows the link.

Drag pans the canvas.

Left drag on a transform, action or note moves it, together with everything selected. Dropping a transform on a hop offers to split the hop. Left drag on empty canvas draws a selection lasso.
Note edges drag to resize the note.
Esc cancels a hop in progress. A right click on empty canvas cancels it too.
In Hop Web a drag starts as soon as you press the button; in Hop Gui the pointer has to move a few pixels first, so a small slip of the hand still counts as a click.