MacOS [select] square brackets

On macOS, selecting content between square brackets with a double-click is not directly supported by default, as double-clicking typically selects a single word or a contiguous block of text separated by spaces or punctuation.

However, you can use a combination of mouse and keyboard shortcuts to achieve this:

1. Double-Click and Drag:

• Double-click at the start of the text you want to select, then drag the cursor to the end of the desired text. This allows you to select a block of text manually.

1. Triple-Click and Adjust:

• Triple-click anywhere within the paragraph to select the entire paragraph. Then, hold the Shift key and use the arrow keys to adjust the selection to just the content between the square brackets.

1. Using the Keyboard:

• Click at the start of the text you want to select, then hold Shift and use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the end of the text you want to select.

1. Using Automator or a Script:

• For a more advanced and automated solution, you can create a custom script or use an app like BetterTouchTool to create a macro for selecting text between specific characters. This requires some knowledge of scripting or automation on macOS.

Example Script Using AppleScript and Automator

You can create a service in Automator that uses AppleScript to select text between square brackets:

1. Open Automator and create a new “Service”.
2. Set the service to receive “no input” in “any application”.
3. Add a “Run AppleScript” action.
4. Use the following script:

tell application "System Events"
    keystroke "["
    key down shift
    keystroke (ASCII character 30) -- Left arrow key
    keystroke (ASCII character 30) -- Left arrow key
    key up shift
    key down shift
    keystroke (ASCII character 31) -- Right arrow key
    key up shift
end tell

5. Save the service and assign it a shortcut in the System Preferences under Keyboard > Shortcuts > Services.

Summary

OSx [Select]
On macOS, selecting content between square brackets with a double-click is not directly supported by default, as double-clicking typically selects a single word or a contiguous block of text separated by spaces or punctuation.

However, you can use a combination of mouse and keyboard shortcuts to achieve this:

1. Double-Click and Drag:

• Double-click at the start of the text you want to select, then drag the cursor to the end of the desired text. This allows you to select a block of text manually.

1. Triple-Click and Adjust:

• Triple-click anywhere within the paragraph to select the entire paragraph. Then, hold the Shift key and use the arrow keys to adjust the selection to just the content between the square brackets.

1. Using the Keyboard:

• Click at the start of the text you want to select, then hold Shift and use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the end of the text you want to select.

1. Using Automator or a Script:

• For a more advanced and automated solution, you can create a custom script or use an app like BetterTouchTool to create a macro for selecting text between specific characters. This requires some knowledge of scripting or automation on macOS.

Example Script Using AppleScript and Automator

You can create a service in Automator that uses AppleScript to select text between square brackets:

1. Open Automator and create a new “Service”.
2. Set the service to receive “no input” in “any application”.
3. Add a “Run AppleScript” action.
4. Use the following script:

tell application "System Events"
    keystroke "["
    key down shift
    keystroke (ASCII character 30) -- Left arrow key
    keystroke (ASCII character 30) -- Left arrow key
    key up shift
    key down shift
    keystroke (ASCII character 31) -- Right arrow key
    key up shift
end tell

5. Save the service and assign it a shortcut in the System Preferences under Keyboard > Shortcuts > Services.

Summary

• [ ] While macOS does not natively support selecting text between square brackets with a simple double-click, you can achieve this with a combination of manual selection techniques or by creating a custom automation script.