Pointandclick

Point-and-click (also written as point and click) is a user interface paradigm that relies on a pointing device to indicate items on a screen and a primary action of clicking to activate or select them.

The concept emerged from early graphical user interfaces developed at Xerox PARC in the 1970s and was popularized by personal-computer environments in the 1980s, notably the Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. The term point and click describes the basic interaction pattern rather than a specific product.

In software design, users move a cursor to icons, menus, or controls and perform actions by clicking. Double-clicking typically opens files or applications, while right-clicks invoke context menus. Drag-and-drop allows moving or copying items by clicking and dragging.

In video games, point-and-click adventure games use a cursor-based interface to explore environments, collect items, solve puzzles, and interact with characters. These games emphasize narrative, exploration, and inventory-based puzzles, with examples including King's Quest, Monkey Island, and Grim Fandango.

Today, the paradigm persists on desktop platforms and has influenced touch-based interfaces, where tapping replaces clicks. Although the term remains associated with traditional PC GUIs, modern software often combines point-and-click with gestures and keyboard shortcuts.