# Multiple Function Buttons

A multiple-function button is a button that has up to three distinct functions attached to it (it's therefore also called a "three-button button").

* The first, or primary, function is executed by **left**-clicking the button as normal
* The second function is executed by **right**-clicking the button
* The third function is executed by **middle**-clicking the button. If you don't have a middle mouse button, the **Simulate middle mouse click with control + left-click** option on the [**Toolbars / Options**](../../../preferences/preferences_categories/toolbars/toolbar_options) page in Preferences can help you make full use of this function.

To make a multiple-function button, you must start with a regular, single-function button. See the [Editing the Toolbar](multiple_function_buttons) page for information on how to create a new button if desired. In Customize mode, right-click the button and select the **Three Buttons** option from its context menu. This immediately turns the single button into a multiple-function button, and the button's original function becomes the new _primary_ function.

![](https://3597805814-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F3XSZSwWow0fDf6fQJobd%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-ab7a3168f16a3946c8f662c9db424795691614c0%2Fthree_button_1.png?alt=media)

In Customize mode, a multiple-function button behaves very much like a [drop-down menu](drop-down_buttons_and_menus) (other than that the number of functions in the menu is limited to three). The image above shows what you would see initially if you turn the **Dual Display** button on the standard toolbar into a multiple-function button. Effectively, the original button becomes a drop-down menu, and the original function is duplicated and becomes the first button in the new menu.

You can now add one or two additional buttons to the drop-down menu, using the techniques described on the [Editing the Toolbar](multiple_function_buttons) page.

![](https://3597805814-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F3XSZSwWow0fDf6fQJobd%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-425edfc6ba03bc4effbaa0e2e3d8367f3aa06c5e%2Fthree_button_2.png?alt=media)

Here we have dragged the \*\*Folder Tree \*\*button from the Customize dialog and dropped it in the menu - it has become the button's second function. Similarly, the **Metadata Pane** button has been added as the button's third function. The multiple-function button is now "full" - attempts to add additional functions to the menu will fail.

When you leave Customize mode, the toolbar button will appear the same as it did before - and indeed, left-clicking it will perform the same action as before (to turn [dual display](../../../basic_concepts/the_lister/dual_display) mode on or off). It's only when you hover the mouse over the button to reveal the tooltip that the difference becomes apparent.

![](https://3597805814-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F3XSZSwWow0fDf6fQJobd%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-8342c427084add2c8f172b62925b8609929195f1%2Fthree_button_3.png?alt=media)

The tooltip makes it obvious that this button has multiple functions attached to it. The button associated with each function is indicated by the **LMB** (left mouse button), **RMB** (right mouse button) and **MMB** (middle mouse button) prefixes. So in this example, a left-click on the button will turn dual display on or off, a right-click on the button will turn the folder tree on or off, and a middle-click on the button will turn the metadata pane on or off.
