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If I'm in Safari then after right clicking on any button (Ctrl+Click), the pop-up menu will show "open link in new window" on top, and "open in new tab" below that.

Is it possible to swap them, or completely remove the "open link in new window"?

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I think you mean Control-click, not Option-click. – NSGod Jan 12 '11 at 20:37
Of course. misprint out :) – scilix Jan 12 '11 at 21:07
(@scilix, next time please use the "edit" link. Thanks!) – Arjan Jan 13 '11 at 13:02
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3 Answers

up vote 2 down vote

Most of a Mac OS X application's user interface is created in Interface Builder. The resulting files can be edited. But context menus are created in code, which is compiled to an executable.

Your options are very limited:

  • Write an Input Manager that hijacks part of the Safari process (insane)
  • Change the actual Safari executable (even more insane)

You cannot use Safari extensions to do this, they only support adding context menu entries, not changing existing ones.

You cannot use Automator/Services, because text input doesn't work, and the service doesn't apply for links when it expects URL input (for whatever reason). GUI scripting fails even more spectacularly.

Maybe, depending on what your motivation is, note that pressing o will highlight the second option, while pressing Down arrow will select the first option, if you're using your keyboard to navigate the menu.

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it's a pity. Command+Click performs this action, but sometimes I have only one hand :) , and then... horizontal movement of the mouse easier to succeed than vertical. Thanks – scilix Jan 12 '11 at 21:37
Even when not created in code: messing with application contents will break the (optional) digital signature, which may cause issues with firewall settings, and when applicable might even break the new App Store? – Arjan Jan 13 '11 at 13:04
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up vote 0 down vote

Do you need to?

  • Command-click will open the link in a new tab.
  • Command-shift-click will open the link in a new tab and select it.
  • Command-option-click will will open the link in a new window, behind the current one.
  • Command-option-shift-click will open the link in a new window in front of the current one.
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The behavior can be configured in Safari preferences and be different than what you describe. Also, see his comment on my post. Holding food and browsing probably doesn't go well together. – Daniel Beck Jan 13 '11 at 10:12
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up vote 0 down vote

Buy a three-buttons mouse: middle click opens the link in a new tab.

I understand this is not exactly what you wanted, but it looks like it's as close as you can get, looking at the other answers.

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