I’m hoping somebody that either knows of a trick or I’m missing something obvious. I’m getting really frustrated that I can’t seem to click where two clips are separated without merging the two together. I can see where that function might be convenient, but that I don’t have the option of clicking on the split line just to put the cursor there just makes it a pain in the neck to put my cursor in those spots. I have to click away from the line then arrow over to it. I can do without the automatic merging in exchange for being able to easily select the split line location. It seems like it would be easier if I could just click once to put the cursor there and click twice or shift click or something similar to do the merge. Am I missing something simple here or is it hardwired to only merge the two clips when I click the line between them?
It is “hard wired” that clicking on a split line joins the clips either side of the split, but do not despair…
You are the first person that I recall complaining about this behaviour, and as a frequent user of “splits” myself it is not something that I’ve ever had a problem with, which suggests to me that (as you suggested) you may be “missing something” in the way that you are doing whatever it is that you are doing.
Could you give step-by-step instructions to illustrate “when” this is a problem. What exactly are you doing that requires clicking on a split line?
It’s not that I need to click on the split line, but that I need the cursor to be in the spot where the split is so that I can paste something there. I’m piecing together parts to create a song, and sometimes I like to experiment with different arrangements. If I want to paste in between two clips, which I do often, with another clip, unless there’s empty space between them, which isn’t always the case, I just want to select that very spot where the two clips meet. I do this often, especially when combining multiple parts and experimenting with different arrangement changes and lengths. Perhaps I’m doing it in a weird way. Merging doesn’t seem useful enough to be a default there, especially when I’m piecing something together and experimenting with possibilities. For instance, if I realize, after creating a melody or series of beats by piecing together parts, I need another measure of one part of one track to get the arrangement to match another track, I’d rather have the option of clicking right where the one clip ends and the other begins, rather than merging them and hoping I don’t miss the spot a bit when I click to paste in the new clip. By pasting between the two clips, I still have the option of moving them since they’re all still separate pieces in the track, but if I merge then paste in, it’s all one piece, and I’ll have to split it and hope I’m splitting at the best moment, then split again if I want to have all three as separate pieces still. My question is why can’t I click on that place like any other to place a cursor there without automatically making a change to the track. I don’t know if I’m explaining it clearly enough, and I’m still learning the ins and outs of the software, but if there is no other option than merging when you straight click on a split, I don’t think I’ve missed anything. It’s a small inconvenience, but it gets annoying when I spend hours playing with small bits and pieces and have to repeatedly magnify, then click, then arrow over rather than simply putting the cursor at the break with one simple click. I suppose I could select the clip and push the arrow to get the edge of it, but that’s still extra steps. I’d just like the functionality of doing it with one click as you can normally do with a cursor.
What do you think? Is the explanation more clear now? Maybe I’m just doing everything backward or using the software in ways that others don’t. I learned Audacity by playing around with it, and so my skills are experimental and limited.
What I normally do is the use the Time Shift tool (F5 key) to slide the other clips along and make space for the new clip.
Multiple clips can be dragged together by making a selection across the clips that you want to move (this also works if you have multiple audio tracks).
If you are not working with multiple tracks, an alternative method is to add a custom shortcut for “Move cursor to selection start” (I use Ctrl+Shift+[)
Then you can simply double click inside the audio clip (selects the audio clip) then use your shortcut key to move the cursor to the start of that clip.
The advantage of this method is that it will always be sample exact.
You could alway click on the split line (yes this will remove it) bt then click Ctrl+B to place a temporary label at that point.
WC
One click on a split line does not place the cursor on the position clicked.
Oh yes, I see what you mean …
So then to do this you have to get the cursor just right, click once to remove the split line, ensure the mouse is not moved, then click again and then use CTRL+B to create the label. Messy and potentially inaccurate 
Another way is to create a label close to but not on the split line, then drag the label along to the split line (which should go white this way when the cursor is on the split line). This should accurately mark the split-line position with the label.
WC
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I’ve just, as I said in a previous post, built my methods by experimenting and found one aspect of the combination of the program’s design and my way of using it inconvenient. But the comments have actually given me some things to work with.
At least two other persons have made this point before, but not many do.
To place the cursor at the split Iine, I double-click inside the clip then LEFT or RIGHT arrow once, or keep a label track underneath. You then only need to click in the label track close to the split line to snap the cursor at the split line. Even then, you cannot drag from the cursor point in the audio track, only in the label track.
I think there should be shortcuts to move the cursor to the start or end of the clip, as a first step towards making clips accessible to the visually impaired. And I would like to see right-click used, either as the way to remove the split-line (as we use it to remove cut lines http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tracks_preferences.html#behaviors ), or as the way to click and drag at the split line. Right-click and drag conflicts with Multi-Tool zoom to selection, so I think it would be right-click to remove the split line and merge the clip. Left-click in the waveform close to a split line snaps to the line, and you can drag from there normally.
This also might help some of those who want “markers in the waveform” for various reasons.
If any one else agrees we can move this to the Adding Features board.
Gale
For the question raised in the original post, double-click inside the clip then tap the LEFT cursor key once appears to be all that I required.
(I forgot about this because I’ve bee getting used to using a shortcut for “Move cursor to selection start”).
That’s an interesting idea (though not strictly “on topic”, so I’ll leave it at that 
)