diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java
index 3f7b36d..11da690 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/dialog/PickItemsDialog.java
@@ -109,17 +109,20 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 			}
 		});	
 		
-		focusPanel.addMouseDownHandler(new MouseDownHandler() {
-			
+		focusPanel.addMouseDownHandler(new MouseDownHandler() {			
 			@Override
 			public void onMouseDown(MouseDownEvent event) {
-				SelectableItem ut = (SelectableItem) mainPanel.getWidget(displayIndexSelected);
-				eventBus.fireEvent(new PickedItemEvent(new ItemBean("id", "username", ut.getItemName(), "thumb")));	
-				hide();
-				select(0); //RESET
+				 handleMouseDown();
 			}
 		});
 	}
+	
+	private void handleMouseDown() {
+		SelectableItem ut = (SelectableItem) mainPanel.getWidget(displayIndexSelected);
+		eventBus.fireEvent(new PickedItemEvent(new ItemBean("id", "username", ut.getItemName(), "thumb"), this.triggerChar));	
+		hide();
+		select(0); //RESET
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * called for each keyUp event from the user
@@ -178,7 +181,7 @@ public class PickItemsDialog extends PopupPanel {
 					ut = (SelectableItem) mainPanel.getWidget(0);
 				else 
 					ut = (SelectableItem) mainPanel.getWidget(displayIndexSelected);
-				eventBus.fireEvent(new PickedItemEvent(new ItemBean("id", "username", ut.getItemName(), "thumb")));
+				eventBus.fireEvent(new PickedItemEvent(new ItemBean("id", "username", ut.getItemName(), "thumb"), this.triggerChar));
 				hide();
 				select(0); //RESET
 			}
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/events/PickedItemEvent.java b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/events/PickedItemEvent.java
index 0518e01..babd879 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/events/PickedItemEvent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gcube/portlets/widgets/pickitem/client/events/PickedItemEvent.java
@@ -10,13 +10,11 @@ public class PickedItemEvent  extends GwtEvent<PickedItemEventHandler> {
 	public static Type<PickedItemEventHandler> TYPE = new Type<PickedItemEventHandler>();
 	
 	private ItemBean item;
-	
+	private String triggerChar;
 
-	public ItemBean getSelectedItem() {
-		return item;
-	}
-	public PickedItemEvent(ItemBean item) {
+	public PickedItemEvent(ItemBean item, String triggerChar) {
 		this.item = item;
+		this.triggerChar = triggerChar;
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -28,4 +26,12 @@ public class PickedItemEvent  extends GwtEvent<PickedItemEventHandler> {
 	protected void dispatch(PickedItemEventHandler handler) {
 		handler.onSelectedItem(this);
 	}
+	
+	public ItemBean getSelectedItem() {
+		return item;
+	}
+	
+	public String getTriggerChar() {
+		return triggerChar;
+	}
 }