On Jun 9, 2006, at 10:49 AM, Rob McBroom wrote:
On Jun 8, 2006, at 10:14 PM, Timothy Bates wrote:
The benefits are massive: no need for pixel-perfect (pixel- perfect!) dragging of a selection across numerous lines (often several vertical cm). Just a single crude drag-as-you-like option select. Followed by a normal "click here to edit" selection.
Pixel-perfect? Unless I'm missing something, it seems to require merely character-perfect mousing, which is 1) not that difficult, and 2) something you have to do all the time anyway. There are ways to make these selections even easier (using the keyboard has been mentioned). I also find that (using the mouse) a lot of times it's easier to do a regular style selection, let go of the mouse, then tap the option key to toggle column-mode on.
I am with Tim on this. Character-perfect mousing is inefficient from an HCI point of view if you can accomplish the same thing with gross (read: sweeping) movements, both with the mouse and the keyboard. And selections with the keyboard as you suggest are incredibly frustrating, but with an intelligent block-edit mode (like Tim mentioned, in SubEthaEdit), you could navigate using the keyboard navigation commands you are used to, or with your character-perfect mousing, and not lose your selection-mode. Currently, we have to select into column edit mode, edit, move the cursor, select back into column edit mode, edit, etc. The change Tim mentioned reduces this process dramatically.
Jeff.