[TxMt] 1001 suggestions in shining armour

[Jeffrey Robert Spies]

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.