[TxMt] Re: A more complete system for keyboard-based multiple selections?

[Allan Odgaard]

On 14 Dec 2011, at 10:45, Jacob Bandes-Storch wrote:

> I'd like to propose an extension to the multiple-selection functionality […] This would work kind of like TM1's rectangular selection using the option key. What do you all think?

Are you aware that you can make a rectangular selection and move left/right (or to start/end of a “unit”) to get multiple carets or alternatively, make a “unit selection” with multiple carets (to get a discontinuous selection)?

I *really* like how I implemented this because the above is all what I need to tell the user, and yet it can be used in amazingly many diverse ways — I think I use multiple carets or discontinuous selections half a dozen times each day and the alpha testers also love the feature.

Starting to introduce new key sequences for specific multiple-caret behavior I think is the wrong approach, TextMate is very much about the user having to learn as little as possible but be able to combine these few general-purpose “actions”.

So definitely give the current system some time, see if you actually miss new ways to make the carets after you feel you have exhausted the limits of the current simple rules.

I’m not saying the system can’t be improved, but I already have a few suggestions about how to “improve” it, but those are all for very specific workflows and all the tasks (which have been used as examples when suggestion these) can already be achieved easily with the current system¹.



¹ Not entirely right, at least one suggestion actually would allow new functionality :)