Re: UI issue: Text edit mode

[Lars Clausen <lars raeder dk>]

On Fri, 2007-08-10 at 11:06 -0300, loli wrote:
> On Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:57:38 +0200, Lars Clausen wrote
> > I'm strong considering splitting diagram editing into a "normal" mode
> > and a "text-edit" mode.  It will allow for more powerful text editing
> > down the road, use of more shortcuts in normal mode, avoidance of the
> > "Delete destroys the object" in text-edit mode and more.  While I 
> > have no problem with how to exit text-edit mode (Esc or clicking 
> > elsewhere), I have my doubts about what would be best for entering.  
> > My ideas so far are
> >
> > 1) Press "Enter" to start editing text.  Pro: Frees all other keys 
> > for shortcuts.  Con: Non-obvious 2) Press any letter key to start 
> > editing.  Pro: Natural start of writing for many people.  Con: Loses 
> > some shortcuts, can't start writing with non-letters or composite keys.
> > 3) Press any non-modified key to start editing. Pro: Fully 
> > transparent for English-speaking people.  Con: Loses a few more 
> > shortcuts, can't start writing with more complex input. 4) Press any 
> > part of a character to start editing. Pro: Transparent for everyone. 
> >  Con: Loses a lot of shortcuts, including many alt and some ctrl-
> > shift ones.
> >
> > I'm favoring 3 over 2, even though it'd rule out using '1' for zoom
> > 100%.  I think 4 would be confusing and hard to code.  But is 1 too
> > non-intuitive?  Are there better ways?  What do other programs get away
> > with?
> >
> > -Lars
> I'm not sure what I will say makes sense). 
> If there is going to be a "big change" may be you can conside this posibility:
> 1)Allow the old way of editing (very efficient), but just to add characters to
> the right, only for the fist time, when the field is emty. 
> 2) DonÂt allow modifying the field, in the old way,  any more ...
>    (One truing to do it, surelly will do a double clicking...and the
> properties dialog will open)
> 3) Let the text field appear and be edited in the properties dialog (I have
> always thought this would be an enhaced feature)  

No, I don't want the properties dialog to be the only way to edit text,
it's too interruptive.  Having the text also be editable there is an
option, though it has the same synchronization problems as editing size
and position. (I assume your three suggestions go together).

-Lars