Re: UI issue: Text edit mode

["Mark Dexter" <dextercowley gmail com>]

I think this is a very good idea. That way you could use the mouse to select text and copy / paste would be more intutive. I think that (1) would be fine. If you put an option for "Edit Text" on the right-click context menu (when an object is selected) and/or on the Edit menu, then people could find the text edit mode there as well.

 

I think that (2) and (3) could possible be a little confusing. Is some ways, it is more clear to have a defined way into a new mode vs. just have it happen automatically. 

 

Having said that, I think that the other methods would be fine also. Or you could just use a shortcut like Ctrl+T. Again, if you have a menu option to open text mode, then new users wouldn't need to know the shortcut key.

 

Those are my thoughts. Mark

 

On 8/9/07, Lars Clausen <lars raeder dk> 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

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-- 
Mark Dexter