Re: selected text is PRIMARY?

[Yevgen Muntyan <muntyan tamu edu>]

James Henstridge wrote:

> The classic PRIMARY selection model used in X only really works if all
> apps follow the rules.  That is, only the text in the PRIMARY selection
> is displayed as selected.
>
> If some apps ignore the rules then you can end up with two pieces of
> text that appear to be selected.  This makes it ambiguous what the
> middle-click paste will do.
>  
Right. I propose to add an option which will make it ambiguous what the 
middle button click will do
(though even now, try to select text, then minimize the window or 
something, and try to guess what
middle button will do) *but* will make selection in text *not* disappear 
when you select text elsewhere.
I do understand all this stuff about primary selection, and I do 
understand that many people are happy
about it. Point is that "selected text == PRIMARY" is important only 
only for those who really care about it,
and there are people who care more about "selected text == whatever I 
selected".
The "whatever was selected last is in PRIMARY" is not that inconvenient, 
by the way. I use it, and
it works fine for me. Almost never I select text, then select something 
else, then click middle button
and discover that I pasted wrong stuff. Usually I select something and 
paste immediately.

> So if you want to allow multiple selections at once, there are two options:
>
>    * get rid of the concept of PRIMARY and middle-click paste.
>  
Why, middle button is convenient.

>    * figure out some way to allow the user to distinguish between
>      "selected text" and "selected text that is also PRIMARY" without
>      confusing the issue further.
>  
I do not think it's even needed. A rule "when you select text it's put 
into PRIMARY" works just as
fine as "when you press Ctrl-C selection is put into clipboard". Nobody 
can see what's in clipboard,
but it doesn't seem to be a big problem.

> Both of these options would probably require coordination with other
> toolkit/application developers.
>  
Come on, what toolkit/applications? KDE is plain broken in this regard, 
its text editor and web browser
work in different ways. Who else, tcl/tk?

> Under the current scheme used in X, Mozilla is clearly doing the wrong
> thing right now.
>  
"wrong" as in "inconsistent and confusing for some people (e.g. for 
you)", but "right" as in "user-friendly"
(e.g. friendly to me).

Best regards,
Yevgen