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FRIENDLY VERSION OF EDIT FOR THE NEW USER
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John A. Peters
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Oct 20, 2002 21:22 PDT
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"Gary Chanson" <gcha-@no.spam.TheWorld.com> wrote in message news:<aov0mp-@pcls4.std.com>...
| | "Doug Hoffman" <dhof-@oakland-info.com> wrote in message
news:B9D802A1.2D-@oakland-info.com...
| | Here's a different approach to consider. I would have the user invoke a
menu command (with a keyboard equivalent). The menu command for a word
lookup would be different than for a file edit. Whatever word is hilited
would be the word/filename to look up. This is a pretty standard Windows
user interface technique (first select the object, then act on the
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object).
| |
Going a step further in ease of use the word/filename need not actually be
hilited (although it could be), the editor could simply pick the nearest
word to the current position of the blinking vertical caret. So the user
could simply drop the caret in or next to the word/filename and invoke the
menu command. This would also mean the user could type the word/filename
and then simply invoke the command since the caret would be at the end of
the word (avoids having to use the mouse or whatever to first highlight the
word/filename).
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I do something like this, except that if the cursor is on white space, I
bring up a prompt so that you can type in whatever you want.
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Win32Forth uses the left mouse click to hyper link to the source of the word
under the cursor which turns in to a picture of a hand to indicate that it is over a word. It does not mean that the word can be found. If the word is not in the dictionary when you left click then it rings the error bell.
However this feature is only active in the browse mode, not the edit mode.
My original intention was to make it easy to look up a word that I remember to be a forth word even though that word is not present on the screen. In that case I am used to dropping down to the console and typing VIEW <WORD> or EDIT <FILE>
A survey of WinEd shows this list
Edit file Ed-mode
Z file Ed-mode
Ed word Ed-mode
E word Ed-mode
Browse file browse-mode
View word browse-mode
Maybe a toggle would work nicely. Toggle between edit-mode and brows-mode. Browse mode is basically a start of a HTML mode. It is nice for documentation files. STARTUP.TXT is a example of HTML documentation.
A toggle might simplify the expectations of the user, but only in determining which mode the editor should come up in.
With respect to looking up a file or a word, I prefer a smart word. If the subject word is not in the dictionary, then look in the DIRectory. I think it is a smart idea to make it work with the cursor bar either in or at the end of a word or file name. In the case of a file with the same name as a forth word, the file name will have an extension if it is in part of the source.
Failing to find a extension, it could try one then the other. This is very similar to the forth interpreter. IF it is not a word THEN it must be a NUMBER ELSE it is an error.
These details of automation can become relatively important to me be cause I spend part of every work day interfacing with a Forth based application that retains the interpreter as part of the application. My application uses VIEW to find the location in a file where materials are priced and the times required to do the installation are listed.
I rejected nested menus as a way to look up and select parts which is how most of the other languages do it. Instead I favor of simply typing the list of widgets in to a representation of an invoice. Then a keyboard command looks up the prices and extends the line totals and the grand totals etc. Since I am on the keys it is natural to use VIEW WIDGET-NAME instead of using the mouse.
So I am happy to see the responses. Thank you very much. Also thanks to Elizabeth for spitting off the thread and starting a new one that sticks to the subject of the thread which is A FRIENDLY VERSION OF EDIT FOR THE NEW USER.
I am not a very much of a programmer, but dreaming, specifying and documenting is fun for me.
Thanks again,
John A. Peters
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>"Gary Chanson" <<A
href="mailto:gcha-@no.spam.TheWorld.com">gcha-@no.spam.TheWorld.com</A>>
wrote in message <A
href="news:<aov0mp-@pcls4.std.com">news:<aov0mp-@pcls4.std.com</A>>...<BR>>
"Doug Hoffman" <<A
href="mailto:dhof-@oakland-info.com">dhof-@oakland-info.com</A>> wrote
in message<BR>> <A
href="news:B9D802A1.2D-@oakland-info.com">news:B9D802A1.2D-@oakland-info.com</A>...<BR>>
| | Here's a different approach to consider. I would have the user invoke
|
a<BR>> > menu command (with a keyboard equivalent). The menu command
for a word<BR>> > lookup would be different than for a file edit.
Whatever word is hilited<BR>> > would be the word/filename to look
up. This is a pretty standard Windows<BR>> > user interface
technique (first select the object, then act on the<BR>>
object).<BR>> ><BR>> > Going a step further in ease of use the
word/filename need not actually be<BR>> > hilited (although it could be),
the editor could simply pick the nearest<BR>> > word to the current
position of the blinking vertical caret. So the user<BR>> > could
simply drop the caret in or next to the word/filename and invoke the<BR>>
| | menu command. This would also mean the user could type the
|
word/filename<BR>> > and then simply invoke the command since the caret
would be at the end of<BR>> > the word (avoids having to use the mouse or
whatever to first highlight the<BR>> > word/filename).<BR>>
<BR>> I do something like this, except that if the
cursor is on white space, I<BR>> bring up a prompt so that you can type in
whatever you want.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Win32Forth uses the left mouse click to hyper link to the
source of the word<BR>under the cursor which turns in to a picture of a hand to
indicate that it is over a word. It does not mean that the word can be
found. If the word is not in the dictionary when you left click then it
rings the error bell.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>However this feature is only active in the browse mode,
not the edit mode.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>My original intention was to make it easy to look up a
word that I remember to be a forth word even though that word is not present on
the screen. In that case I am used to dropping down to the console and
typing VIEW <WORD> or EDIT <FILE></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>A survey of WinEd shows this list</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Edit file
Ed-mode<BR>Z file
Ed-mode<BR>Ed word
Ed-mode<BR>E word
Ed-mode<BR>Browse file
browse-mode<BR>View word browse-mode
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Maybe a toggle would work nicely. Toggle between
edit-mode and brows-mode. Browse mode is basically a start of a HTML
mode. It is nice for documentation files. STARTUP.TXT is a example
of HTML documentation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>A toggle might simplify the expectations of the user, but
only in determining which mode the editor should come up in.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>With respect to looking up a file or a word, I prefer a
smart word. If the subject word is not in the dictionary, then look in the
DIRectory. I think it is a smart idea to make it work with the cursor bar
either in or at the end of a word or file name. In the case of a file with
the same name as a forth word, the file name will have an extension if it is in
part of the source. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Failing to find a extension, it could try one then the
other. This is very similar to the forth interpreter. IF it is not a
word THEN it must be a NUMBER ELSE it is an error.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>These details of automation can become relatively
important to me be cause I spend part of every work day interfacing with a Forth
based application that retains the interpreter as part of the application.
My application uses VIEW to find the location in a file where materials are
priced and the times required to do the installation are listed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I rejected nested menus as a way to look up and select
parts which is how most of the other languages do it. Instead I favor of
simply typing the list of widgets in to a representation of an invoice.
Then a keyboard command looks up the prices and extends the line totals and the
grand totals etc. Since I am on the keys it is natural to use VIEW
WIDGET-NAME instead of using the mouse.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>So I am happy to see the responses. Thank you very
much. Also thanks to Elizabeth for spitting off the thread and starting a
new one that sticks to the subject of the thread which is A FRIENDLY VERSION OF
EDIT FOR THE NEW USER.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I am not a very much of a programmer, but dreaming,
specifying and documenting is fun for me.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Thanks again,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>John A. Peters<BR></FONT></DIV>
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