* On Hold until 13 Dec 2024: Edit Text Scheme: Block Operations

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dbnut
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On Hold until 13 Dec 2024: Edit Text Scheme: Block Operations

Post by dbnut »

This request concerns the editing controls Add item (Available to Used), Clone Line, Move Up/Down and Copy/Paste.
For me it is a long-desired enhancement, suppressed until the revelation that I am not alone in relying heavily on diagrams!

Context:
  1. Adding an Available item to Used always appends to the end of the scheme.
  2. Move Up/Down works on multi-line blocks as well as single lines. (I don't know if that was always the case)
  3. Clone Line (to the line below) does exactly that (does not work on blocks).
  4. Copy/Paste works on blocks as well. The Paste operation appends to the end of the scheme.
    :
  5. I often need to relocate (lines and) blocks within the scheme.
Suggestion:
  1. enhance the Add operation to insert above the currently highlighted line
  2. enhance the Paste operation to insert above the currently highlighted line
  3. add a Cut operation to parallel Copy
Remark: the first two require a selectable blank line at the end of the Used list for "appends".

Benefits:
  1. substantial time savings when rearranging long text schemes (use cut & paste on a logical block at a time)
  2. eliminating errors that can occur repeating individual line Moves for a whole block
  3. consistency with standard editor operation
  4. eliminating the need for Clone Line
  5. reducing dependence on Move (that could even be eliminated)

For future consideration (outline, food for thought).
The scheme editor is very powerful, integrated with the Edit Text Scheme Item dialog for Templates. However, I have a few usability issues that might be addressed later?
  1. Unless I'm mistaken, it's not possible to adjust the width of left and right panes independently. A splitter control between them would be a great improvement, especially to make the most of space in a maximised window.
  2. The Show Template feature is a great time-saver. For me, it would be even better if Description could (optionally) be retained in Template View as a (read-only) header above the template.
  3. For improved scheme readability, I would greatly value the addition of Comment and Space Lines.
  4. A Find in Used feature, highlighting all instances, would be rather useful.
P.S.
[Just an acknowledgment & thanks to Calico for what I think must have been an improvement in V7: clicking OK or Apply on the Edit Text Scheme dialog used to take ages to complete (I mean over half a minute!) with my ridiculously long scheme. Now it's done in under 5 seconds.]

Thanks.
Paul White
"Family Historian is not just for Christmas, but for Life"
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tatewise
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Re: Edit Text Scheme: Block Operations

Post by tatewise »

I would go along with most of those enhancements.
Regarding suggestions 1. 2. 3. why not insert below the currently highlighted line?
It is unlikely that inserting above the top Name item is needed, and avoids the need of a blank line at the bottom.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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dbnut
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Re: Edit Text Scheme: Block Operations

Post by dbnut »

tatewise wrote: 20 Jan 2022 12:38 Regarding suggestions 1. 2. 3. why not insert below the currently highlighted line?
It is unlikely that inserting above the top Name item is needed, and avoids the need of a blank line at the bottom.
Well, that makes for an interesting debate.
  • I can see that the "blank line at the bottom" is avoided, but don't believe that this would be a serious problem.
  • If we did follow your suggestion, another "fudge" could still allow "insert below" without making Name a poor relation - just add a "selectable" but read-only header row (but that's just as bad as a bottom blank line).
  • And, come to think of it, why ever would this particular feature have to have a bottom blank line? Only to end-delimit the block. And that may best be implemented by inserting the begin/end pair together, adjacent, and use Move Down (that can take it below the last line) too "walk" "Block End" down towards the target block end.
  • Talking of implementation (which we probably shouldn't be), I'd expect the editor to safeguard against unmatched delimiters (amongst quite a few other idiocies that aren't difficult to identify).
  • To my (very imperfect) recollection, every programming text editor and every word processor I've used has always inserted before the text cursor.
  • I do actually have a need for alternative formats in the person's name display.
    Paul White
    "Family Historian is not just for Christmas, but for Life"
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    ColeValleyGirl
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    Re: Edit Text Scheme: Block Operations

    Post by ColeValleyGirl »

    This discussion foundered nearly two years ago, so I'm putting it on hold until the participants resuscitate it and reach a conclusion.
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