Re: Review of Keybindings [Re: Dia's user interface]

[James K.Lowden <jklowden speakeasy org>]

On Fri, 26 Apr 2002 09:30:55 +0200 "Ben Hetland" <ben.a.hetland@sintef.no>
wrote:> > > This is a pretty common and useful features in CAD
> > > programs.  "Reverse drag" means drawing the selection
> > > rectangle from right to left, rather than left to right
> > > (maybe "Reverse drag" is too Euro-centric).  It selects
> > > objects fully and partially within the rectangle, not
> > > just  fully within as when dragging from left to right. 
> [...]
> > The feature is discoverable, useful, and unintrusive.  Let's turn it
> > on and leave it there.  
> 
> I sometimes prefer to "drag"
> in different direction depending of the shape ("silhouette") of the
> objects that I want to select.
> 
> I therefore don't agree to your "quick" conclusions here, that this can
> just be turned on and left forever... :-)
> 
> Personally, I would appreciate the proposed feature, but would like to
> have it as a Shift-Drag, Ctrl-Drag or something like that... perhaps
> even a drag with right or middle mouse button instead of the left one.

Ben, 

I read your answer with interest, and mulled it over.  To be clear, I was
being intentionally provocative with my "quick" conclusions.  I was trying
to sharpen the debate to elicit replies just like yours.   I don't know
how else to promote simplifying an interface (but perhaps that's my
failing).  It's easy to settle debates with "let's make it a preference",
but "simplicity" doesn't get to vote very often, if you see what I mean. 
One man's simplicity is another man's missing feature, I suppose.  

I think your solution is very good.  I still think the "reverse drag" is a
good feature, and I still think it's the right default behavior.  I can
also appreciate what you're saying, that sometimes it's convenient to drag
from the bottom up, and you don't necessarily want to select intersected
objects along the way.  

I propose:  Leave the feature on.  Reverse dragging selects intersecting
objects, and Forward dragging does not.  If the user holds down a Shift or
Ctrl key, the opposite happens: Forward dragging selects intersecting
objects, and Reverse dragging does not.  

I think that's still pretty easy to discover, and more flexible than what
happens currently.  If you don't want to hold down the Ctrl key, you get
Select Intersecting Objects for "free" with reverse drag.  And FWIW, CAD
users at least will experience the principle of least surprise.  

How does that sound?

(Having gone this far, I think I'll lend a hand with the new GUI update. 
If I can figure out where I can build the latest Dia source, replacing the
current Preferences dialog seems like an OK way to get my GTK feet wet.)

Regards, 
 --jkl