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Date:Mon Aug 19 20:35:44 2003 
Subject:Re: poplog interactive mode - PS -> Syntax editor 
From:eas-lab 
Volume-ID:1030819.01 

> > Key-board vs. 'heads up flying' is a separate issue;  where 'heads up'
> > allows you to position the cursor to a different task-window immediately
> > [for a serious poplog session, I end up with 6 terminals - got to take
> > notes & search existing files etc.]
> 
 Chris Dollin <kers@hpl.hp.com> wrote: 
> 6 terminals or 6 windows? 

Terminals because I don't like xved.

> Also, I don't know what your "heads up flying" distinction is about. 

The 'air force', who know what they are doing, have rightly realised
that the best way is not to have to look down to the instrument panel,
but to "just control the cursor which is in the same 'view' as the rest
of the data".   See the analogy ?

>  
> > I don't even KNOW about <completion>.
> 
> It's whatever you have to type to do completion in the editor. I don't
> have it, but it would be easy to implement in ved (pick a boring key
> sequence, bind it to a function that looks left for a word, looks it
> up in a completion table, and fills in the found template.) 
> 
Yes I know WHAT completion means; just not that it's available for poplog ?
If I've missed the availability of 'completion' for ved, imagine what else
I've missed !
> 
> > If there are < 6 possible choices at some stage of the source text,
> > I don't want to have to think/remember, but just select.
> 
> Are there such places? Not many of them, surely.
> 
 Indeed many. Look at the 'branching points' on the syntax diagrams.
> 
> > Imagine if when entering a lift/elevator, you had to type in 'near
> > english' instead of just selecting one of n buttons.
> 
> Well, I'm imagining it. It would be a dreadful interface. Am *I*
> the man in the box? 
> 
> >> You certainly *want* some syntax-oriented operations in an editor.
> >> That's a far cry from forcing them on people.
> > 
> > Sure. After a bit of practice, one doesn't look at the menues
> > when pounding the key-board for spreadsheets
> 
> I wouldn't know. Are these mouse-menus or key-menus? 'Cos, you see,
> when someone says "menu" I assume "mouse menu". Mice menus are evil
> because mousing is a distraction. Key menus are just typing.
> 
As clearly stated previously "menu is not dependant on mouse" !
The essential attribute of a menu is: "able to select from a LIMITED
set; vs. input a potentially infinite vocabulary from permutations
of 100 odd keys". 

More choice = more error.  
Save your creativity for higher aspects of designing/programming.

-- Chris Glur.