setting pointer location

[Rob Cozens]

>if you still need to see a "real world" implementation, contact me off-list

I have already contacted Alan; but had some additional thoughts I 
hope will interest someone:

The example I described for field cursor manipulation predates Macs & X-Talk.

OenoLog takes a middle ground: while the field cursor tabs to the 
open field (leaving the mouse cursor in its original location as 
David noted), if the field edit type is date, time, or other numeric 
value, a number key palette is also displayed for mouse-driven data 
entry.  In addition, predefined alphabetic text (eg: grape variety, 
wine lot, etc.) entry is also mouse-driven...though this can be 
overridden to add a new entry to the list without abandoning the 
current operation.

If all necessary predefined text is entered at setup, all information 
needed for activity entry (except optional comments) can be entered 
from the mouse; so as I test OenoLog.rev I will experiment with the 
ramifications of forcing all numeric entry through the number key 
palette during activity processing.  (If I do this right, the flow 
should feel natural even for a touch typist, miscdas.  Once it's done 
you'll be welcome to critique my interface from the typists' point of 
view and let me know how well or poorly I did.)

One area where text entry via dialog might improve my design is in 
adding or editing a row in a table.  In OenoLog a table is a list of 
text where all lines are equal length & store information in a fixed 
format.  This is displayed in a manner that appears to be columnar; 
but I don't want people tabbing into the whole table, so to 
accommodate adding and editing table rows there is an individual 
field below each column.  If I were to use Alan's technique, I could 
eliminate those individual fields and construct/deconstruct 
individual rows behind the scene.

I guess this is mainly moi thinking out load; but maybe it's worth 
$.02 to someone.    :{`)
-- 

Rob Cozens
CCW, Serendipity Software Company
http://www.oenolog.com/who.htm

"And I, which was two fooles, do so grow three;
Who are a little wise, the best fooles bee."

from "The Triple Foole" by John Donne (1572-1631)