coyot: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Column mode would have to be implemented directly in SynEdit (the core component on which PSPad is built) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I disagree here - MrSpock pointed out the ALT+I functionality (insert text into lines). As long as PSPad knows the editor is in column mode and the start and end positions of the current selection, I see no reason it couldn't use exactly the same behaviour as the ALT+I functionality but without the user needing to manually specify where to insert the characters. It could calculate the start position and number of lines from the selection position. It then just needs to re-select the correct characters after editing. The way I see it, there are multiple parts that need to be implemented for column mode to function in a fashion similar to other programmers editors: _1_. When in block mode and the selection is 0 columns wide, any characters typed should be inserted at the position of the selection (using similar functionality to the ALT+I code already in use) and then the selection should be moved right 1 character to account for the newly-inserted character. _2_. When in block mode and the selection is 0 columns wide, if backspace is pressed then the selection should be expanded left by 1 character and the contents deleted (backspace already works for 1 or more columns wide). The selection should then be re-created with the same start/end position as it previously had. _3_. When in block mode with a selection larger than 0 columns and a character key is typed, the selection contents should be deleted then the ALT+I functionality used insert the character typed. The original selection height then needs to be re-selected but with 0 width. This is less sophisticated than UEdit's behaviour but should be easier to implement. _4_. When the TAB key is pressed or clipboard contents are pasted (even UEdit doesn't handle that one correctly). Once again, the selected chars should be deleted and the typed/pated chars need to be inserted for each line though re-selecting afterwards is harder now as it will probably have increased by more than 1 char. This is really just an extension of part 3 though. I'd have said implementation of parts 1 and 2 were vital to editing of indented code or column-aligned data. Parts 3 and 4 ares far less important but 3 has been handy in UEdit when I needed to edit column-aligned files. That said, I'm sure Jan has a busy life already and doesn't have infinite time to constantly tinker with PSPad. I certainly don't want to suggest it's a bad editor just because these small features don't work. PSPad is a lovely configurable editor and it's still my primary code editor. I only paste into UEdit when I need to do column-mode work). It would be lovely to hear of column-mode enhancements being added to the feature requests for a future version though, even if only low priority. -- <http://forum.pspad.com/read.php?2,38689,39706> PSPad freeware editor http://www.pspad.com
