From: "J. Landman Gay"
Jerry Muelver wrote:
I submit that the distinction between returnInField and enterInField is
absurd for text-entry applications like program editors and dialog boxes,
and is of extremely limited utility for numeric entry applications. In
fact, I doubt that anyone can provide an example supporting the rationale
for not merging the Return and Enter key for good for all applications.
I use the distinction all the time. In card-based databases (think
"address book" for example,) it is common to have multi-line fields which
function as "cells". Returns are accepted as part of the data. Enterkey is
accepted to "set" the data and move to the next "cell".
This is pretty common for many types of databases. I have also created a
multi-field table object that acts the same way.
I see. Well, in 24 years of computing, I've never, until the G3, even SEEN a
keyboard with both Enter and Return keys. The distinction must be a "Mac"
thing.
In the database apps I've programmed and used, single-line entries were
always completed by either Tab or Enter (the one next to the shift keys) as
optional moves to "set" and move to the next field, and multi-line entries
allowed Enter within the cell and Tab to "set" and move on. I think the
Enter/Return distinction is too clever by half (the RR Message Box icon
tooltip for Single Line says "Press Return to execute", and the Multiline
tip reads "Press Enter to execute", and all my keys say "Enter"), and I will
never require my users to juggle such capriciousness.
I'm beginning to understand how the FBI paid $750 million for a computer
software project that doesn't work. I'll bet the programmers called for
"Return" and all the keyboards were "Enter" type, and the poor agents were
fumbling around looking for the "AnyKey" to press....
---- Jerry Muelver
_______________________________________________
use-revolution mailing list
use-revolution@lists.runrev.com
Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription
preferences:
http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
