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Subject: Re: Improve the usability of the text editor

Re: Improve the usability of the text editor

From: Jonathan Gordon <jdgordy_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:50:27 -0800

2009/12/22 Johannes <johannes.schw_at_gmx.de>:
> I'd like to start a discussion about the text editor.
>
> In my opinion the text editor isn't really usable, because the font is so
> tiny, that you have to search for each letter.
>
> The text_editor's control should be similar to the calculator:
> - use the whole screen (no tiny font)
> - support for touchscreen (raster map)
> - separate characters into categories
>
> You can navigate faster, if the letters, numbers and additional characters
> are separated. Particularly on touchscreens the improvement is enormous. The
> problem is that it's impossible to write it also for targets without LCD
> bitmap.
>
> Besides you can't support others alphabets. But I think it doesn't make
> sense to support Hebrew or Arabic alphabet, because they are written from
> right to left, so you can't really write it. In conclusion the text editor
> is completely unsuitable for those alphabets. I suggest to support just
> Latin alphabet and special character, because it makes things easier and it
> is the most widely used alphabetic writing system.
>
> Regards
>

Assuming you mean the virtual keyboard and not the text editor plugin..
I know it allows users to load their own keyboard file, does it force
the system font so only ASCII can actually be used?
The vkeyboard is plenty usable on some targets (h300) and downright
painful on others (almost any with a wheel).

I would certainuly welcome a redesign, but you need to remember it
needs to work on targets with small screens, with wheels instead of 4
direction buttons, with low button counts, with RTL languages and all
supported codepages.
Received on 2009-12-22

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