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From: info-mac@utcsrgv.UUCP (info-mac)
Newsgroups: ont.micro.mac
Subject: Cursor Programming
Message-ID: <4586@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-Jun-84 03:34:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.4586
Posted: Tue Jun 19 03:34:43 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 19-Jun-84 05:17:40 EDT
Sender: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 40

Date: 15 Jun 1984 1505-PDT
Subject: Cursor Programming
From: Mike Schuster 
To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA

Now that Bill Croft's SUMacC has been distributed, I guess 
will be subjected to more programming questions and info.  May I?

[Ed. By all means! Thats what this list in intended for.]

When text editing, the shape of the cursor may be either 'ibeam' or
'arrow' depending if the cursor is pointing to text or not.  The
obvious code to handle cursors tests to see if the cursor position is
within some rectangle containing the text.  If so, the cursor is set
to ibeam, otherwise it is set to arrow.  This position test is
repeatedly performed in the main event loop of the program, even if no
mouse or other events occur.

Unfortunately, this simple scheme will not always work correctly.  For
example, suppose you have just selected a time consuming command like
Save from the File menu.  While your file is being saved, you quickly
try to pull down the File menu once again, holding the mouse button
down as you move the cursor to the expected position of the command
you now wish to invoke. You keep holding the button down until the
save is finished and the menu actually appears.  Don't let go of the
button and look at the shape cursor.  It should be an arrow, but using
the above code, it might be an ibeam if the cursor is over text.

Can someone suggest a better way to handle cursor shapes?

Another question: When editing programs or tabular data, its handy if
some rectangular region of text can be cut, copied, pasted, indented,
etc.  Does the Text Edit Manager have hooks so that such selections
could be implemented?

Mike
(mikes@cit-20)
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