Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!purdue!decwrl!jumbo!jg From: jg@jumbo.dec.com (Jim Gettys) Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc Subject: Re: Automatic mouse cursor movement Message-ID: <13091@jumbo.dec.com> Date: 6 Jun 88 19:37:54 GMT References: <10799@apple.Apple.Com> <10700006@hpfclp.SDE.HP.COM> <5034@june.cs.washington.edu> <11088@steinmetz.ge.com> <4964@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> Reply-To: jg@jumbo.UUCP (Jim Gettys) Organization: DEC Systems Research Center, Palo Alto Lines: 19 In article <4964@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> ruffwork@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU.UUCP (Ritchey Ruff) writes: >[on automatic mouse cursor movement] >The X windowing system has "warping" which will move the mouse cursor >to the middle of the newly activated window. I agree with the sun/apple >people that this is VERY distracting (what? where did my mouse cursor >go. . . . . . . I certainly heartily agree that "warping" the pointer is a VERY bad idea. All the psychologists agree that people find it very distracting. There are few times when it is necessary; unfortunately, there are a few times when it is needed. (Scripts to drive the window system for testing is one example.) And therefore in line with X's mechanism orientation, X provides the capability. So as usual, X provides the length of rope to hang yourself. I don't recommend tying one end to you neck and the other end to a tree branch, which is what XWarpPointer is; use the rope for some worthwhile purpose, and don't kill yourself or others. - Jim Gettys