Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpda!hp-sde!hpfcdc!hpfclp!diamant
From: diamant@hpfclp.SDE.HP.COM (John Diamant)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: The morality of warping the cursor
Message-ID: <9740034@hpfclp.SDE.HP.COM>
Date: 28 Jun 88 22:03:47 GMT
References: <4390@mit-vax.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Organization: HP SDE, Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 24

> There have been a couple of articles where people have stated
> absolutely that warping the cursor is bad user interface policy; that
> users should have exclusive control of the cursor at all times.
> 
> I am interested in why people feel this way.  I personally feel that
> intelligent warping on the part of the application can greatly enhance
> a user interface.

I think I'm the one that started this (in comp.windows.misc, but it drifted
over here, apparently).  Anyway, I originally stated that warping the pointer
was bad.  After some discussion, I revised to comment to instead be that
changing the user's focus is bad.  So, if the warping is a direct result of a
user action, and the input focus and pointer remain (logically) where the user
put them, then I see no problem.  It's mainly an issue of "principle of
least astonishment").  If you are merely following through on a user action,
then it may be appropriate.

One person in this debate pointed out that this is fine for locators that
use relative addressing, but an absolute locator device (a graphics tablet)
is hosed if you ever warp the mouse.

John Diamant
Software Development Environments
Hewlett-Packard Co.		ARPA Internet: diamant@hpfclp.sde.hp.com
Fort Collins, CO		UUCP:  {hplabs,hpfcla}!hpfclp!diamant