editing != browsing (was Re: ligature selections ...)

From: Paul Rohr (paul@abisource.com)
Date: Wed Apr 24 2002 - 03:11:36 EDT

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    At 03:54 AM 4/24/02 +0100, Andrew Dunbar wrote:
    >I just tested Arabic selection in MSIE here:
    >http://www.aljazeera.net/ and selecting a lam+alef
    >ligature by keyboard or by mouse works as I've said.
    >
    > [...]
    >
    >-- Okay I just tested MSWord too and it does do both
    >backspacing and selection by codepoint. For selection
    >it actually does it for both keyboard (incremental)
    >selection and mouse selection. I find it very
    >difficult to use with the mouse and reasonably
    >difficult to use with the keyboard. I prefer the way
    >MSIE works. So even MS are not consistent ):

    Actually, if you think about it, this shouldn't be surprising at all.

    MSIE is a browser which renders existing content. Thus it would make sense
    if that UI got optimized for easily selecting lots of text, so that you can
    paste it somewhere else.

    By comparison, MSWord is an editor. Is it any surprise that here the UI
    gets optimized for finer-grained selections so that authors can format or
    delete or rearrange smaller bits of content as it's being created.

    bottom line
    -----------
    When you're looking for UI precedents, choose the closest possible fit.

    Paul
    motto -- use cases matter

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