lear@turbo.bio.net (Eliot) (07/17/90)
Is it considered a bad thing to use such a function as an action? Basically, I'm using it to move the user from field to field in a form-like application. One could argue that it's a bit disconcerting to the user for the pointer to be jumping all over the place, or that it would actually guide the user along. Which do you believe, and why? Thanks for your responses, -- Eliot Lear [lear@turbo.bio.net]
crouch@crunchie.axion.bt.co.uk (Chris Rouch) (07/18/90)
In article <Jul.16.23.47.26.1990.22097@turbo.bio.net>, lear@turbo.bio.net (Eliot) writes: |> |> Is it considered a bad thing to use such a function as an action? |> Basically, I'm using it to move the user from field to field in a |> form-like application. One could argue that it's a bit disconcerting |> to the user for the pointer to be jumping all over the place, or that |> it would actually guide the user along. Which do you believe, and |> why? |> I asked a related question a little while back. Many people think that warping the pointer is antisocial. The solution I plumped for was to move the keyboard focus from item to item, along with some visual feedback that it has moved (I'm currently displaying a caret in the widget which is focussed on). This has the effect of guiding the user from item to item without taking the mouse pointer out of their control. Chris ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chris Rouch crouch@axion.bt.co.uk RT3131, BTRL, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, England. +44 473 646093 We came, we saw, we lost on penalties.
grp@unify.uucp (Greg Pasquariello) (07/18/90)
In article <Jul.16.23.47.26.1990.22097@turbo.bio.net> lear@turbo.bio.net (Eliot) writes: > > Path: unify!csusac!ucdavis!ucbvax!ucsd!usc!apple!bionet!turbo.bio.net!lear > From: lear@turbo.bio.net (Eliot) > Newsgroups: comp.windows.x > Date: 17 Jul 90 06:47:26 GMT > Organization: GenBank Computing Resource for Mol. Biology > Lines: 12 > > > Is it considered a bad thing to use such a function as an action? > Basically, I'm using it to move the user from field to field in a > form-like application. One could argue that it's a bit disconcerting > to the user for the pointer to be jumping all over the place, or that > it would actually guide the user along. Which do you believe, and > why? > > Thanks for your responses, > -- > Eliot Lear > [lear@turbo.bio.net] It is not only disconcerting, it is downright irritating. Plus the fact that, even if you do warp the pointer, once the user moves it, the original intent of input guidance is lost. I think that a better solution is to mark the active fields with a different color, border width, background pixmap or something like that, and move keyboard focus to the active field. We do just that kind of thing in Accell, and the results are very good. The user's attention is directed toward the correct field, the pointer is where they left it (often on a frequently used button), and they have the freedom to use the mouse without having to keep track of where it _should_ be. -- -Greg Pasquariello grp@unify.com
jtanlim@aero.ee.ubc.ca (TANLIMCO JOHN JAY GO) (01/29/91)
I need some help regarding the use of XWarpPointer.
I'm controlling the pointer position by reading in data from
the serial port. The data I'm receiving is the absolute coordinates
of the desired cursor position. The position of the pointer is to be
based solely on the data coming in from the serial port, disregarding
any movements the mouse might make. But I still would like to use the
three buttons on the mouse.
XWarpPointer works fine in controlling the pointer, but it
fails when I press the button in the RootWindow. I suspect that
XGrabPointer was used, and the process is waiting for events from
the real mouse. How can I substitute the motion events of the mouse
with the data I'm receiving from the serial ports?
Please mail me any ideas you might have as I don't read this
news very often.
Thank you.
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