Re:
> > >  Good.  I approve.  Now, fix the @#$%^ paste design flaw and I'll try using
> > >  it again!
> >
> > The paste function works as it was designed to work -- and everyone here
> > agrees that it seems to work well. As in all software, some flexibility on
> > the part of the user is necessary in order to use the functionality as it was
> > designed :-).
>
> "It's not a bug, it's a feature."

The problem I referred to is the paste of a "partial line" copy (or cut).

Assume you have text on the screen:

      run foo.pub; info="hi there"

and you want to copy 'run foo.pub; info="', paste it, and then type:
bye"<return>.   I.e., you're building: run foo.pub; info="bye"

On every system I've every used ... including the Xerox Star ... if you
move the mouse to the word "run", and then highlight 'run foo.pub;info="'
[and possibly invoke a "copy" command as necessary], when you paste it
somewhere later on, the text you paste is exactly what you highlighted
...the computer would "see" you type:
    run foo.pub; info="
then, you could type: bye"<return>

However, in QCTERM, paste is broken.  Okay...it's correctly written to a
bad design.  You pick...the result is the same: if you <paste> in QCTERM,
you get:
    run foo.pub; info="<return>

I.e....partial-paste is broken, as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

Now, I don't particularly care how many people in New Mexico think it should
work the way it does now in QCTERM.  They're all wrong.
Just like the majority of the world was wrong when they thought the
world was flat, or  was supported on the back of a giant turtle...
Quantity of observation does not equal quality of observation!

Paste of a partial line is *IMPORTANT*.  It damn well better work right.

If it *doesn't* work right, it should at least work in a manner that
minimizes mistakes.  Unconditionally appending a <return> leads to mistakes.
I've already lost data when I tried to change:

    purge foo.fum.A
into
    purge foo.fum.B

I'd copied just "purge foo.fum", intending to paste and then type ".B" ..
but, instead, I lost foo.fum!   (Sure, copying a single more character would
have prevented the loss...in *this* case.)

How often do you paste a partial-line copy (or cut)?

...of those times, how often do you want a <return> at the end of the paste?

   100% of the time?  You're fooling yourself.

   0% of the time?  Ditto.

The answer lies between the two extremes.  But...and this is important...
you can easily hit <return>.  It's a big key!  It's real hard to
hit the "undo the @#$%^& <return>" key...not all keyboards have that one!

SS
Stan Sieler                                           [log in to unmask]
www.allegro.com/sieler/wanted/index.html          www.allegro.com/sieler