Bug 38167

On Friday 15 February 2002 17:13 joerg@sharky-x.de wrote:
> Package: kate
> Version: 2.0 (using KDE 2.9.0 2 (3.0 beta2))
> Severity: wishlist
> Installed from:    SuSE
> Compiler:          gcc version 2.95.3 20010315 (SuSE)
> OS:                Linux (i686) release 2.4.16-4GB
> OS/Compiler notes:
>
> Hi there
>
> when I preview a text-file from Konqueror the embedded Kate part pops up
> read-only. However there is always a blinking cursor which makes me think
> I am allowed to edit that file which is IMHO no good. Either make the
> embedded view readwrite or get rid of the cursor so it is obvious at the
> first glance that there is no way to change the file.

Hi Jörg
The cursor is there to show the cursor position within the text allowing you 
to select text for example. I do not think it should be removed.

-anders

> (Submitted via bugs.kde.org)
> (Called from KBugReport dialog)
>
> _______________________________________________
> kde-kant mailing list
> kde-kant@
> http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-kant

Hi,

I must say that I share the opinion of Jörg. If that's right, what you, Anders Lund, say, then why isn't there also a cursor for html pages in khtml. You can select text there and you know, that you can't type something in and it's read only, because there isn't a text cursor. I think the katepart should behave very much like the khtmlpart for convenience.

My two points are:

1. For a general user, a text cursor indicates something editable, that is not true for the katepart preview mode, which is good, because when I open it in preview mode I only want to read it. When I want to edit it, I start the editor. That's clear, but then there should be a cursor in preview mode, it's unintuitive.

2. In khtml, you are used to scroll with the mouse wheel and also with up and down keys on the keyboard. Because of the text cursor in katepart, this won't work there. The text cursor will stay at its position, if you use the wheel, and when you want to scroll with the keyboard, the text jumps back to show the text cursor, which has then moved. That's very unintuitive and annoying if you just want to read a text book/file with konqueror.
Also, you have to move the cursor down at the page first to read on. The expected behavior is just to use the up and down keys for scrolling forward and back, and not moving the cursor. Look at every other viewer (html, pdf ... ) they all work like that. Since katepart is text file viewer too, it should work alike.

I hope you see the problem...

Please reopen this wishlist item.

Greetings,
Hans Dembinski

Hi folks,

I also agree with Jörg and Hans on this topic.

If the only real purpose for the cursor is to select text, this can also be done with an editor. I'd say in most cases people just want to have a quick look at a file instead of some copy-paste action. If you really think, this "select-text" feature is a must then why not make an option to switch between these two behaviours?

Please reopen this whishlist item.

Thanks,
Oliver

Reopened.

*** This bug has been confirmed by popular vote. ***

Both Kate and KWrite are editors. They can be abused as viewers but I don't think we should start implementing special modes for things editors are not made for. People should use a real viewer to view files and live with Kate's cursor. Mouse-only selection is in my eyes not acceptable and it's just a matter of time until people who were previously selecting text using the keyboard that will complain that the feature is gone.

If people need better read-only distinction let's give them a big not-overlookable "read-only" info box.

Jorg, cursor misinforms you about the ability to edit file and this is the only reason you would like to get rid off it? Is this correct?

In that case, see report:
http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=154897
(what Sebastian has suggested).

hi,

this behaviour wont be changed. Kate Part is a editor part, that it is per default read-only in konquerors embedding, doesn't change that. It is impossible to use it for copy and paste or real searching without any visible cursor/selection and therefor, removing the visible cursor will remove functionality while there is no gain. That you have no cursor in HTML widgets may be, but that doesn't makes that invalid to have for pure plaintext widgets.

Btw. I totally agree with what Christoph wrote but just an idea -- there is normal text cursor, there is special cursor (shape) for overwrite mode. It won't be bad if there would another cursor for read-only mode, like red, non-blinking rectangle?