Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!stjhmc!p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org!Lawson.English
From: Lawson.English@p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Lawson English)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Another MPW 3.2 Shell wish...
Message-ID: <1076.27AA0D8B@stjhmc.fidonet.org>
Date: 1 Feb 91 02:28:45 GMT
Sender: ufgate@stjhmc.fidonet.org (newsout1.26)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:300/15.88 - Tucson Apple Core, Tucson AZ
Lines: 27

Lawrence D'oliveiro, Waikato Univer writes in a message to All

LDW> Instead, you display the selection in all panes where it is visible. 
LDW> And when the user executes a command (like Find) that would require 
LDW> autoscrolling to keep the selection visible, you simply scroll 
LDW> the pane that's showing a part of the file closest to the new 
LDW> selection. In other words, autoscroll the one that would require 
LDW> the least scrolling

But that would seem random to the user: afterall she doesn't know which pane
is closest, so she will likely see an unexpected pane scroll to her selection.
The other way seems more intuitive. Modality is only bad if it gets in the way
of doing what you want, when you want it. As you can only click in one pane
at a time, it should make no difference as to how "modal" the interface is:
you have feedback from your cursor location as to which pane you clicked in,
and hence, which pane you will use.


Lawson

Of course, an option to "unfreeze" the un-used pane while doing auto-scrolling,
might be useful (if they both happen to point to the same part of the text)...
 

--  
Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!300!15.88!Lawson.English
Internet: Lawson.English@p88.f15.n300.z1.fidonet.org