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From: diamant@hpfclp.SDE.HP.COM (John Diamant)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.misc
Subject: Re: DOS & MS-windows Vs. Unix & X experience + MS-windows Flame
Message-ID: <10700007@hpfclp.SDE.HP.COM>
Date: 3 Jun 88 06:02:04 GMT
References: <10799@apple.Apple.Com>
Organization: HP SDE, Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 32

> >
> >Yes, it sounds like a good idea, but what do you do if the mouse is over on
> >the edge of the screen
> One standard technique in such cases is to push the current mouse position
> on the stack, relocate the mouse cursor to near the middle of the screen,
> and pop up the dialog box under the mouse.  After the user has selected
> an item from the dialog box, remove the box and pop the mouse cursor location
> back to where you stole it from.

This is a reasonable solution (I mentioned it in an earlier response except
for the return of the mouse to the previous location), except that it
is very disconcerting to have your mouse sprite jump around the screen.
In X, this operations is generally called warping the mouse, and it is
frowned upon because people don't like their mouse bopping
around all by itself.

> in many window systems
> the popup menus can come up under the mouse such that the default selection
> is what you'll get if you just release the mouse button.

Yes, I've used this myself.  It is very valuable for popup menus.

Actually, your mentioning the analogy reminds me of how I've seen the
problem handled for menus that would be partially clipped.  Usually, they
are just moved as little as possible to put them fully on-screen, and the
mouse is warped as little as possible to put it in the default location.
Maybe that's the answer for dialog boxes too.

John Diamant
Software Development Environments
Hewlett-Packard Co.		ARPA Internet: diamant@hpfclp.sde.hp.com
Fort Collins, CO		UUCP:  {hplabs,hpfcla}!hpfclp!diamant