Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!XEROX.COM!Curbow.osbunorth
From: Curbow.osbunorth@XEROX.COM
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: The morality of warping the cursor
Message-ID: <880701-123024-6676@Xerox>
Date: 1 Jul 88 19:29:40 GMT
Sender: daemon@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: Curbow.osbunorth@xerox.com
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 30


Re: Warping

I work on Xerox Viewpoint (follow on to STAR), where warping the cursor is
considered to be a major sin. I also use XDE, Macintosh and SmallTalk-80 - none
of which warp the pointer. So, when I first experienced warping in SunTools and
then in OpenLook, I was skeptable. After some experience with warping, I am
still undecided. There are times when it is nice to have the cursor warped. For
example, to buttons on a "Notice" (OL name) or DialogBox (Mac name). But, there
are also times when having the cursor warped is annoying as hell. For example,
when I popup a menu on the header, and decide that I don't want that menu. When
I release the Select button, the cursor goes back to the header, despite the
fact that I have usually moved off the header.

Other cases where it would be wrong to warp the cursor to the "Notice" buttons":
 - For example, when the Notice is less than life-threatening and the cursor
need not be restricted to the Notice box. 

 - Should some process other than the one currently having the input focus
decide to put up a Notice.
 
I'm in favor of "intelligent" warping, but this is a case where less is better
than more. I would be happier if there were NO warping rather than TOO MUCH
warping.   


One person's opinion on the subject.

 
/David