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From: wjh+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (Fred Hansen)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: Re: R3 Selection Mechanism
Message-ID: <0YRQPuK00VsPE1IW9m@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 20 May 89 20:13:46 GMT
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Organization: The Internet
Lines: 30

>     An explicit claim on the comp.windows.x bboard was that the X
    selection mechanism does not affect the user interface. 

> If you think I said this, you think wrong.  What I meant is that the
> particular user interface provided in the R3 xterm is not compelled by
> the definition of the selection mechanism, other user interfaces are
> certainly possible.  I don't claim that all possible interpretations of
> the words "cut and paste" are supported by the selection mechanism, nor
would I want that to be the case.

Ah ha.  Good clarification.  I was indeed misinterpreting your words.  

In addition, I think I confused this discussion with claims elsewhere
that X specifies mechanism and not policy;  i.e., that it does not
impose user interface decisions.  It seems to me, however, that in
recommending the selection mechanism the C language X interface manual
does try to impose user interface policy.

(I can hardly complain.  In similar circumstances  I myself would have
far less often resisted the temptation to suggest policy :-)

Fred Hansen


Fred Hansen

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