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Want "Word" vertical bloc selection

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:11 pm
by odupuy
I am a dev.
I paid for TextPad 7 and 8.
I would like to see basic functions missing for years being implemented.

Use case:
- Like many I work with log files.
- I have a few lines, sometimes tens, some times hundreds.
- I am interested to work on a set of lines, starting from let say column X to the end of the lines (or not)

The Textpad solution
- Use regexp to remove the the XXX first characters of each line
- NOT GOOD

The working solution
- Can I use TextPad for this?
- No, I do like I did for 20 years
- I copy all my logs to Word, yes MS word windows
- I set a fixed size font, and a small size usually
- I usually set landscape too
- I press ALT and I drag my mouse from the top left corner to the bottom right
- I replace all the existing text by the selected one
- Repeat as needed

https://www.techrepublic.com/blog/micro ... t-in-word/

The expected solution
- bloc selection in TextPad with ALT like in Word
- bonus: simple option to zoom in/out which can help when the text is LARGE

I have used this trick for 20 more years.
Time for TextPad to catchup with Word!

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 3:41 pm
by MudGuard
Textpad HAS block selection.

Click on one corner.
Press ALT-SHIFT and click other corner.

Alternative:
Configure -> select "Block Select Mode".
Click on one corner
Press SHIFT and click other corner.

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 4:14 pm
by ben_josephs
And zooming has been available since TextPad 8.5.
You can use the zoom toolbar or the keyboard:
by default:
  • Ctrl +    zoom in
    Ctrl -     zoom out
    Ctrl 0     reset
(You can change those shortcuts.)

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 6:59 pm
by MudGuard
Are you sure the zoom shortcuts are there by default?
In my textpad, they were not there (but now they are ...)

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 7:18 pm
by odupuy
OK. Thanks for the help. I found the "block selection" using SHIFT on the second click. I do not like too much the toggle mode vs like in Word but it does the job. Kudos

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 7:22 pm
by odupuy
The zoom tool bar was hidden, no idea why it is not visible by default.
I have enabled it and fine.
However CTRL + - 0 don't work but I am good now.
Kudos to you too.

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:01 pm
by MudGuard
Go to preferences, Keyboard, select Zoom in Categories, then one of the three commands, set focus in "Press key" field, then press the combination you want to assign, then click Assign.

You can assign more than one combination to a command ...

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 2:11 pm
by ben_josephs
MudGuard wrote:Are you sure the zoom shortcuts are there by default?
In my textpad, they were not there (but now they are ...)
No I'm not sure! I was mistaken. Besides, those are not the shortcuts I use.

( BBCode appears to be broken. )

Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 2:12 pm
by ben_josephs
odupuy wrote:OK. Thanks for the help. I found the "block selection" using SHIFT on the second click. I do not like too much the toggle mode vs like in Word but it does the job. Kudos
You don't have to toggle a mode. You can press Alt and drag the mouse from one end of the selection to the other, just as you can in MS Word.