Selecting text in Windows | The Coffeehouse

travis
eo

One thing that has bothered me tremendously since Windows 95 (I think that was the first time I've noticed it) is how Windows automatically selects an entire word for you when you're selecting text with the mouse. It seems to be worse for certain apps than others, but I'm pretty sure it's a universal Windows behavior.

Will this behavior remain in Longhorn? Will there at least be a way to disable this "feature" (Control Panel, regedit, etc.)?

Aardvark

I wouldn't call it universal, standard UI gadgets such as edit boxes *don't* do this by default, nor do I see anyway, without custom code, to make them do this.

In other words its not Windows doing this, but each application.

Maybe the "rich text control" in Windows has built in word selection? I know "Wordpad" is based off that Windows control, and it can turn that word-selection behavior on and off? Anyone?

curwiler
Isn't that lovely? Hmmmm?

It's not univeral, it's set by the application. I turn this "feature" off myself as I hate it. For example, in Word 2003, go to Tools->Options, select the Edit tab, and then uncheck the "When selecting..." checkbox. Voila, no more selecting entire words.

-Chuck

travis
eo

curwiler wrote:
It's not univeral, it's set by the application. I turn this "feature" off myself as I hate it. For example, in Word 2003, go to Tools->Options, select the Edit tab, and then uncheck the "When selecting..." checkbox. Voila, no more selecting entire words.

-Chuck

Sweet, thanks. Any idea how to disable it in IE? (And all the apps that use an embedded version of it)

rheaney

I think the behaviour is quite useful sometimes.

But to select part of the word in any app that uses it, let the whole word get selected, then pull the cursor in the opposite direction over said word. This will allow partial selection quite easily.