Something interesting that I noticed

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Michelle Steiner - 04 Oct 2008 04:25 GMT

If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
rectangular block of text.

Curiously, this does not work in Pages or in any third-party software
that I've tried.

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TaliesinSoft - 04 Oct 2008 04:56 GMT

> If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
> rectangular block of text.
>
> Curiously, this does not work in Pages or in any third-party software
> that I've tried.

I did a quick check with TextEdit and Pages and, by golly, it seems you are
right! On the other hand I'm not sure when I would ever use such a
rectangular text selection.

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James Leo Ryan ..... Austin, Texas ..... taliesinsoft@me.com

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Howard S Shubs - 04 Oct 2008 05:14 GMT

> I did a quick check with TextEdit and Pages and, by golly, it seems you are
> right! On the other hand I'm not sure when I would ever use such a
> rectangular text selection.

It's occasionally useful to me. If I want to, for instance, select a
column in some plaintext, this is essential.

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Michelle Steiner - 04 Oct 2008 12:10 GMT

> I did a quick check with TextEdit and Pages and, by golly, it seems
> you are right! On the other hand I'm not sure when I would ever use
> such a rectangular text selection.

If you had tabular text and wanted to extract, for example, the second
through fourth of six columns.

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Jeffrey Goldberg - 04 Oct 2008 15:24 GMT

> On Fri, 3 Oct 2008 22:25:51 -0500, Michelle Steiner wrote

>> If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
>> mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
>> rectangular block of text.

> I did a quick check with TextEdit and Pages and, by golly, it seems you are
> right! On the other hand I'm not sure when I would ever use such a
> rectangular text selection.

I remember using the ability to select a rectangular area of text in Emacs
long ago (I guess it's still there, but I haven't used Emacs in decades).
It was, as others have said, useful when you had text in columns.

Cheers,

-j

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David Blanchard - 05 Oct 2008 00:55 GMT

>I remember using the ability to select a rectangular area of text in Emacs
>long ago (I guess it's still there, but I haven't used Emacs in decades).
>It was, as others have said, useful when you had text in columns.

I used the rectangular cut and paste in emacs extensively. Sometime
after upgrading from version 18.x to 19.x, it broke. I fixed it, but
it broke with another update and I haven't bothered to figure out
what's wrong. Nowadays, there are many editors that handle RC&P so
there's no need to use emacs to do it. Even MS Word can do it and has
for many versions. With many/most of these apps, it's the option key
that makes it work.

I still use emacs, tho'. (This post was written using emacs and
trn. How's that for living in the past!)

-db-

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Jeffrey Goldberg - 05 Oct 2008 03:24 GMT

> I still use emacs, tho'. (This post was written using emacs and
> trn. How's that for living in the past!)

Vi and pine for me.

-j

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E Z Peaces - 04 Oct 2008 17:08 GMT

>> If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
>> mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> right! On the other hand I'm not sure when I would ever use such a
> rectangular text selection.

It works in mail.app. Now if I want to copy a quoted paragraph from a
message, I can select it without the quote bars.

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Michelle Steiner - 05 Oct 2008 00:57 GMT

> It works in mail.app. Now if I want to copy a quoted paragraph from
> a message, I can select it without the quote bars.

It doesn't work in mail.app for me. Leopard 10.5.5

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Jeffrey Goldberg - 05 Oct 2008 03:29 GMT

>> On Fri, 3 Oct 2008 22:25:51 -0500, Michelle Steiner wrote

> It works in mail.app. Now if I want to copy a quoted paragraph from a
> message, I can select it without the quote bars.

Nice. You can also increase or decrease quote level in mail composition,
but this lets you copy into other apps nicely. I'm pleased to learn this.

Terminal also allows the Option rectangular select.

Cheers,

-j

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isw - 04 Oct 2008 18:30 GMT

> > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> > mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> right! On the other hand I'm not sure when I would ever use such a
> rectangular text selection.

Also works in MacGourmet, where it really comes in handy. You'd be
surprised how often some idiot types a recipe and starts every line of
the ingredients list with "* " or something similar.

I think it's a feature of the system's text handling package, but some
apps just don't use it. I'm pretty sure I recall doing rectangular
selections in OS-pre-X, too.

Isaac

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Howard S Shubs - 04 Oct 2008 05:14 GMT

Word has done this since forever.

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Jamie Kahn Genet - 04 Oct 2008 05:38 GMT

It works in VoodooPad as well.

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sbt - 04 Oct 2008 05:54 GMT

> > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> > mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> It works in VoodooPad as well.

And it has worked in BBEdit for a number of years. Might work in
TextWrangler as well, but I don't have it around since I use BBEdit.

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Spenser

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Michelle Steiner - 04 Oct 2008 12:08 GMT

> > > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor),
> > > the mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> And it has worked in BBEdit for a number of years. Might work in
> TextWrangler as well, but I don't have it around since I use BBEdit.

Nope, not in TextWrangler. That's one of the third-party apps I tried.

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jemmy - 04 Oct 2008 16:03 GMT

>>>> If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor),
>>>> the mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Nope, not in TextWrangler. That's one of the third-party apps I tried.

I just tried it in TW 2.3, and it works. Also works in Unison.

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Michelle Steiner - 05 Oct 2008 00:58 GMT

> > Nope, not in TextWrangler. That's one of the third-party apps I tried.
>
> I just tried it in TW 2.3, and it works. Also works in Unison.

Doesn't work in TW 2.3 for me.

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Salmon Egg - 04 Oct 2008 11:45 GMT

> Don't repeat the mistakes of the past eight years.
> Vote for Obama and Biden.

GET NOVEL MISTAKES! I am not bashing these guys. However, history has
shown that even the all administrations make plenty of mistakes. I just
hope they will not make blunders as colossal as the ones we have seen
during the past seven + years.

Bill

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Tim McNamara - 04 Oct 2008 14:49 GMT

> > Don't repeat the mistakes of the past eight years. Vote for Obama
> > and Biden.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> just hope they will not make blunders as colossal as the ones we have
> seen during the past seven + years.

It's not like they are going to be able to keep a single campaign
promise, thanks to nearly a decade of rampant deficit spending and
something like $6,000,000,000,000 in new federalized debt. Of course,
that's been part of the Republican plan since 1981- bankrupt the
government to put a stop to social programs. The Republicans apparently
didn't learn the lessons of the Soviet Union and may destroy the US yet.

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Fred Moore - 04 Oct 2008 16:35 GMT

> > > Don't repeat the mistakes of the past eight years. Vote for Obama
> > > and Biden.
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> government to put a stop to social programs. The Republicans apparently
> didn't learn the lessons of the Soviet Union and may destroy the US yet.

For all the Fascists (they call themselves Republicans) complain about
the Democrats raising taxes, King George passed the greatest tax
increase in US history -- the Iraq war. Total cost estimate $2 Trillion
(that _is_ with a 'T') dollars by the time everything is paid for. Don't
hear anything about cutting _that_ public expenditure. But then if you
keep cutting programs for the poor (and , remember, God hates them,
otherwise they wouldn't be poor), they will have to enlist in the storm
troopers to survive. Perfect synchronicity: Imperialism needs LOTS of
cannon fodder.

So, given the tab the US has run up with its war crime not to mention
the current financial fiasco, the next Prez is going to have to raise
taxes to pay it off, whoever he is. (Our Chinese sugardaddies are
threatening to foreclose.) The only question is who pays. I say let
those who benefited disproportionately from the system pay
disproportionately for the system, at least until we can have them
executed as war criminals.

--Fred

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Wes Groleau - 04 Oct 2008 19:35 GMT

> taxes to pay it off, whoever he is. (Our Chinese sugardaddies are
> threatening to foreclose.) The only question is who pays. I say let
> those who benefited disproportionately from the system pay
> disproportionately for the system, at least until we can have them

OK, let's handle the first problem with the suggestion
in the second half:

Dear Chinese "friends":

Our audit determines that the money you gave us was received
in taxes and fees from the workers doing the _______ jobs that
if not done over there would have been paying even more taxes
over here.

Enclosed is a receipt acknowledging your repayment.

Thanks,
Uncle Sam

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Wes Groleau

Don't get even--get odd.

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Fred Moore - 05 Oct 2008 01:13 GMT

> > taxes to pay it off, whoever he is. (Our Chinese sugardaddies are
> > threatening to foreclose.) The only question is who pays. I say let
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> Thanks,
> Uncle Sam

Excellent, Wes! Hey, it works for hedge funds and offshore banking.

And apologies to Michelle for helping to hijack her thread; but
employing the current US ethic of 'It's not my fault!', Salmon Egg
started it.

--Fred

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Wes Groleau - 04 Oct 2008 19:14 GMT

>> Don't repeat the mistakes of the past eight years.
>> Vote for Obama and Biden.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> hope they will not make blunders as colossal as the ones we have seen
> during the past seven + years.

I just _noticed_ an _interesting_ Newsweek article suggesting that
Bush & Co. have quietly modified their approach on a lot of things
and therefore (author's point) it would be well for the new guy
to NOT reverse _some_ current approaches.

No details - read it yourself or go to a political newsgroup.

Another thing I read talked about the tax breaks for re-investing
income earned abroad in the foreign subsidiary. They claimed

1. EVERY candidate for ages has loudly condemned it during the
campaign, but failed to change it when elected.

2. Ending it won't stop jobs from moving to less expensive countries,
but it least it will stop your taxes from rewarding the company
for firing you.

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Kurt R. Todoroff - 04 Oct 2008 23:47 GMT

The Alpha text editor has done this for quite some time.

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AES - 05 Oct 2008 15:36 GMT

In article <michelle-FE514D.20255103102008@news.west.cox.net>,
Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> wrote:

> If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
> rectangular block of text.

Is this in Leopard only? Doesn't seem to work for me in Tiger.

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Michelle Steiner - 05 Oct 2008 15:40 GMT

> > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor),
> > the mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select
> > a rectangular block of text.
>
> Is this in Leopard only?

I don't know.

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Vote for Obama and Biden.

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Mike Rosenberg - 05 Oct 2008 15:58 GMT

> > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> > mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
> > rectangular block of text.
>
> Is this in Leopard only? Doesn't seem to work for me in Tiger.

I just tried it on a Mac running 10.4.11. It does work, but the
crosshair only appeared in rich text documents. In plain text the
standard i-beam remained when I pressed the option key but I was able to
make rectangular selections anyway.

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Michelle Steiner - 05 Oct 2008 17:11 GMT

> > Is this in Leopard only? Doesn't seem to work for me in Tiger.
>
> I just tried it on a Mac running 10.4.11. It does work, but the
> crosshair only appeared in rich text documents. In plain text the
> standard i-beam remained when I pressed the option key but I was able
> to make rectangular selections anyway.

In Leopard, the crosshairs appear in in plain text documents. But
here's an interesting twist: When I switched from plain text to RTF
with a block of text selected, the text reflowed (because of different
fonts and sizes), but the selected text remained the same, even though
it was now discontiguous. It looked very strange, to say the least.
Switching back to plain text brought the selection back to the original
rectangular block.

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David - 07 Oct 2008 23:27 GMT

> In article <michelle-FE514D.20255103102008@news.west.cox.net>,
> Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Is this in Leopard only? Doesn't seem to work for me in Tiger.

I am using tiger and it works for me with texedit and MS Word (no
crosshair in word tho)

David

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AES - 08 Oct 2008 00:34 GMT

> > > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> > > mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> I am using tiger and it works for me with texedit and MS Word (no
> crosshair in word tho)

You're absolutely correct -- with TXT or RTF documents.

Have no clue as to what I did wrong the first time I tried it.

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David - 05 Oct 2008 02:03 GMT

While strangely it doesn't work in Pages, it DOES work in MS Word! Try
it. You don't get the cross hairs but you can still drag-select a
rectangular block of text with the I-Beam.

A good find - One more of the marvels of modern science

David

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Fred Moore - 05 Oct 2008 15:43 GMT

> > If you press the option key in TextEdit (also in Script Editor), the
> > mouse pointer changes to crosshairs. You can then drag-select a
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> A good find - One more of the marvels of modern science

This actually goes back to 10.3. Here is a post from Nov 03 mentioning
it: <http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20031029132145477>

This feature is supposed to be available to all fully Cocoa apps, but
can be implemented independently by an app's developer. In M$ Word it
goes back at least to v5 if not before. Why Apple would leave such a
useful feature out of Pages is a mystery for the NSA to sort out.

--Fred

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Mac Forum / General / General / October 2008

Something interesting that I noticed