Eliminate CTRL+Space to start a quick-drop, add right-click to drop

[Mercuri]

I was using quick-drop today and I had an idea to yet further augment the insane efficient of this tool...

A) Display the Quick-Drop dialog box when a letter or number is pressed on the block diagram instead of CTRL+Space. Letters and numbers don't do anything unless you're typing in a comment, constant, etc. This would eliminate two keys from the process.

and

B) Select the best Quick-Drop match with a right-click while the dialog box is open. The right mouse button does nothing in this dialog box at the moment. This would eliminate the motion to the Enter key and stay over the letters / numbers with my left hand.

SO...

If I have "g" assigned to "Greater?", all I would need to do is press "g" and right-click. BAM. DONE. The original method would be CTRL+Space, then press "g", then press Enter, and then I'd have to move my hand back to CTRL+Space for the next combo.

I know it seems small, but I use Quick-Drop HUNDREDS of times a day. What do you think?

[jcarmody]

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@Mercuri wrote:

[...] The original method would be CTRL+Space, then press "g", then press Enter, [...]

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Super Quick Drop: CTRL+Space, g, left click

[Mercuri]

Aha... Ok, no right-click then. 🙂

However, I would like to eliminate the CTRL+Space still, or at least avoid having to use it. It just seems like an unnecessary step.

[Darren]

When I originally prototyped Quick Drop, I advocated for the "just start typing" activation, but others around here argued that an explicit gesture was a preferrable user experience. If this idea gets enough kudos (it just got one from me), we can revisit that decision.

For the time being, we'll have to be content with Super Quick Drop.

[Darren]

Mercuri: Can I edit the idea to remove the "right-click" stuff, since Super Quick Drop currently facilitates that behavior with a left click?

[Mercuri]

Thanks for the feedback, Darren. 🙂

Question regarding the right-click... Maybe it would still be better to just add it seeing as it presently doesn't perform any function in that dialog box? My thinking is this... When I'm coding in LabVIEW, I frequently have the part of the block diagram I'm working on in the center of the screen. Using left-click, I have to move the mouse out of the way of the dialog and then click outstide of it, and then move the mouse back to what the dialog box was obscuring. I understand this, because you need to be able to select from the dialog.

However, with a right-click option, you could right-click anywhere, seeing as it doesn't do anything anyways. It would just be a couple less mouse motions.

As far as the "just start typing"... Maybe this could be a checkbox in Options??

[Sam_Sharp]

Question and or possible improvement on this idea: You right click anyway to bring up the palettes (unless you have it pinned), why not allow invocation of the quick drop palette if you start typing after right clicking to bring up the palettes? That way you replace the ctrl+space with a right click but also be able to browse the palettes if you can't remember the name of something.

(In fact...what I'm probably asking for is to redesign the palettes to include the quick-drop box at the top if you start typing)

[Darren]

Any idea that has received less than 5 kudos within 5 years after posting will be automatically declined.