[josm-dev] Bug 595 - Virtual nodes - Comments requested

[David Earl]

On 18/08/2008 18:31, Maarten Deen wrote:
> Matthias Julius wrote:
> There is the catch. Shift-Click and a node without a segment is created. Release 
> the shift and the segment is created. The only way to create a node without a 
> segment is to created two nodes. Then the first is created without a segment, 
> but as soon as you release the shift, a segment is added to the last nod you 
> created. Try it out and you'll see!

At last I see what you are getting at.

If you SHIFT then BUTTON DOWN then BUTTON UP then RELEASE SHIFT you get 
what we've all been saying.

If you SHIFT then BUTTON DOWN then RELEASE SHIFT then BUTTON UP you get 
what you've been saying.

But why would you do that? SHIFT+CLICK usually means to press *and 
release* the mouse button. Why hold the mouse button down for long 
enough to deliberately release the shift key?

Generally the release of the mouse key is used to be the trigger for 
something to happen, not down. Both Adobe Illustrator (which uses shift 
for snap to 90/45 degrees) and Inkscape's line tools (which uses shift 
for controlling symmetry of handles AFAICS) behaves as JOSM. Windows 
(and Java) file selection does work as you describe but because the 
selection is made on the down, not the up (so you can't cancel before 
releasing the button), but that's not involved in drawing lines.

So, this behaviour is to do with whether up or down button is used to do 
the operation, not specifically whether the shift key is involved.

David