[josm-dev] Thoughts for further step to modeless operation in JOSM

[David Earl]

On 19/08/2008 19:34, Gervase Markham wrote:
> David Earl wrote:
>> The two threads of recent days, in particular about the cross to add a 
>> new node, are expressing an underlying frustration about the remaining 
>> modes in JOSM. The cross is a bit of a hack to work round this. Can we 
>> do more to get rid of the modes? 
> 
> I would draw the group's attention again to my modeless UI proposal -
> the section "New UI Design (by Gerv) - version 2" on
> http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php/JOSM/UI
> 
> As the green sections show, it's not a massive change from what we have
> now, but has the advantage of being modeless and consistent with other
> applications in the same or a similar space (e.g. vector drawing apps).

It doesn't look modeless to me (not that mine is completely modeless 
either). You seem to have to go into the way construction mode with 
ALT+CLICK instead of N, and leave it with a double click instead of S.

I will add my proposal to that page as well.

Is anyone implementing your proposal or intending to do so any time soon?

If we were to encapsulate a set of user interactions into a common class 
or set of classes, we could substitute them on demand so people could 
try them, and then bring together the preferred aspects of each.

I think the critical thing is how the simple click can be arranged to 
extend ways and do selection (or some other means of conveniently doing 
both of these things); in your case it is ALT+CLICK, in mine it is 
implicit, and in another one I've seen it is by dragging.

David