[RTTY] software

[Kok Chen]

On Jan 13, 2011, at 12:56 PM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:

> Printed text never moves on the screen, regardless of linefeeds.
> This makes it very easy and predictable to click on exchange
> elements.

I had an interesting thought over this Roundup weekend.

cocoaModem has an option in its contest interface to convert all CR/LF into space characters.  But it really is not what you always want either (it will still jump a line up occasionally, and you also know when it is coming).  But the appearance is not what the transmitting station intended (especially those that line up their multi line exchanges with extra spaces and dots!).

So this idea occurred to me: don't capture a callsign during a mouse down button action (cocoaModem uses the right mouse button for callsign and exchange captures).  Instead, capture the callsign only at the time that you release the mouse button.  

While the button is depressed, freeze the screen (buffer any additional input away).  You can then steer the mouse cursor to where you want on a static screen (with the button held down) and release the mouse button when the cursor is on the callsign.

One of the keyboard control keys can also be used to freeze the screen.  But it is probably a faster GUI (using a single hand) to hold the screen while the mouse button is down and selecting the callsign when you release the mouse button.  This should reduce some of the "jumping-line stress syndrome."  As far as ergonomics, I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes natural after a short while.  

Should be a trivial change in any software.

73
Chen, W7AY