CALL FOR INNOVATION: Text selection on Q10

I've been a BlackBerry user since '06, and like many I'm disappointed with the downgrade in text selection functionality from my Bold 9000 to the Q10. This is one of the toughest HMI challenges in the transition to touch screen devices, and so far no one has found a stellar solution. I'd love to see BlackBerry engineers rise to the challenge and set the industry standard on touch screen text manipulation.

Since the Q10 has plenty of keys to work with, here are the shortcuts I'd like to see:

Hold ALT and press...
T/Y to move cursor one character left/right
R/U to move cursor one word left/right
G/H to move AND highlight one char left/right
F/J to move AND highlight one word left/right
O to move cursor one line up
L to move cursor one line down
X to cut
C to copy
V to paste

Who else has ideas for text manipulation on the Q10? Who else wants to challenge BlackBerry to do some real innovating here?



Posted via CB10

Text selection in BB10 is very difficult for me, whereas it was easy as pie on iOS. BlackBerry needs to get their touch calibration fixed, imo. And I like the idea of BlackBerry doing something different, but I don't think keyboard controls will allow for standard creation, even across their own devices, let alone all smartphones.

Posted via CB10

Great idea. Instead of complaining on and on about text selection, we should provide ideas of how it should work. I think we can make it work quite well on the Q10. Here's my proposal.

1. Hold down Shift key.

2. Tap where you want the first dot/beginning of text selection to appear.
2a. Readjust left/right if it didn't appear in the right place
2b. Scroll up/down to general area where you want the second cursor.

3. Tap where you want the second dot/end of text selection to appear.

4. Copy/Cut/Select All pops up in a small selection bubble

Done!

What the "shift" button solves compared to the "hold down a word first" is that there is less dragging around, therefore higher accuracy and precision.

Here's my idea.

Stick with current "circle" cursor positioner. Just hold down shift to start text selection with it and release shift to stop.

Simple, keeps the current UI and functions in place. I really like the circle to navigate around text, just want it to be used for text selection.

Posted via CB10

Originally Posted by Valdar729

Here's my idea.

Stick with current "circle" cursor positioner. Just hold down shift to start text selection with it and release shift to stop.

Simple, keeps the current UI and functions in place. I really like the circle to navigate around text, just want it to be used for text selection.

Posted via CB10

Just hold down shift to start text selection

There's a problem with your solution. Where would the circle first appear?

These are all good suggestions - the circle could just start at the end of the text - use the keys to get it where you want and then hold shift as you select the text and cut etc. Press shift to deactivate. Funny thing is; I very rarely use the shift key as I find it easier holding a key down to capitalise...

Posted via CB10 on my BlackBerry Q10

Originally Posted by jimmyjyc

There's a problem with your solution. Where would the circle first appear?

It should appear wherever you tap, like it currently does.

Tap once to have it appear, if it's not in the right spot move it (the circle is pretty easy to get exact due due drag or tap left/right). Then hold shift when you're ready to start making selections.

Posted via CB10

Originally Posted by Valdar729

Here's my idea.

Stick with current "circle" cursor positioner. Just hold down shift to start text selection with it and release shift to stop.

Simple, keeps the current UI and functions in place. I really like the circle to navigate around text, just want it to be used for text selection.

Posted via CB10

Nice idea.

Posted via The Force.

Tried shift key and doesn't work for selection

???

Posted via CB10

I like this idea. I would like to be able to utilize my keyboard more than what is available.

I remember on BBOS I could set my keyboard to search directly from homescreen w/ keyboard or use keyboard to launch apps etc depending on which option I set.

I would like to be able to alter if my Q10 does the search or actions directly from homescreen.

Posted via CB10

I really don't understand why we can't speed dial from the home screen like we can with the Bold. We search immediately as well with the Bold, so what's the big deal with the Q10? I know for some, 3 steps on the Q10 vs 1 on the Bold would not be a very big deal, but for us who are spoiled by the features on our Bold, it is frustrating not to have it.

Posted via CB10

I am working on a Q10 port of my Syntax text editor app which is written in Qt so text selection really sucks (it's made for a desktop with a mouse). I did something like this but I did it through my implementation of the sym keyboard instead because it would be non-standard and no-one would find it otherwise, but it's the same idea. You press the bright blue button to start highlighting from the cursor position then use the arrows to select text just as you would on your desktop. The copy/cut shortcuts become upside down question mark/paste when not selecting text.

Attachment 176051

I have a great idea to be able to refine/adjust the curser to the correct spot after you tap the screen, without the use of the circle:

Make the spacebar into a trackpad when ALT key is pressed.

What do u guys think?

Sadly, we often see that "new" not always mens "better". The use of the trackpad was something that shouldn't had to be removed!:cant-watch:

Originally Posted by deadcowboy

Text selection in BB10 is very difficult for me, whereas it was easy as pie on iOS. BlackBerry needs to get their touch calibration fixed, imo. And I like the idea of BlackBerry doing something different, but I don't think keyboard controls will allow for standard creation, even across their own devices, let alone all smartphones.

Posted via CB10

Cloning a previous response on another thread with q10 as it s on topic...
06-10-2013, 04:04 AM
#155
Not familiar with the blackberry keyboard shortcuts, but could it be possible ageeeing on some shortcuts for text selection and coming with a proposal? maybe word 2 go has some shorcut for this btw.
Not serious proposal as i didnt check what exists or what was existing nor what is possible. but could be prototyped and published as a free app for testing. But to start with and launch a discussion, Feel free to start a new thread from this as i wont follow it up myself.
select word (long tap, double shift? Somehow like double clicks)
Select sentence (triple shift, somehow like triple clicks on x11)
extend selection on right, alt held then shift right
Extend selection on left, alt held then sym
Reduce selection form right, shift left held then shift right
Reduce selection from left, shift left held then sym
Extend selection one line up, shift right held then alt
extend selection one line down, shift right held then **** left
Reduce selection one line down, sym then alt
Reduce selection one line up, sym then shift left
But i don't know if some gesture could be rather use on a physical keyboard, with fast swipe of several letters..

I was hoping i could force a custom dic on the keyboard, and use flick gesture for the keywords (Lua) and or the identifiers in inluded modules and current script. Would be really curious to see if it can really increase coding speed.

Originally Posted by Statomatic

I have a great idea to be able to refine/adjust the curser to the correct spot after you tap the screen, without the use of the circle:

Make the spacebar into a trackpad when ALT key is pressed.

What do u guys think?

Love this idea. Was thinking along the same lines - using the Shift and Alt keys like you do on a PC to manipulate the cursor and choosing some of the keys (maybe +,-,*,/ for example) for arrows up, down, left, right, or the corresponding letters (U, D, L, R). Whatever it takes - anything... I will learn.

I HATE this touch screen thing as it relates to text manipulation, and I miss my little trackball tingum so much. If I'd have tried the Q10 before buying I would have stuck with my 4 year old curve!!! :(