Apple 2 manual Writing, Drawing, and Editing, Text Input

C H A P T E R 6

Data Input

Writing, Drawing, and Editing

In some places users can’t be restricted to multiple-choice input methods. They must be able to input their own text or shapes (pictures). The Newton interface includes several elements in which users can write text or draw pictures. Some of these interface elements recognize text from handwriting or printing, some recognize geometric shapes from line drawings, and one interface element recognizes both types of input. All of the interface elements that recognize text or shapes also recognize a common set of gestures with which users can correct and edit text and shapes.

Text Input

There are several interface elements for text input. They can accept all types of written input, including general text, numbers, phone numbers, dates, and time. Applications can also tune the text-input elements for a specific type of text, such as numbers, phone numbers, or dates. All text-input elements have the following capabilities:

■Recognition Automatically transform handwriting or printing to typeset text. (An application can let users turn off or delay recognition.)

■Ink Text Display and store handwriting and printing exactly as written, in electronic ink, for later transformation to typeset text at the user’s discretion.

■Text insertion Add newly written words at the caret symbol displayed on the screen or at the end of the nearest line, depending on how the user sets handwriting preferences.

■Clipping Automatically clip text that won’t fit, by showing an ellipsis to indicate text beyond what is visible.

■Correction Let users correct misrecognized text.

6-8 Writing, Drawing, and Editing