Locked Controls

[David Kenny]

Not an immediate need, but the size and position lock on locked controls is not being honored by the arrow-key "nudging". Locked  controls are also included in drag-selection of multiple controls.  They won't move when you drag with the mouse, however, they will "nudge" with the rest of them.  Just want to get it into your tracker.

David

[Gary Stout]

David,
If I recall, the nudging with the arrow keys was intentional, but I am not sure if it was intentional for multiple selected items.

Gary

[Paul Squires]

In Visual Studio 2010 (Beta 2), when a control is locked, you can not move it via the mouse or the keyboard. Likewise, you can not move it when it is part of a selected group.

Would you like FF3 to mirror the way VS2010 works?

[David Kenny]

Gary,
Of course nudging would be by design and it's even more powerful and useful with selected groups.  I was saying that Locked controls should not be moved by nudging.

Paul,
I vote for locked meaning can't-move.  Of course, if some people find the current way useful, it could be user selectable setting?

[Cho Sing Kum]

If by nudging means:

1) the Ctrl-ArrowKeys to move the position and
2) the Shift-ArrowKeys to change the size

then I do understand that ONLY when I press the Ctrl or Shift keys combination that I will affect the size/position of locked controls, otherwise they will not be affected. In other words, I must INTENTIONALLY do it to override the locked state.

If this is the case, then I think I do not understand the issue. The feature allow changing multiple or individual control/s position and/or size of locked controls without having to individually unlock, change and then lock back. And this only when done intentionally and knowingly.

[David Kenny]

Cho, 
I appreciate your insights.  The issue would be that nudging (your definition was accurate) is not the method used to move locked controls. It's the method used to position a control with accuracy.  Using a mouse to move a control just one-pixel can be difficult. Although, when it's not obeying the locked setting, I can see how it might seem that moving and sizing with the arrow keys might be the designated way to move a locked control. It sounds like we can put you down for creating a preference setting.

[Cho Sing Kum]

The issue would be that nudging (your definition was accurate) is not the method used to move locked controls. It's the method used to position a control with accuracy.

I would not agree that "nudging is not the method used to move locked controls". I have been using MS IDE for many years since the 1990s and this is how it has been. I have never be able to accidentally move locked controls by dragging them with the mouse.

As it is now, the use of Shift and Crtl already give it the "preference" or "user selectable". There is no need to put me down for creating a preference setting. Please do not jump to conclusion.

I would not suggest more load on Paul on something that is already there.

[Rolf Brandt]

I think the way it is now - locking the mouse but being able to move locked controls with the keys - ist just perfect.

The problematic behavior was that sometimes you dobleclicked a control and you woul accidentally move it. Locking prevents this. Accidentally movig or resizing a control with keys I can hardly imagine.

And I find it great that you can move groups of controls at the same time too.

(Just my personal opinion of course...)

[David Kenny]

Rolf and Cho,
I could get used to it either way.  It seemed pretty obvious to me that moving a locked control with the mouse after multi-selecting it was not what was supposed to happen.  I noticed a similar behavior with key-adjustments.  I did jump to a conclusion that this too was unintentional.  I'll respect Paul's decision on how tho handle it.

Cho, by your post it seems that you like this 'feature'. I have no problem with that. Based on my belief that the behavior is unintentional and will be fixed - my only conclusion was that you would like to be able to keep it the way it is. If it is 'fixed', that would have to be a preference setting.

Best Regards,

David

[Rolf Brandt]

Hi David,

I think Paul described a similar situation once like this:
"If you like it it's a feature, if not it is a bug!"

I personally love it the way it is.

[Gary Stout]

I think the way it is now - locking the mouse but being able to move locked controls with the keys - ist just perfect.

And I find it great that you can move groups of controls at the same time too.

(Just my personal opinion of course...)

I agree..... I like it the way it is, but if there were changes made, then hopefully it can be user selectable.

Gary

[Cho Sing Kum]

Rolf and Cho,
Cho, by your post it seems that you like this 'feature'. I have no problem with that. Based on my belief that the behavior is unintentional and will be fixed - my only conclusion was that you would like to be able to keep it the way it is. If it is 'fixed', that would have to be a preference setting.

It is not a matter of whether I like it or not. From what I see, it does not need to fixed. As it is now, locked controls cannot be moved or resized accidentally. Yet during a design or re-design ofthe GUI, locked controls can still be moved/resized to suit. All this, bearing in mind, is already there.

I hope you can stop yourself from making assumption or jumping to conclusion that I would this or I would that.

As it is now, it works perfectly and is consistent with what I have seen. This all I am saying.

[Martin Francom]

I'm with Cho and Rolf on this one.  Keep it the way it is.

[Rolf Brandt]

It is not a matter of whether I like it or not. From what I see, it does not need to fixed. As it is now, locked controls cannot be moved or resized accidentally. Yet during a design or re-design ofthe GUI, locked controls can still be moved/resized to suit. All this, bearing in mind, is already there.

I hope you can stop yourself from making assumption or jumping to conclusion that I would this or I would that.

Hey Cho, that sounded a bit harsh. I think David was not jumping to conclusions or making assumptions.

I think it does matter what we like or not. We all have our certain preferences. I for instance like FF because in many ways it behaves like Visual Studio 6, and here especiall VB6. I still like that version VS better than the newer versions. And certein features of FF3 are now even improving over VB6. So many things I like are influenced by that environment. Somebody who comes from a different background might have different preferences. David probably has his reasons.

For me personally the way the locking of controls as it is right now is perfect, because the danger of accidentally sizing or moving of control is banned.

[Cho Sing Kum]

Hi Rolf,

I agree with you I was harsh. Perhaps reply #5 was the trigger. Usually I do not post like this .

I live in a multi-religion, multi-racial, multi-cultural society. To keep the harmony, I have learned how and why not to in any way that when someone does not explicitly say so, not to impose that that someone want this or like this or that.

The forum is the same. We come from different programming environment.

The way the lock property is working is by design and by intention:
http://www.planetsquires.com/protect/forum/index.php?topic=2073.msg17122#msg17122

It is working perfectly, with no possibility that locked controls be accidentally moved or resized yet allow for this flexibility by intentionally pressing the Crtl or Shift keys.