Sonny Software

Sorry, forgot-

When using auto-complete, I'm used in other programs (including, admittedly, years of EndNote indoctrination) to hitting Return to accept the auto-complete. In Bookends the key is Enter and Return truncates the entry and moves to the next line. I personally find having to stop and lift my hand to Enter (on my G5 desktop keyboard the only Enter key is way over to the right on the number pad, but I guess it's not so much of an issue on a laptop) a lot less handy than just hitting Return. It doesn't necessarily have to be Return, but it would be awful handy and much faster to be able to accept autocomplete and move to the next line with some key that can be reached without interrupting typing. Is this possible?

Thanks,
Jonathan

It is certainly possible. The reason I have Return behave the way it does is that you often enter names that are "within" other names (e.g. Smith and Smithson), and Bookends does "less harm" with Return (the natural key to strike) by not inserting the longer name, which will force you to go back and edit.

Again, I'm open to change if that's what other folks want.

Jon
Sonny Software

Jon wrote:It is certainly possible. The reason I have Return behave the way it does is that you often enter names that are "within" other names (e.g. Smith and Smithson), and Bookends does "less harm" with Return (the natural key to strike) by not inserting the longer name, which will force you to go back and edit.

I hadn't thought of that. But if you hit Return at Smith when autocomplete is suggesting Smithson, won't you have to go back to the previous line anyway and edit to add Smith's initials?

Jonathan

Anonymous wrote:I hadn't thought of that. But if you hit Return at Smith when autocomplete is suggesting Smithson, won't you have to go back to the previous line anyway and edit to add Smith's initials?

Yes (assuming you are entering names with surname first, as you should), so that's not a great example. But autocomplete works in potentially any field (default authors, editors, keywords, and journal). In the non-name fields, then, it may be even more of an issue.

As I said, I can swap the behavior of Return and Enter, but there are consequences that some folks may not like.

You could make a poll question for this, if you still think it's a good idea.

Jon
Sonny Software

I see what you're saying. My opinion is still that on balance throughout the fields, the instances in which you want to accept the autocomplete far outweigh the instances in which you want to truncate it. Hence I'd prefer the more convenient keystroke (Return) for the more common task and the less convenient (Enter) for the special case. But perhaps other users feel differently. How do I make a poll question? Just by posting a new thread with a poll question in the title?

Another option for truncation is something like the EndNote behaviour - I don't think EndNote has the Bookends current Return functionality of truncating and moving to a new line. But you can press Delete to truncate and exit from Autocomplete (and stay on the same line). I actually find pressing Delete followed by Return more convenient than using Enter would be, despite the extra keystroke, just because they're both accesible from regular typing position - Enter requires a total break in workflow and resumption.

Well, I'd be very interested to hear what other users think.

Jonathan

I also expected the behaviour to be that Return accepted the suggestion, and was surprised to see that Bookends does it differently.

I would definitely prefer the Return key accepts the suggestion and moves on. My $0.02.

OK, I've tentatively changed the behavior of the Return key -- it will work just like the Enter key now. To stop autocomplete at the point of the cursor in the text field, press the backward arrow key (it has always worked this way).

I'll keep watching this thread to see what folks think.

And Jonathan, yes, if you want to create a poll you just start a new topic and make it a poll question.

Jon
Sonny Software

How about adding a dropdown menu to the auto-complete function, that is automatically narrowed down (as you type), navigated via the arrow keys, and that auto-completes the selected entry, when you hit return?

Jon? Others?

Jon wrote:OK, I've tentatively changed the behavior of the Return key -- it will work just like the Enter key now.

My entries are still truncated, when I hit return. Doesn't return mean auto-complete under the current Bookends config.?


Thomas

Anonymous wrote:How about adding a dropdown menu to the auto-complete function, that is automatically narrowed down (as you type), navigated via the arrow keys, and that auto-completes the selected entry, when you hit return?

Use the up and down arrow keys for that.

Jon wrote:OK, I've tentatively changed the behavior of the Return key -- it will work just like the Enter key now.

My entries are still truncated, when I hit return. Doesn't return mean auto-complete under the current Bookends config.?

I added that yesterday -- it will appear in 8.0.2, which has not been released.

Jon
Sonny Software

Anonymous wrote:How about adding a dropdown menu to the auto-complete function, that is automatically narrowed down (as you type), navigated via the arrow keys, and that auto-completes the selected entry, when you hit return?

Use the up and down arrow keys for that.

Right. Thanks, Jon!