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Nearly all PC keyboards have, for the last decade, included not only a "scroll lock" key, but a light as well. Additionally, if ToggleKeys is on, Windows will beep whenever the state of CAPSlock, 123lock, or "scroll lock" changes. Although the first two are very useful features (esp. the beep to let
me know that I should turn off CAPSlock or 123lock before trying to do anything) scroll lock is pretty useless. Even if it gets turned on by mistake nobody would really notice.
Insert mode, on the other hand, can be quite insidious. Turn that on by mistake and you can mess things up very easily without warning.
I would therefore like to see an option to make the scroll-lock light and beep indicate the state of the insert mode. Under DOS both the insert and scroll-lock keys were handled basically identically (different bits of $40:$16 and $40:$17); I don't know how they're handled under Windows. Still, it shouldn't be that hard to have the indicators track Insert.
More Scroll Lock Key Uses
http://www.straight...ag/mscrolllock.html
Yeah, umm, read this [Size_Mick, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]
[link]
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Nice idea, but some applications ignore the insert key, so displaying its status as an LED would be misleading; it's better to let applications display it in their toolbar, as Word, Visual Studio, etc, do. Insert is purely a software thing - selecting overtype in one application has no effect in another. |
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Does anyone actually use "overwrite" mode? I never do, and would be quite happy if that toggle was removed. |
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Waugs, yes, people use the overwrite mode especially in CAD systems, and I would imagine in various types of data entry. |
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pottedstu: //Nice idea, but some applications ignore the insert key, so displaying its status as an LED would be misleading; // |
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Any more so than Scroll-Lock? I have seen some Windows applications show the Scroll-Lock state on their toolbar, but I have NEVER seen a Windows application that, outside of the indicator, altered its behavior in any way in response to Scroll-Lock. Has anyone? |
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An alternative would be if applications would show a different cursor shape when insert is enabled. Some applications already do this... |
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The only program that uses Scroll Lock is MS Excel. With Scroll Lock on, hitting the DOWN button scrolls down the worksheet. With it off, it simply moves down a cell to edit. |
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So... unless you're using excel, it's only real purpose is to shine a little reassuring green LED. it also makes a good nightlite! |
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"Tandy users make sure numlock is off" |
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Just wondered how many people remember seeing that message from just about every pre-1993 DOS game ever made :) |
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Speaking of Scroll Lock, there are a few more uses for it besides just Excel (see my link). Not a lot, just a few. |
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