Entering and Editing Text

Many applications include areas for entering and editing text. The Text entry area may be a single line for entering the answer to a question in a DialogBox. However, the Text area can be any length, depending on the needs of the application.

This guide assumes that you are using applications in an English locale; if you are using applications based on other locales you need to refer to the application's documentation for information about entering and editing text.

Text components use an insertion cursor to indicate where the information that you are typing will be inserted. When a Text component has the input focus, the insertion cursor is indicated by a blinking I-beam cursor.

To move the Text insertion cursor:

1. Move the pointer to the position where you want to begin typing.
2. Click Button 1. The I-beam insertion cursor will move to that location to let you know that you can begin typing.

If a Text component has the input focus, you can navigate through the text using the keyboard. The left and right arrows keys move the insertion cursor by a character. The up and down arrow keys move the insertion cursor by a line. Pressing and using the left and right arrows navigates by words. Pressing and using the up and down arrows navigates by paragraphs. , , or , and or move the insertion cursor by pages.

You can use any of the following methods to select Text:

• Press Button 1 and drag over the region that you want to select
• Click Button 1 twice in a word to select that word
• Click Button 1 multiple times to select larger areas, as determined by the application

To deselect a region with the mouse, move the pointer anywhere outside of the selected region and click Button 1. If you want to move the insertion cursor without changing the selection, move the pointer to the location where you want to begin typing, hold down , and click Button 1.

Text components provide four ways to copy or move text within the same component or from one component to another: clipboard transfer, drag transfer, primary transfer, and quick transfer.

To use clipboard transfer:

1. Select the text that you want to copy or move
2. Type to copy the text to the clipboard or to cut it to the clipboard
3. Move the insertion cursor to the location where you want to insert the text
4. Type to paste the text to the new location

To move or copy text using drag transfer:

1. Select the text that you want to copy or move.
2. Move the pointer over the selected text and press Button 2.
3. Drag the pointer to the location where you want to insert the text.
4. Release Button 2. Typically, the text will be moved to the new location. Hold down while releasing Button 2 to ensure a move operation. Hold down while releasing Button 2 to ensure a copy operation.

To use primary transfer:

1. Select the text that you want to copy or move.
2. Move the pointer to the location where you want to insert the selected text.
3. To copy the text, click Button 2. To move the text, hold down and click Button 2.

To move or copy text using quick transfer:

1. Move the pointer to the location where you want the text to be inserted.
2. Click Button 1.
3. Move the pointer to the location of the text that you want to move or copy.
4. Hold down and press and hold down Button 2 as you drag the pointer over the text that you want to transfer. The text in the region you select will be underlined.
5. Release Button 2 to copy the text. To move the text, press and hold down and as you make your selection and release Button 2.

You can cancel an in-progress quick transfer operation by pressing before releasing Button 2 or by releasing Button 2 outside of the Text component.

You can also select, copy and move text using the keyboard instead of the mouse. To make a selection, press and hold down and use the various Text navigation keys to highlight the text that you want to select. Release to complete the selection.

Once the selection has been made, any further use of the navigational keys will deselect the region. You can either use the mouse as previously described to copy or move the selection or press to enter add mode. When you are in add mode, you can move the insertion cursor without causing the selection to be deselected. After moving the insertion cursor, press to copy the selection. Press to move the selection.

To delete text within a Text component, use and . If text is selected, either key will delete the selection. If there is no selected text, deletes the character preceding the cursor and deletes the character following the cursor.