2026-07-29
- Total posts: 6
- Total runs: 0
- Total distance run: 0.00 km
- Total time run: 00
The Anti-Mac Interface
Interesting article about interface design. Notable quotes: Similarly, computer interfaces must evolve to let us utilize more of the power...Bookmarked by Rickard Lindberg
in #rlworkbenchQuasimode for Text Selection
Nice example of the principle that a humane interface should never put your work at risk. (Not really sure how...Bookmarked by Rickard Lindberg
in #rlworkbenchQuasimode keyboard
Nice discussion about modes.Bookmarked by Rickard Lindberg
in #rlworkbenchToday I learned that copy and paste only works if the program that you copy from is still running.
The SDL API documentation gave me the clue that i might work like this. Because in some situations, you need to provide a callback to transfer data to the clipboard.
I wonder if this is only on Linux, or other operating systems as well?
Written by Rickard Lindberg
in #rlworkbenchLast month I decided to try to make rlworkbench a fully modeless editor.
In theory, I get why modeless editing is good. However, I'm a long time, happy Vim user. Vim is probably the most common example of a modal editor. The opposite of modeless. Despite that I want to try. This is a note about my current thoughts and experiences.
Multiple key presses at once
One thing that I like about editing in Vim is that I seldom have to press multiple keys at once. That is comfortable for my hands and fingers. My right arm is quite sensitive to bad ergonomics. For example, I often feel a slight pain after working on a laptop keyboard for an hour or so. I'm afraid that a modeless editing interface can not preserve this ergonomics.
Afraid of inserting text
In Vim, you are by default in "normal mode" where key presses don't usually insert characters but instead perform operations such as moving the cursor. With a modeless editor interface, you are by default in "insert mode" where key presses insert characters. Now that rlworkbench has a modeless editing interface, I'm sometimes afraid of accidentally inserting characters. Maybe I just have a bad habit of moving the cursor around and I should stop doing that. However, the feeling is that always insert mode feels a little scary.
Inverse?
In modeless editors the default mode is insert mode, and you issue commands by holding down control for example. Why is that? Can we invert that so that the default mode is "command mode" and you have to press and hold a key to insert characters? My guess is that I spend more time navigating than typing.
The Humane Interface (p. 59) argues that the hope is that most time is spent creating content (aka insert mode) and that should be as easy as possible. But I wonder if that is really true. Issuing commands can create content as well, right? For example, there might be a command to format a piece of source code. The formatting might be important for readability. Making the content more readable. Isn't that then part of "creating content"?
Written by Rickard Lindberg
in #rlworkbenchThis is a short note about my experience with C.
I've previously written about how I feel that C slow me down. Partly because it is a lower-level language than I'm used to. Partly because I don't know it that well.
But yesterday when I worked on rlworkbench I felt that making a change was not that hard. It might even have felt slightly easier.
This feels like a breakthrough for me in my C journey. Perhaps I've learned C well enough for it to not be in my way? Perhaps I've got enough primitives implemented so that I can do some high level programming without more effort? Perhaps the C programming paradigm is more productive? I don't know. But I'm starting to like C more and more.
Written by Rickard Lindberg
in #rlworkbench
What is Rickard working on and thinking about right now?
Every month I write a newsletter about just that. You will get updates about my current projects and thoughts about programming, and also get a chance to hit reply and interact with me. Subscribe to it below.