ScrollLock, Favorites, e-mail in message body...

[Stirlitz]

There are a few features that I would like to request. Hopefully, the community will support me.
1. Currently Favorites are only accessible via the File menu. Which makes it slower. I believe that the very concept of Favorites is to speed up the opening of some files. In this respect MS IE which has a separate Favorites menu is better. But in Atlantis there is no such way. So, why not make another menu?
2. Middle-click or double-click on a document tab should close it. Quick and handy, isn’t it?
3. There is plenty of room in the status bar. Why not use part of it for showing
a) the number of characters in the document (I realize that dynamic statistics may slow down typing a lot, so it may be static refreshable by hot keys or double-click);
b) the number of currently open documents (double-click to close them all);
c) full path to the active document (double-click to open the Explorer folder of the document).
4. Some of those who used computers in 1980’s remember what the ScrollLock key was meant for. You press it and then use arrow keys to scroll without the cursor moving. It is handy because you can instantly change the scroll direction without having to wait for the cursor to reach the last or first visible line. Nowadays only MS Excel supports it. Atlantis allows such scrolling when you hold down the Alt key. But what about ScrollLock? I just do not understand why not use it.
5. There is also another useful tradition of old DOS applications that is lost. When you are in the overwrite mode, the cursor should look like a blackened square. It may save a lot of nerves that you lose when you accidentally go to the overwrite mode and overtype a paragraph.
6. Search and replace lacks an important direction in addition to Forward and Back: Everywhere.
7. The Send by e-mail function is only good for attachments. Why isn’t it possible to e-mail your text in the message body?
8. A very handy feature of MS Word is Repeat (called by F4). It can make your work much faster. There is nothing like that in Atlantis, is there?
9. Tables… Oh, I’d better stop here. In fact, I do believe that Atlantis will develop further but I am not sure how long it will take. Tables, for example, were promised back in 2001 and no result so far.

[Robert]

There are a few features that I would like to request. Hopefully, the community will support me.
1. Currently Favorites are only accessible via the File menu. Which makes it slower. I believe that the very concept of Favorites is to speed up the opening of some files. In this respect MS IE which has a separate Favorites menu is better. But in Atlantis there is no such way. So, why not make another menu?

1. If you don't like the list of your favorites in a sub-menu, you can always move it up and insert it into the View menu (for example). You would have the list of your favorites directly under the View main menu.
Also do not forget that the drop-down menu attached to the "Open an existing document" toolbar button has a recent documents list.

2. Middle-click or double-click on a document tab should close it. Quick and handy, isn’t it?

2. Why not try Ctrl+W from the keyboard?

3. There is plenty of room in the status bar. Why not use part of it for showing
a) the number of characters in the document (I realize that dynamic statistics may slow down typing a lot, so it may be static refreshable by hot keys or double-click);
b) the number of currently open documents (double-click to close them all);
c) full path to the active document (double-click to open the Explorer folder of the document).

3. a) How about assigning a hot key to the "Tools | Word Count" command?
b) How about assigning a hot key to the "File | Close All" command?
c) You have the full path to the active document in the title bar when the "Always show full paths" option is active in the Atlantis "Tools | Options... >General" tab.

4. Some of those who used computers in 1980’s remember what the ScrollLock key was meant for. You press it and then use arrow keys to scroll without the cursor moving. It is handy because you can instantly change the scroll direction without having to wait for the cursor to reach the last or first visible line. Nowadays only MS Excel supports it. Atlantis allows such scrolling when you hold down the Alt key. But what about ScrollLock? I just do not understand why not use it.

4) Is holding down the Alt key such a hassle? Also do not forget that we now have wheels on mice that allow us to scroll up and down (even sideways) quite comfortably.

5. There is also another useful tradition of old DOS applications that is lost. When you are in the overwrite mode, the cursor should look like a blackened square. It may save a lot of nerves that you lose when you accidentally go to the overwrite mode and overtype a paragraph.

5) You could activate a sound for the "Toggle Insert/overwrite" event. Also do not forget that most keyboards have a pilot light that goes on when you are in Overwrite mode. Check that light before you start typing. It will spare you a lot of aggro. It is like fastening a seat belt before driving off.

6. Search and replace lacks an important direction in addition to Forward and Back: Everywhere.

6) If you take care to place the cursor either at the beginning or at the end of the document (Ctrl+Home, or Ctrl+End), the search forward or backward is all you will ever need.

7. The Send by e-mail function is only good for attachments. Why isn’t it possible to e-mail your text in the message body?

7) For this Atlantis would have to become a full blown email client. But you still can write your email messages in Atlantis, then paste them into a new email window in your favorite email client.

8. A very handy feature of MS Word is Repeat (called by F4). It can make your work much faster. There is nothing like that in Atlantis, is there?
8) This feature might be available at some point in the future.
9. Tables… Oh, I’d better stop here. In fact, I do believe that Atlantis will develop further but I am not sure how long it will take. Tables, for example, were promised back in 2001 and no result so far.

9) Tables are definitely on the Atlantis agenda. But no one ever promised that they would be implemented in 2001 or at any definite time. As you might not be aware, tables are a major component of any word processor and require as much programming as there has already been for all the features currently available in Atlantis. As was already said on this Forum, there are weeks and sometimes months of hard dedicated work behind every click that you give in Atlantis. Please bear with us. We are a small team and we intend to remain so. I am sure that you are aware that small is beautiful. :)

[Stirlitz]

1. If you don't like the list of your favorites in a sub-menu, you can always move it up and insert it into the View menu (for example). You would have the list of your favorites directly under the View main menu.

I do not see any difference between Favorites in the File or View menu. And I cannot insert this into the main menu, when I drag it there, the cursor shape is a No sign.

2. Why not try Ctrl+W from the keyboard?

I am aware that there are keyboard shortcuts, and there is actually a small cross on any document window in the right upper corner. Finally, I can right-click on the document tab and choose Close. But what I suggest is already implemented in MyIE browser and I find it very handy.

3. a) How about assigning a hot key to the "Tools | Word Count" command?

I did it. But when I use it, I get a dialog that must be closed separately. Also I believe that if statistics in the status bar could be refreshed automatically at a time interval just like Autosave, it would also make sense for some users.

b) How about assigning a hot key to the "File | Close All" command?

Well we can do everything via hot keys...

4) Is holding down the Alt key such a hassle? Also do not forget that we now have wheels on mice that allow us to scroll up and down (even sideways) quite comfortably.

YES IT IS. Otherwise I would not think about it. When you read a book drinking coffee and scrolling it, you have to put the cup aside each time. And should you forget to hold the Alt or do not hold it firm enough, you get to where the cursor was left and cannot understand what happened for a few seconds, then start to swear. Do you understand?
As for the mouse, sometimes I use only the keyboard, sometimes I only use mouse and I like applications that allow me to go either way.

5) You could activate a sound for the "Toggle Insert/overwrite" event. Also do not forget that most keyboards have a pilot light that goes on when you are in Overwrite mode. Check that light before you start typing. It will spare you a lot of aggro. It is like fastening a seat belt before driving off.

Imagine you have been typing and something distracted you. You get back to your text (for example, you are a writer and are in the middle of creative process). You look at the text and get an idea. You start typing forgetting that Atlantis was in the overtype mode when the telephone rang. Do I need to go on with this story?
My keyboard does not have this light and why not make the cursor to be one. Seat belts are OK but why not have mercy to users and make FOOLPROOF software?

6) If you take care to place the cursor either at the beginning or at the end of the document (Ctrl+Home, or Ctrl+End), the search forward or backward is all you will ever need.

I can actually forget about the Search function and look for the string using my own eyes and the arrow keys, but I believe that if the program that I use is really handy and user-friendly, it will do most of the things for me. By the way MS Word search function has this direction and I do not think that too many users find it irritating.

7) For this Atlantis would have to become a full blown email client. But you still can write your email messages in Atlantis, then paste them into a new email window in your favorite email client.

Atlantis will be an e-mail client when it will have to communicate with mail servers and save outgoing emails. I can of course cut and paste but as I said before, why cannot the program do it for me? Following this logic, I can actually use paper to write letters.

9) Tables are definitely on the Atlantis agenda. But no one ever promised that they would be implemented in 2001 or at any definite time. As you might not be aware, tables are a major component of any word processor and require as much programming as there has already been for all the features currently available in Atlantis. As was already said on this Forum, there are weeks and sometimes months of hard dedicated work behind every click that you give in Atlantis. Please bear with us. We are a small team and we intend to remain so. I am sure that you are aware that small is beautiful. :)

I understand it and I have been patiently waiting for YEARS but I believe that it is taking too long.

[BuffyBot]

I do not see any difference between Favorites in the File or View menu. And I cannot insert this into the main menu, when I drag it there, the cursor shape is a No sign.

Under customize menu select "Special comands" from the combo-box.

Look for and insert List of favorite documents into one of your shorter menus. This gives you the full favorites list directly on the menu and not in a sub menu.

[Stirlitz]

Still, I see no way to make Atlantis menu look like

File Edit View Favorites Tools....

I just cannot do it. Or isn't it possible?

[admin]

I am sorry but you cannot add/remove/rename the top-level items of the main menu of Atlantis.

[Stirlitz]

That is bad. In MS Word I can. But what prevents you from creating such a menu in Atlantis? I find it handy in MS IE to have quick access to my Favorites and I believe that it should be this way.