A Suggestion

[smares]

Hello there....

This is my first suggestion. AND PLEASE FORGIVE MY ENGLISH.

I was just wondering....in the base drum part, if at all we want an "o", we just click on that part. For getting a "0", there is a keyboard shortcut.

So, what I was thinking was, why cant it change with a mouse button itself !!!!!!

Example:-

With the first click with the left mouse button on the base drum, we get "o".
Second time Left Mouse button click on the same place brings up "0".
Third time Left Mouse Button click on the exact same place brings up "f".

And finally, with a right mouse button click erases that beat.

Hope you guys understood what I said.

Because, we can tab the song faster than what we could before.

And this implies to not only bass drum, but all the instruments.

Thanks for reading my english with much difficulty  :unsure:

[kevin]

Mouse input in DTab V0.96e  already has selectable short cuts for drawing note heads.

Left Click = Draws a staff lines default note head.
Left Click + SHIFT = draws a staff lines note head accented
Left Click +CTRL Key = clear note  
Right Click = Draw a staff lines second function note head. (Flam, Ghost, etc)

 This approach allows users to draw default note heads directly to the staff automatically, without constantly needing to move the mouse away from the bar to select a new note head.  Ie.  So you can draw Snare/Kits notes and Cymbal/Hi Hat notes directly.   It doesn't support multi line though

 While in most notation packages it's common practice to make the user manually select each note head during mouse editing, that's not something i'll be adding to dtab at this time.  

Although, personally I still find editing with mouse slower than the keyboard. But it's certainly more balance supporting both approaches.

[dochogan]

I have to say I really like smares' idea, at least as an option.  The current mouse-click/option keys is nice, but for me there's a problem.

My primary mobile system, which I would *love* to use for DTAB, is a slate-style TabletPC; this means I usually have no keyboard whatsoever.  If a system such as smares hints at were to be implemented, it would make DTAB fully useful on pen-based computers (by using a toggling system of left clicks, instead of *any* right clicks or option-key combos)

Think of how you enter text into a cell-phone, the letter 'c', for example.  First press of the button gives you 'a', next press gives you 'b', finally the next click gives you 'c'.

So, clicking on, say, the 'C' space of the staff, you get:
1st click: 'o'
2d click:  'O'
3d click: 'f'
4h click: '' (blank)

Plus, to address one of your stated concerns, this removes any need to move away from the bar to select a different note head; note head is determined simply by how many times that note was clicked in the staff.

Yes, this is slower, *at a desktop system*, than keyboard input, but perhaps the most ergonomic solution for those who simply *must* use a pointing device (mouse, stylus) and *only* a pointing device.

Kevin, I think you limit yourself, and your application, by focussing on desktop use and your perception of speed of input; were you to look into implementing an input method using left-click only (or with *minimum* context/right-click input), you'd be on your way to developing also a framework where DTAB would start being appropriate for other platforms, specifically TabletPC (XP-driven) or even PocketPCs!

Okay, well that's my input to this.  Personally, I would *really* like to see an option for pointer-based editing as described by smares; this would allow me to use DTAB anywhere, and on my favorite portable platform (or when I'm too lazy to reach for my keyboard at my desktop ;) ).

[kevin]

My primary mobile system, which I would *love* to use for DTAB, is a slate-style TabletPC; this means I usually have no keyboard whatsoever. If a system such as smares hints at were to be implemented, it would make DTAB fully useful on pen-based computers (by using a toggling system of left clicks, instead of *any* right clicks or option-key combos)

Done.  (well in progress).  After adding it and some last minute testing.  I've decided to give the user a choice between the two systems.    

 Although for a little history.  Originally, this was how note heads were mapped to the staff lines from key presses.  Before the current shift/ctrl combinations were introduced.. Not surprisingly,  It didn't go down too well..  But anyway

Kevin, I think you limit yourself, and your application, by focussing on desktop use and your perception of speed of input;

 Well, that's a your opinion.  However, the older editing system was really a balance of what I and the user base wanted.    

 Moreover, what you might not expect (and I certainly didn't), is that existing users were worried about the addition of any mouse input.  Fearing, I'd remove/change the key entry system in favor of mouse.   All in All the  Hybrid solution is better.

 

were you to look into implementing an input method using left-click only (or with *minimum* context/right-click input), you'd be on your way to developing also a framework where DTAB would start being appropriate for other platforms, specifically TabletPC (XP-driven) or even PocketPCs!

While, I understand this would be useful, but it's certainly never been voiced by the tabbing community.    In the 4 or 5 year history of  DTAB, you'd be the 2nd or 3rd person to express any interest in running DTAB on a portable device.  

While on the subject of  which,  Do you know if it will actually run on that tablet ?.  I assume so?,  But we'd have to port it the Pocket PC.