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Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

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Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#351

Post by _Microft »

lachlan_gray wrote: post #88
craighay1 wrote: post #14

I sometimes wonder if modal editing (like vim uses) might be a good approach for navigating/editing longform text on touch devices. It does seem like a missed opportunity to have taken the keyboard/mouse approach and then transferred it to touch devices. Even the keyboard layout has no real advantage for two thumb typing on a screen. Approaches that adapt the interface whilst leaning heavily on letter based inference…

On an iPhone if you hold the space bar down the whole keyboard becomes a kind of trackpad which you can use to move the cursor. Since all the keys disappear, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to add something that works like mouse buttons so you could select text or paste in a specific spot in that “mode”. Right now it’s so frustrating to do any kind of selecting.

As the finger starts close to the bottom edge of the screen, I always struggle with moving the cursor downwards. Is there a trick for that?

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#353

Post by soupbowl »

justin_oaks wrote: post #269
miniupuchaty wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using nvim in termux on foldable phone since I've bought phone in that form factor. It works great, I'm using "unexpected keyboard" as input method for faster special symbols access. It works pretty well. Good enough for me to program on the go.

Thanks for letting me know about the Unexpected Keyboard app. It'll take some getting used to, but having arrow keys and punctuation available without changing modes is pretty awesome. I can even hit Ctrl-A to select all, Ctrl-C to copy, etc. This alone will help text editing on my phone.

This is also the first I have heard of this keyboard, it is incredible.

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#354

Post by Aerbil313 »

myk9001 wrote: post #231
superkuh wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The reason I think it won't get much better is that the size of smart phones will not change. It is size that's really the issue for text editing. No space for a real keyboard, no space for a real display.

Maybe we can look at it as an opportunity for inventing a fundamentally different approach to text editing on mobile? In another topic on HN people are discussing how software gets more bloated over time, because throwing more powerful hardware at a problem is easier than optimizing the software. As mobile devices aren't likely to get much bigger or get equipped with a mouse and keyboard anytime soon -- in other word…

There are novel approach ideas. I have many of them, and even saw a few implemented. The problem is, any sufficiently comfortable text entering/editing experience requires a non zero amount of training, which, considering the consumption devices smartphones are, discouraging for the average user. I believe in the end TTS with LLMs win and speaking in public to text will be accepted as a norm. Because it is literally the easiest possible experience bar brain implants.

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#355

Post by dameyawn »

plaidfuji wrote: post #57

1000% agree with this post, wow. I can’t believe this is controversial.. it’s a disaster. I dread opening the mobile version of google docs, sheets, or even Notes for anything more than a grocery list. The problem is the target audience for this is business customers, and particularly those in management, so it’s a small market. ICs aren’t up and down as much between meetings and can largely stick to their desktop se…

I think the target market is huge. My wife, for example, spends tons of time writing out stuff for Instagram posts, some quite long. And I see tons more across social media that is largely done on people's phones.

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#356

Post by Denvercoder9 »

dan-robertson wrote: post #300
plaidfuji wrote: post #57

1000% agree with this post, wow. I can’t believe this is controversial.. it’s a disaster. I dread opening the mobile version of google docs, sheets, or even Notes for anything more than a grocery list. The problem is the target audience for this is business customers, and particularly those in management, so it’s a small market. ICs aren’t up and down as much between meetings and can largely stick to their desktop se…

I don’t understand why a tablet requires lugging a briefcase around? Just carry it raw between meetings and put it down if you need two hands for something. If you already carry papers around, get a folding keyboard case. Maybe we’re just thinking of different working environments and I’m imagining an office whereas you’re imagining a job site or something. The actual reason that a tablet isn’t the answer is that the…

> I don’t understand why a tablet requires lugging a briefcase around? Just carry it raw between meetings and put it down if you need two hands for something.

Being forced to carry the tablet every time you're moving during a work day is annoying. The big issue is not moving between meetings, it's every other movement during the day. For example getting lunch or getting to the office (especially on e.g. the subway or bike).

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#357

Post by Aerbil313 »

_Microft wrote: post #351
lachlan_gray wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On an iPhone if you hold the space bar down the whole keyboard becomes a kind of trackpad which you can use to move the cursor. Since all the keys disappear, it doesn’t seem like a stretch to add something that works like mouse buttons so you could select text or paste in a specific spot in that “mode”. Right now it’s so frustrating to do any kind of selecting.

As the finger starts close to the bottom edge of the screen, I always struggle with moving the cursor downwards. Is there a trick for that?

You can hold down on every key, not just the space bar.

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#358

Post by bee_rider »

soupbowl wrote: post #332
bee_rider wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can install blink shell, panic prompt, or whatever the popular iPhone ssh client of the day is and ssh over to your desktop to get a preview of how this would work. Paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, it is fine IMO. The screen is a little bit small. Sometimes if I’m going to SSH from my phone, I’ll put the phone on a little stand in front of the keyboard, so it can sit more like a foot from my face, or whatever (n…

I do this all the time but I have not found a Bluetooth keyboard that is portable and not total junk. Do you have any suggestions?

Nope; I had a fold out one for a while but inevitably one side seems to go bad.

In the end I got Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard, I like the scissor actuation or whatever, but it is slightly too big to be as portable as a cellphone.

Re: Text editing on mobile: the invisible problem

#359

Post by witrak »

justin_oaks wrote: post #269
miniupuchaty wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using nvim in termux on foldable phone since I've bought phone in that form factor. It works great, I'm using "unexpected keyboard" as input method for faster special symbols access. It works pretty well. Good enough for me to program on the go.

Thanks for letting me know about the Unexpected Keyboard app. It'll take some getting used to, but having arrow keys and punctuation available without changing modes is pretty awesome. I can even hit Ctrl-A to select all, Ctrl-C to copy, etc. This alone will help text editing on my phone.

Seems to be quite an improvement. Thank you for the tip! But it would be even better if it had "stylus mode" because, with a precision stylus, it's easier to tap directly alternate characters than to drag from the center of the button toward the needed variant.
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