◊ Forward Delete is a small extension letting you use that mysterious key called forward delete, present on all Extended Keyboards, which is used to delete the character at the right of the insertion point.
Forward Delete also allows the use of the Apple-approved key combinations option-Backspace (so that Forward Delete is useful on any keyboard) and option-forward delete to delete entire words (interestingly enough, Apple made option-Backspace work inside the Macsbug debugger).
It works with every application using TextEdit (if you do not know what TextEdit is, do not worry: it is simply that part of the Mac Operating System which manages basic text editing). Try it out with TeachText or in dialog boxes.
◊ Forward Delete can be used with any Mac under any System (I tried it under System 4.3 on my old Mac Plus and it works!).
◊ Forward Delete exists only because software engineers at Apple are leaving behind small but important details in the System. It took two “man-mornings” to write it. Since the introduction of the Extended Keyboard, Apple Computer, Inc. did not happen to find a couple of free mornings and modify TextEdit to support the keys in the new keyboard, and the option key combo they are touting for in “New Inside Macintosh: Human Interface Guidelines”. Maybe in System 13.0 “the lucky one” they will manage to implement it. (Perhaps now they are too busy in QuickTiming the System).
◊ You can notice a strange (inconsistent) and reproducible behavior in TextEdit: write a couple of words in TeachText, then double-click on the large amount of white space below. The last word should be selected or not, in a seemingly random fashion. Click or double-click in the text; now double-click again on the large amount of white space below the text. The selection of the last word occurs only sometimes. This bug sometimes affects Forward Delete: it may happen that the “word delete” combinations do not work. It is not my fault, sorry.
• TECHNICAL INFO FOR PROGRAMMERS
◊ I wrote Forward Delete in Assembler. I simply patch the _TEKey trap, checking for the key pressed. Having intercepted _TEKey, there are no slow downs in the system at idle time. The net overhead, occurring when you type a key which is not the forward delete or the backspace one at a TextEdit field is 58 clock cycles on a Motorola 68000, meaning 7.25 microseconds if it is running at 8 MHz (the Mac Plus runs at 7.8336 MHz, so it takes a little more: 7.4 microseconds). Given that one million microseconds form one second, I think that even the fastest typist will not notice the delay on the lowly Mac Plus.
Common word processors do not use TextEdit, so they will not be affected by the patch.
◊ The patch is obviously a “head patch”, so it should be safe.
• DISCLAIMER
◊ “No warranties at all, either express or implied…” “All trademarks are held by their respective owners…” and all that stuff.
This application should not do any damage, but if it does then you will be on your own. Let me know of any bugs you run into, anyway.
• VERSION HISTORY:
◊ 1.0 - Minor modifications and final release.
◊ 1.0d4 - Modified the balloon and the Get Info strings.
◊ 1.0d3 - Now accepts the option modifier to delete a word, and shows up its icon at startup.
◊ 1.0d2 - Checks if enough memory is available to install the patch.
◊ 1.0d1 - It seems to work perfectly. Even with Balloon Help in the Finder.
For errors, suggestions, and others send e-mail to simula3@di.unito.it
