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Copy while typing

Toggle the 'copy' function on and off
  (+29, -5)(+29, -5)(+29, -5)
(+29, -5)
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When typing, the facility to toggle the 'copy' function could be useful.
For example, to enter an e-mail address and a URI into a form, one option would be to type "angelhalfbaker@thisisdefinitelynotmyhippopotamus.com" into the first field then "http://thisisdefinitelynotmyhippopotamus.com" into the second; the opportunities for typing errors are huge. The alternative is to type the e-mail address, select the required part it, copy it, then paste it into the second field, where there are also opportunities for error.
I would like to be able to type "angelhalfbaker@", switch on the 'copying' function, type "thisisdefinitelynotmyhippopotamus.com", and switch off 'copying'. In the next field, I then type "http://" and paste the copied text.
To quote the Phillips TV commercials, "Just a little better. But better."
angel, Oct 27 2004

(?) The Humane Interface http://humane.sourceforge.net/home/
by Jef Raskin [krelnik, Oct 28 2004]

[link]






       Kind of like pressing ctrl+b in Microsoft Word, where everything you type from that point would be emboldened until you pressed ctrl+b to turn it off again +
spiritualized, Oct 27 2004
  

       TiVo for typing; TyPo!
bristolz, Oct 27 2004
  

       yeah, I'd like one of these, here's a bun
here's a bun
neilp, Oct 27 2004
  

       Almost like a Caps Lock button. Press on, light comes on, begin copying; press off, light comes off, end copying. [+]
ghillie, Oct 28 2004
  

       Nice! If it records all keystrokes, it can be used to copy multiple disconnected fields.   

       bun1
<down arrow>
<down arrow>
bun3
Shz, Oct 28 2004
  

       In PC-Write 3.0, circa 1988, pressing Control-2 would turn on the "record" feature. Pressing it again would finish recording. Pressing the "*" key on the numeric pad after that would repeat the previously-repeated sequence of keystrokes. Very powerful and handy feature.   

       FYI, I probably use PC-Write 3.0 (as a text editor) more than I use any other application. It ran great on a 4.77MHz XT; it's really zippy on a modern machine.
supercat, Oct 28 2004
  

       I propose the scroll lock be used for this. I'd never use it myself, but I know keyboard-centric computer users who would.
Worldgineer, Oct 28 2004
  

       Jef Raskin, one of the co-inventors of the Macintosh, is working on something called "The Humane Interface". See link. In his system, selecting text works kind of like you describe. There's a downloadable prototype for the MacOS. Jef was also recently (somewhat famously) quoted as saying the Macintosh has become "a mess" in recent years.
krelnik, Oct 28 2004
  

       try Emacs
loonquawl, Apr 20 2009
  
      
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