Space Bar Shortcut

[MikeArmstrong]

I have been asking for this since Prime 1.0. Inserting a text box every time is cubersome and I can see no logical reason why we can't have the shortcut as per previous versions of Mathcad.

Does this frustrate anyone else?

Mike

[Ninetrees]

Yes, it does. I think that the way earlier Mathcad versions decided whether the result is a string or a text box is natural. If I type " in an empty region, I get a text box; if I type characters in an empty region, I first get a variable, then it changes to a text box when I type the first space. Very natural, I think...should be the same in M'.

~R~

[MikeMcDermott]

Yes, but I'm finding Prime 3 to be too slow to find anything else to get frustrated with.

[MikeArmstrong]

At least it seems quicker than previous versions of Prime.

Mike

[SteenGroðe]

-

YES

This is maybe the one thing that kills Prime completely. They have forgotten that the task was not to make the parser less intelligent, but more intelligent. In principle it can be done by leaving the spacebar behind, but then you got to set up the more intelligent system when doing it. Instead we have got nothing.

At the same time computer algebra systems more or less it going from payway to freeware to stress the fact that what you are paying for is the interface (gui), the facilities to exchange data between applications and the ability to use any platform and/or to include any computer algebraic machine (as the user wish to use). This I can't see any movements in the direction of. And how about extending the graphics window with more drawing options so Mathcad can make models from your sketches.

The last important thing is the social element. We had a great user forum but that certainly needed a facelift. We got a facelift but lost way to much going there and even basic things like the login procedure does not work in this collaboratorium. I really don't understand why they don't pay attention to even such simple things. But to the social element there is much more. Where is the google drive feature of Mathcad... in my mind foremost working more people at the same time in the same document. Or an even more smart collaboration system where you can easily see who have contributed with what etc... I know that a lot of enterprises will love such a system (and it already has been invented).

[MikeArmstrong]

Good response Steen.

Mike

[RichardJ]

Does this frustrate anyone else?

Yes. It's a PITA. I agree with Rich that the way it works in MC15 is natural, and it should be the same in M' (and that has the advantage of backward compatibility!).

[bmaxfield]

It is one of the top items on my "I wish" list. I keep asking myself "Why did they not keep the spacebar shortcut????" The CTRL + t is such a pain compared to the spacebar. I added a shortcut on the quick access toolbar, but that requires taking my hands off the keyboard.

[Ninetrees]

I can see that they wanted to use the spacebar in other ways...for moving through math expressions, for example...

So, PTC corporate readers, here is a quick test of what I typically do in Mathcad, boiled down to an example. And keep in mind that I was part of a team that worked with a major hardware vendor in the 1970-80s to study keystroke optimization as part of the engineering behind a major calculator line.

I'd like to take the square root of (x*y)/r. In M15, this is 9 keystrokes; in MP3A, it is 11. DO THE MATH. For those of use who are keenly aware of each keystroke, and I suspect that most of the M11-M15 users are, this adds up at the end of the day. I am really trying to understand the design paradigm, or model, that PTC is using for their guiding light with MP3A. It certainly does not seem to be driven that much by user experience. One of the major product lines developed by my company has withstood several market challenges over the past 15 years, and the feedback that I get from the customers is that they value the work we did because we spent so much time in the field paying attention to how the product is used (Total project cost $7M USD, so we are not talking nickels and dimes here.) I am constantly surprised that PTC does not show more homage to those features of past versions that made it so successful. Peer researchers, who use other products, looking over my shoulder repeated remark on the speed at which I develop Mathcad docs. That is partly due to my familiarity and partly due to the efficiency of the interface. I have been working with advance versions of other math packages, and they simply are not as good for what we use M15 for. PTC should recognize that, and have an eye for user efficiency.

I don't want to come across as a whiner...this is an engineering discussion by professionals, and we should be frank (or pete or ivan 😉 about our conderns and ideas.I have not found ealier versions of MP to be worth exploring, despite my best intentions. MP3 is the first that looks like it will get some face time after all. But these performance issues are not trivial. I often wonder whether any of the MP dev group has ever used M1x.

~R~

[MikeArmstrong]

Well put Rich.

MP3 is the first that looks like it will get some face time after all.

~R~

I have to agree with you here.

Mike

[MikeArmstrong]

Let's hope if we make enough noise that PTC will re-implement it.

Mike