Name: dbT83986 Date: 01/03/99


The default Element for PlainDocument and other Document models
allow deleting everything, there is no way to specify that an
Element should not be editable. What I am looking for is a way
to fix characters/Elements to a position in the Document that
will not change. At the moment this cannot be done without a
custom document, CaretListener and a KeyPressed listener on a
custom text component (which wouldn't work anyway because
of the KeyTyped event bug).
The examples in the tutorial for FormattedDocument under the
section 'Creating a Validated Textfield' and the TextSamplerDemo
illustrate the problems with the features I think are missing.
The cursor can get stuck in the WholeNumber textfield in the
position where the Format is expecting a sign (delete everything
in the field). Also the comma delineated number never works
after the text is initially displayed. Icons can be deleted
from the text in the TextSamplerDemo and text does not 'flow'
around the icon when it is dropped into the document.
I believe the latter is part of the design problem which does
implement any means of doing a type over. The Insert key does
not toggle Insert/Overtype on off either.
Anyway, my suggestion for a feature is to have part of the
default Element attribute include the option of setting an
Element's length to a fixed number of characters and to be
able to set whether or not it is editable/deletable. The
defaults would be the existing behavior.
(Review ID: 48239)
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