MagicPad Editor Offers Copy and Paste

[MacRumors]

AppleiPhoneApps.com posts a video of an upcoming text editor called MagicPad that implements its own Copy and Paste functionality.

The solution appears relatively elegant, but does appear to change some of the natural functionality of the magnifying glass. Normally, if you want to position the cursor in the proper location, you press and drag to position the cursor.

MagicPad has modified this functionality so that press and drag will invoke text selection. In order to position the cursor properly, you can still drag your finger to the right spot, but then simply need to tap again to start the selection. The embedded video shows out it works:

http://www.macrumors.com/iphone/2008...opy-and-paste/

Of course, the copy/paste functionality only works within MagicPad itself.

Article Link

[JDOG_]

I love how it's taken this developer just a couple of months to put this together while Apple has been at it for years.

It looks to be a pretty decent solution, and yes the magnify glass is pretty necessary. That top bar on the keyboard just makes sense. Would also be nice to keep multiple items on your clipboard to copy a few things to the same place.

Let's hope Apple notices this one--very cool.

[plumbingandtech]

I love how it's taken this developer just a couple of months to put this together while Apple has been at it for years.

And how long would it have take for that one developer to develop the phone, the phone OS, itunes, the app store, marketing, distribution and phone partnerships?

Honestly, just like Joszkiac(sp) said, it's about priorities. And it looks like 2.1 is when cut copy and paste's time comes up.

[bbplayer5]

Does this send TEXT in the email, or an RTF attachment?

[macduke]

Noob! It took him 5 seconds to find the apostrophe key. I can't trust a guy to make an app for my iPhone if he has hardly even used one himself.

Apple's copy and paste will use multitouch gestures and it will be great.

[mainstreetmark]

Originally Posted by JDOG_

I love how it's taken this developer just a couple of months to put this together while Apple has been at it for years.

Really? You're that unhappy with the iPhone?

You are aware that this developer used the API and OS that Apple has spent years writing, of course, right?

[Ropedartman]

Nice! Just a matter of time for the rest of OS....

[deannnnn]

It's pretty nice.
Not sure how I feel though about loosing the ability to position the curser while using the magnifying glass.

[syclonefx]

I'm still trying to figure out why does it have a captcha to send an email.

[gcmexico]

looks pretty good...can't wait for Apples version!

[Me1000]

Originally Posted by deannnnn

It's pretty nice.
Not sure how I feel though about loosing the ability to position the curser while using the magnifying glass.

I think the same thing... The idea of adding that row of items above the keyboard is a good idea for the actual action, however If I cant reposition my cursor with the magnifying glass it doesnt work for me. Make I could touch the screen with a 2nd finger to start the selection it would be better.

A good start, just not there yet!

[kockgunner]

Originally Posted by Me1000

I think the same thing... The idea of adding that row of items above the keyboard is a good idea for the actual action, however If I cant reposition my cursor with the magnifying glass it doesnt work for me. Make I could touch the screen with a 2nd finger to start the selection it would be better.

A good start, just not there yet!

maybe in order to copy, one can wait 'till the magnifying glass appears and then tapping the magnifying glass. essentially, it would be like drag and tap motion to set a start point for text selection and then another drag and tap to set the end point. this way, precise selection of words with the magnifying glass will be preserved.

[trever.mendez]

Actually you can do precision selection.

By pressing down you will be given the magnifying loop.

From there you can slide around to find your selection point.

Once you find it, just pick up your finger and press down again.

No matter where you press (as long as its within 1 second) you will automatically return to the same spot to begin highlighting text.

[inkswamp]

Originally Posted by plumbingandtech

And how long would it have take for that one developer to develop the phone, the phone OS, itunes, the app store, marketing, distribution and phone partnerships?

Honestly, just like Joszkiac(sp) said, it's about priorities. And it looks like 2.1 is when cut copy and paste's time comes up.

Besides that very good point, this copy and paste implementation is done within one single app. I could implement my own copy and paste functionality in a program in about 15 minutes. That's not the hard part.

When Apple does it, it will have to work across the entire iPhone and as a limited form of inter-application communication which, if you've never dealt with copy and paste system-wide on a development level, comes with a whole lot of complications that the typical user is blissfully unaware of. Anyone carping about Apple not doing this because some developer can pull it off within their own application is clearly not aware of those complications.

[wadejc85]

Originally Posted by syclonefx

I'm still trying to figure out why does it have a captcha to send an email.

I was thinking the exact same thing! That would get annoying fast.

[twoodcc]

well, at least someone has copy and paste on an iphone. hopefully apple will follow

[jamesarm97]

I like this one that came out ages ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXgsQhiGeag

[trever.mendez]

From my friend, the lead developer on this project, in response to the TechCrunch article:

"I want to clear up some confusion about the CAPTCHA. The iPhone’s built in mail app does not allow rich text emails, so we had to create a server to let people get their notes out of the app. The CAPTCHA is there to prevent spammers from using automated tools to send email through our servers. This is the same as when you use Google Maps to send email, for instance. If the iPhone’s mail app ever becomes able to send rich text, we will shutdown the server because it will not be needed anymore, and there will be no need for a captcha or an intermediary server."

[FalconDelta]

this copy and paste implementation is done within one single app.

Exactly! I think the point here is that whatever apple implements has to be a cross-application copy and paste, otherwise it's pointless. Copy and paste in the email program is my number one need for copy and paste.

This app is clearly a step in the right direction, and if anything it gets people thinking. Having that additional formatting bar shared across apps that use keyboard would be awesome.

The copy/paste feature needs to be something that is truly usable, a half a**ed attempt at integrating it would just add to frustration and complexity, possibly deterring some people from the phone itself.

[Me1000]

Originally Posted by trever.mendez

Actually you can do precision selection.

By pressing down you will be given the magnifying loop.

From there you can slide around to find your selection point.

Once you find it, just pick up your finger and press down again.

No matter where you press (as long as its within 1 second) you will automatically return to the same spot to begin highlighting text.

If this is the case (I assume you know, or you are, the developer) I think a system wide version of this should be vise versa. precision selection should be the primary function of it...

[Kwill]

I applaud the author for this proof-of-concept. However, I doubt Apple will approve this app since it is pretty much the same as the iPhone note pad. When Apple introduces copy-and-paste functionality in the next firmware, MagicPad will be unnecessary. It's unfortunate that neither app offers a desktop conduit other than email backup.

The real cry of complaint for copy and paste has to do with copying from one application to paste into another. So the MagicPad implementation does not appear to satisfy the real need.

[Sijmen]

This video is an ad. Didn't Vimeo have a ban on these?

[MHerstand]

Originally Posted by inkswamp

Besides that very good point, this copy and paste implementation is done within one single app. I could implement my own copy and paste functionality in a program in about 15 minutes. That's not the hard part.

When Apple does it, it will have to work across the entire iPhone and as a limited form of inter-application communication which, if you've never dealt with copy and paste system-wide on a development level, comes with a whole lot of complications that the typical user is blissfully unaware of. Anyone carping about Apple not doing this because some developer can pull it off within their own application is clearly not aware of those complications.

Here's the biggest problem that nobody's brought up though; since Apple allowed apps to be written without copy/paste already on the development level, apps may either have their own method (as in this program), or they may use Apple's multi-touch solution for something else, unknowingly overriding the gesture. If Apple truly wanted the iPhone to be a "mobile computer platform" they really should have had Copy and Paste before the rest of the apps came. Even my parents (who aren't that computer literate) know ctrl-c, ctrl-v (still haven't gotten them on a Mac). I would consider myself an Apple fanboy, and yet this is one feature that just really should have been on the world's first computer that fits in your pocket sooner, if for no other reason than to add functionality to all the hundreds of productivity apps being written that could have text copied between them.

[sunfast]

I really hope Apple sort this out soon - I actually found myself needing it the other day!

[Mr. Giver '94]

Originally Posted by Kwill

I applaud the author for this proof-of-concept. However, I doubt Apple will approve this app since it is pretty much the same as the iPhone note pad. When Apple introduces copy-and-paste functionality in the next firmware, MagicPad will be unnecessary. It's unfortunate that neither app offers a desktop conduit other than email backup.

The real cry of complaint for copy and paste has to do with copying from one application to paste into another. So the MagicPad implementation does not appear to satisfy the real need.

Exactly. Agree 100%