Overwrite mode for Macs?

[loiter]

Can a Mac do an overwrite in a text box? Do do you simply have to delete text and type in new characters?

thanks

 

[mklos]

On a Mac if you highlight the text and then start typing it will replace what was there. With Windows, this isn't always the case, reason why some people highlight the text and then press delete.

 

[emptyCup]

MS Word (at least the '04 version) does it. Overwrite is potentially disastrous for any skilled typist who doesn't need to watch the keyboard. I heard MS was considering dropping it from Word but I don't know if they did. The Mac way has always been, as mklos says, to highlight and type.

 

[mr-shoeless]

Use a macro program

Mac OS X doesn't have a built-in way to do overwrite mode that I can see. So I bought a keyboard macro program (Key Maestro) and programmed it to toggle a macro group named "overwrite mode" whenever I press the help key. Then recorded macros for each key to perform forward-delete followed by the keystroke. I understand that it might be confusing or annoying to some people, but it would be nice if Apple provided a way to do this natively.