Text to get smarter in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, expected this summer, will deliver a variety of advanced text related features across all applications that use Core Text, according to people familiar with Apple's plans.
While Mac OS X already delivers integrated, system wide spelling and grammar checking, as well as "smart copy/paste," "smart quotes," and "smart links," each of which offers to enhance text as it is being typed, it's reported that Snow Leopard will significantly expand upon text entry with a series of expanded features along similar lines.
Automatic spell check
Among the new features are automatic spell correction, which, according to people familiar with the software, will optionally allow the system to fix obvious spelling errors while the user types, rather than only underlining misspelled words in red squiggles for the user to correct themselves. Auto correction is already a feature of the iPhone, where words that appear to be misspelled are popped up in a suggestion bubble that can be touched to dismiss if the correction isn't desired.
In Snow Leopard, automatic spell correction will simply replace words such as "teh" or "spelll" once the user hits the spacebar. Like the existing spell correction using red squiggle underlines, the feature comes directly from Microsoft Word, which similarly offers to automatically correct words while the user types. The new system wide improvement will simply extend the feature to all applications. Like the existing spell check and similar features, the automatic spell check can also be switched off by the user.
Substitutions
Another feature new in the Snow Leopard Core Text engine is Substitutions, something that will be familiar to users of the Palm OS as well as Word users. Microsoft refers to the feature in Word (below) as part of AutoCorrect called "replace text as you type."
In Snow Leopard, users will similarly be able to define a list of phrases or long words that will be automatically substituted when the user types a given character sequence. For example, "MOSX" could be designated to expand to "Apple's Mac OS X operating system," or whatever the user desires.
Those familiar with recent betas say a variety of substitutions are already defined in Snow Leopard, including items common to Word, such as typing "(c)" to obtain the copyright symbol. Each of these substitutions can be manually turned on and off individually, and the user can add as many new items as they wish.
Smart pasteboard: Services
Snow Leopard will also expand upon novel copy and paste features that originated at NeXT and from the Classic Mac OS. The first is Services, which was coined at NeXT. Services is an architecture that allows the operating system to copy text or other information, send it to another app for processing, and then optionally return it in a modified form.
Mac OS X already supports Services, but they're all hidden away in a big messy submenu under the Application menu. To use them, a user currently needs to make a selection, then navigate the cluttered menu looking for the desired action. While many applications install Services they can perform, few of them are very useful.
In Snow Leopard, it's reported that a smart selection of relevant Services will appear right in the contextual menu of a selection, making their utility far more obvious. The items will also be tagged with the applications' icon, such as a Mail icon representing the ability to "Send [the selected text] to Mail."
In addition, a new submenu in the contextual menu will reportedly offer to perform "Transformations," such as changing the selected text to all caps, or all small letters, or capitalized. This would appear to be a new type of Services offered by the system itself, essentially copying the selection to the pasteboard, performing an algorithm on it, and then returning it to the working document.
Smart selection: Data Detectors
A somewhat related feature, this time derived from work done at Apple's Advanced Technology Group in the 1990s, is Data Detectors. They enable the system to recognize bits of text as actionable items, such as addresses, phone numbers, or dates. Leopard reintroduced the technology in Mac OS X by enabling detected data in Mail to be used to create iCal events or Address Book contacts.
In Snow Leopard, sources say, Data Detectors can be turned on anywhere text appears within an application that uses the Core Text framework. That means a bit of text that appears to be a phone number would be highlighted with a subtle menu control that offers to, for example, add the number to either an existing or new contact in Address Book.
While Mac OS X already delivers integrated, system wide spelling and grammar checking, as well as "smart copy/paste," "smart quotes," and "smart links," each of which offers to enhance text as it is being typed, it's reported that Snow Leopard will significantly expand upon text entry with a series of expanded features along similar lines.
Automatic spell check
Among the new features are automatic spell correction, which, according to people familiar with the software, will optionally allow the system to fix obvious spelling errors while the user types, rather than only underlining misspelled words in red squiggles for the user to correct themselves. Auto correction is already a feature of the iPhone, where words that appear to be misspelled are popped up in a suggestion bubble that can be touched to dismiss if the correction isn't desired.
In Snow Leopard, automatic spell correction will simply replace words such as "teh" or "spelll" once the user hits the spacebar. Like the existing spell correction using red squiggle underlines, the feature comes directly from Microsoft Word, which similarly offers to automatically correct words while the user types. The new system wide improvement will simply extend the feature to all applications. Like the existing spell check and similar features, the automatic spell check can also be switched off by the user.
Substitutions
Another feature new in the Snow Leopard Core Text engine is Substitutions, something that will be familiar to users of the Palm OS as well as Word users. Microsoft refers to the feature in Word (below) as part of AutoCorrect called "replace text as you type."
In Snow Leopard, users will similarly be able to define a list of phrases or long words that will be automatically substituted when the user types a given character sequence. For example, "MOSX" could be designated to expand to "Apple's Mac OS X operating system," or whatever the user desires.
Those familiar with recent betas say a variety of substitutions are already defined in Snow Leopard, including items common to Word, such as typing "(c)" to obtain the copyright symbol. Each of these substitutions can be manually turned on and off individually, and the user can add as many new items as they wish.
Smart pasteboard: Services
Snow Leopard will also expand upon novel copy and paste features that originated at NeXT and from the Classic Mac OS. The first is Services, which was coined at NeXT. Services is an architecture that allows the operating system to copy text or other information, send it to another app for processing, and then optionally return it in a modified form.
Mac OS X already supports Services, but they're all hidden away in a big messy submenu under the Application menu. To use them, a user currently needs to make a selection, then navigate the cluttered menu looking for the desired action. While many applications install Services they can perform, few of them are very useful.
In Snow Leopard, it's reported that a smart selection of relevant Services will appear right in the contextual menu of a selection, making their utility far more obvious. The items will also be tagged with the applications' icon, such as a Mail icon representing the ability to "Send [the selected text] to Mail."
In addition, a new submenu in the contextual menu will reportedly offer to perform "Transformations," such as changing the selected text to all caps, or all small letters, or capitalized. This would appear to be a new type of Services offered by the system itself, essentially copying the selection to the pasteboard, performing an algorithm on it, and then returning it to the working document.
Smart selection: Data Detectors
A somewhat related feature, this time derived from work done at Apple's Advanced Technology Group in the 1990s, is Data Detectors. They enable the system to recognize bits of text as actionable items, such as addresses, phone numbers, or dates. Leopard reintroduced the technology in Mac OS X by enabling detected data in Mail to be used to create iCal events or Address Book contacts.
In Snow Leopard, sources say, Data Detectors can be turned on anywhere text appears within an application that uses the Core Text framework. That means a bit of text that appears to be a phone number would be highlighted with a subtle menu control that offers to, for example, add the number to either an existing or new contact in Address Book.
Comments
Ooh, "Core Text". That sounds fancy. I'll use that for the article!
However I am also wondering if the reason it was not done is potential security exploits. Like a badly formed address causing a crash or something. However if it is a service in Mail then I don't see why it can't be a system wide service in other apps.
Besides, it is a user initiated procedure, so perhaps the security is not as bad as something automatic.
If I am all wet on this, someone please point it out, I would love to see a solution to this problem.
I just hope they provide simple means to undo the "correction" where it is undesirable.
Yeah, no doubt. What if you intentionally wanted to spell something wrong or didn't want the first letter of a sentence capitalized? How would you override that without having to go back and forth to the preferences?
Yeah, no doubt. What if you intentionally wanted to spell something wrong or didn't want the first letter of a sentence capitalized? How would you override that without having to go back and forth to the preferences?
Command-Z.
I just hope they provide simple means to undo the "correction" where it is undesirable.
I am guessing a command z will do the trick. Open pages and try to make a list. (a), (b), (c). When you hit spacebar after the ")" on the c, it will create the copyright symbol (assuming you haven't changed your preferences). To get the (c) back, just command z.
In Snow Leopard, users will similarly be able to define a list of phrases or long words that will be automatically substituted when the user types a given character sequence. For example, "MOSX" could be designated to expand to "Apple's Mac OS X operating system," or whatever the user desires.
This is great news for Apple Insider staff. Now you can just write "Apple" and have "the Cupertino-based company" automatically inserted.
I just hope they provide simple means to undo the "correction" where it is undesirable.
I wish they had a Learn Spelling app that could be manually edited. The file is in ~/Library/Spelling/ and it opens up with a text editor, but there are so many hidden control characters that the average user will mess it up if they try to edit it.
HOME - move to the beginning of the line
END - move to the end of the line
CMD+HOME - Top of document
CMD+END - End of document
CMD+LEFT/RIGHT ARROW - Move by word
CMD+UP/DOWN ARROW - Move to beginning of Previous/Next Paragraph
CMD+PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN - Move to beginning of Previous/Next Page
(and for those with crippled/laptop keyboards:
OPTION+HOME/END: Top/End of document
OPTION+LEFT/RIGHT: Beginning/End of Line
OPTION+UP/DOWN: Beginning of Previous/Next Page
Windows has these very useful text navigation keyboard shortcuts at the system level, so no matter what program you're using, they act the same (unless the app has a specific reason to change them). It's really handy. (And surprising -- for the most part Apple's keyboard shortcuts and mnemonics have always been more consistent and common-sense than Windows. Except for these simple text navigation keys.)
While Apple's getting some good ideas from Microsoft, here's hoping they copy Windows' system-wide use of the HOME and END keys (and other related keys): [substituting Command for Control]
HOME - move to the beginning of the line
END - move to the end of the line
CMD+HOME - Top of document
CMD+END - End of document
CMD+LEFT/RIGHT ARROW - Move by word
CMD+UP/DOWN ARROW - Move to beginning of Previous/Next Paragraph
CMD+PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN - Move to beginning of Previous/Next Page
(and for those with crippled/laptop keyboards:
OPTION+HOME/END: Top/End of document
OPTION+LEFT/RIGHT: Beginning/End of Line
OPTION+UP/DOWN: Beginning of Previous/Next Page
Windows has these very useful text navigation keyboard shortcuts at the system level, so no matter what program you're using, they act the same (unless the app has a specific reason to change them). It's really handy. (And surprising -- for the most part Apple's keyboard shortcuts and mnemonics have always been more consistent and common-sense than Windows. Except for these simple text navigation keys.)
Sounds good, but Apple has gone the other way - they don't want to give you a full size keyboard. The mini keyboard is now the default on iMacs - no home or end keys, no right delete key, no page up or down, and inconvenient smaller arrow keys (and no number pad).
You can only get the full-size keyboard with your new iMac online (BTO) from Apple - even the Apple Stores can't sell you an iMac with full-size keyboard! So I doubt Apple is going to put much effort into adding functions for those keys.
This is great news for Apple Insider staff. Now you can just write "Apple" and have "the Cupertino-based company" automatically inserted.
LMAO!
Sounds good, but Apple has gone the other way - they don't want to give you a full size keyboard. The mini keyboard is now the default on iMacs - no home or end keys, no right delete key, no page up or down, and inconvenient smaller arrow keys (and no number pad).
You can only get the full-size keyboard with your new iMac online (BTO) from Apple - even the Apple Stores can't sell you an iMac with full-size keyboard! So I doubt Apple is going to put much effort into adding functions for those keys.
Maybe they're trying to fit more computers on the counters so more customers can squeeze in.
While Apple's getting some good ideas from Microsoft, here's hoping they copy Windows' system-wide use of the HOME and END keys (and other related keys):
[snip]
Windows has these very useful text navigation keyboard shortcuts at the system level, so no matter what program you're using, they act the same (unless the app has a specific reason to change them). It's really handy. (And surprising -- for the most part Apple's keyboard shortcuts and mnemonics have always been more consistent and common-sense than Windows. Except for these simple text navigation keys.)
Actually, OS X apps already have this functionality, but the commands are as follows:
Command+Left Arrow: Move to the beginning of the line
Command+Right Arrow: Move to the end of the line
Home: Top of document
End: End of document
Option+Left Arrow/Option+Right Arrow: Move by word
Option+Up Arrow: Move to beginning of paragraph
Option+Down Arrow: Move to end of paragraph
Note that Microsoft's OS X apps, of course, do their own thing and ignore these rules--making the keyboard shortcuts more like Windows (Home/End goes to the beginning/end of line, etc.)--making it frustrating when every other app I use uses the "correct" Mac conventions.
This is great news for Apple Insider staff. Now you can just write "Apple" and have "the Cupertino-based company" automatically inserted.
Actually it should be type "Apple" and get "the Cupertino-based ______-maker" automatically inserted.
If the article is about iPods, they use "Cupertino-based iPod-maker," and so on.
no home or end keys, no right delete key, no page up or down, and inconvenient smaller arrow keys
I can just about touch type the arrow keys (incl. combinations with fn to give you home, ie, beginning of the document, etc.) on the Mac notebook keyboards (and presumably also on the compact external ones, I have not tried it). Try that with a standard keyboard, ie, using home, delete and the arrow keys without looking at the keyboard, much harder to do.
Home: Top of document
End: End of document
Also note that on the compact (no numpad) keyboards--and Apple laptops--you just hold Fn to get the "missing" keys (which used to be better marked):
Fn-LEFT = Home
Fn-RIGHT = End
Fn-UP = PgUp
Fn-DOWN = PdDown
Fn-Delete = Right-Delete
Fn-Return = Numpad Enter
(I've always thought Fn-number-key should give you the Numpad number instead, but I don't think it does. A few apps use the numpad for shortcuts, which are then missing on laptops.)
Sounds good, but Apple has gone the other way - they don't want to give you a full size keyboard.
I love Apple hardware, but I have to say their input devices are junk. If you are going to do any real work on a Mac, the first thing you need to do is get a good two-button scroll mouse and full-size (preferably ergonomic) keyboard.