CompuServe Messages

Larry, I've got two windows open, one a text editor, the other a ray tracing program. I'm working on the text editor, but the mouse is in the ray tracing window. I hit the help key. The system gets awakened, says, "Ah ha…he's hit the help key, let's find out where his mouse is…why it's in the inactive window!" Whether it goes thru a help handler, or the program…it's got to attempt to open the text file…if for no other reason than to see that one exists. It also has to activate the ray tracing window so that it can now receive my key/mouse events. It has to withhold those events from the text editing window. So far, not much different than if I had clicked on the mouse and made the ray tracing window active. But now, the ray tracing window has to stop it's calculations and/or spawn a new task to handle my request for help. The window has to be brought to the front so I find the object I want help with. Since that object was hidden originaly, I'm left with generic help. If I exit that, the system would either revert to what I was doing (restore state) or would leave the ray tracing window to the front…so I could get help with what I really wanted in he first place…but was hidden. Either event is absurd to me….if I wanted help with the ray tracing window…I should have brought it to the front in the first place, thus eliminating the need for the system to handle swapping windows. If the system, after giving help on the first event (mouse just sitting on window)…then I could get help on the ray tracing gadgets anyway because as soon as I quit the generic help…I'd be popped back into the text editor. I don't have a major problem with context sensitive help, althou I don't see the need for it for myself, but I do have a major problem with the help key being tied to anything other than the current window. continued…