Add text editing function

[GameOverFlowChart]

I did a search and this request seems not to be here.

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe. Moving in text, copying specific pieces and restructuring text isn't easy without this feature

Describe the solution you'd like The same solution like in Gboard

Use case I need a button that changes to a edit text view with big buttons for: move up, down, right, left, select all, move to start, move to end, copy, paste and delete. I add a screenshot from Gboard.

Describe alternatives you've considered I mean the move left & right feature is already twice in the app (through space bar or the toolbar) so the other buttons might be added to the toolbar directly, but I would prefer one single button in the toolbar which brings me into a special keyboard just for editing text.

Additional context

[Dragonfly-30]

I also like this approach better. We have all these keys available in openboard but it gets confusing while using them (aleast to me). This way makes it organized.

[ghost]

Well I duplicated the request....

@Uranusek claims I can do all these same functions via the toolbar, but I don't see how you can select text other than all or a single word as the navigation keys unselect the selected text.

[ghost]

Here's my duplication:

First, thanks for making glide typing available! And all the work you've done to give us a good usable privacy keyboard! It's appreciated!

I searched and surprisingly didn't find a feature enhancement request for an "editor" layout for the keyboard. For years I've kept multiling keyboard only for it's lightweight editing keyboard — no longer able to use 😭

A editing keyboard layout (like Gboard or better 😁) is a must when working with documents, especially in obsidian when working with links — I need to be able to select text with keyboard navigation as finger selection goes to triggering the link, etc.

It really makes life easier in such situations.

Thanks again for the keyboard! Finally able to ditch Gboard completely!

[ghost]

Testing the toolbar more I have to say, NO it can't be used in the same way at all.

1. It's very cumbersome to use. Other keys are far to easily triggered accidentally, and I have small hands.
2. Limited space of use and therefore functions.
3. Cursor navigation keys have no long press repeat function. Long press locks them to the suggestion bar.
4. As pointed out already, cursor navigation keys unselect text.

I'm sure some tweaks could be made to the toolbar but IMO it would never come close to an editor layout designed for editing and manipulating text, and would probably be more work than implementing an editor layout 🤷‍♂️

[Uranusek]

I didn't know that you could select text with this editor in Gboard. Looking at the editor buttons, I thought you could only select a word or everything. That's why I said you can do everything with the toolbar. I apologize for misleading you.

[ghost]

Here's multiling-o-keyboard's layout. The older multiling, IMO, was a better layout as this one is overly packed IMO. Just some ideas.

[GameOverFlowChart]

Here's multiling-o-keyboard's layout. The older multiling, IMO, was a better layout as this one is overly packed IMO. Just some ideas.

I would prefer the Gboard layout because as you said this one is to cluttered, and I don't remember any instance the buttons from the Gboard weren't enough. The scroll to the top and bottom buttons would make things faster though.

[ghost]

Yandex keyboard has a very functional toolbar for editing — it's actuality rather nice not having to switch back and forth between layouts. It's simple but gets the job done.

HeliBoard's toolbar isn't far off. Possibly only a little tweaking would turn HeliBoard's toolbar into a functional editing toolbar similar to Yandex keyboard's 🤷

[b02860de585071a2]

Testing the toolbar more I have to say, NO it can't be used in the same way at all.

1. It's very cumbersome to use. Other keys are far to easily triggered accidentally, and I have small hands.
2. Limited space of use and therefore functions.
3. Cursor navigation keys have no long press repeat function. Long press locks them to the suggestion bar.
4. As pointed out already, cursor navigation keys unselect text.

I'm sure some tweaks could be made to the toolbar but IMO it would never come close to an editor layout designed for editing and manipulating text, and would probably be more work than implementing an editor layout 🤷‍♂️

I second all of these, a proper "edit mode" is one of the only things I miss from gboard. It's a must for document manipulation.

[ghost]

I second all of these, a proper "edit mode" is one of the only things I miss from gboard. It's a must for document manipulation.

Well. . . I've written up a post for a fully functional toolbar here.

I've changed my mind, somewhat. The only downside to going with a toolbar is sizing. With a little thought I came up with a toolbar layout that would have all the function of even the best edit layouts — considering HeliBoard is already invested into the development of a toolbar I thought it pragmatic to go in the same direction. And, IMO, toolbars, if done correctly, are less cumbersome — always available across layouts, etc. However the current toolbar on HeliBoard IS NOT WELL DESIGNED IMO.

Check out my design and see if it might fit your needs and if it does please recommended it to the HeliBoard team, and if something is missing let me know.

[devycarol]

This is a proof-of-concept that I've mocked up. Still WIP. You'll be able to access it with a key or set it as a space bar gesture. For example, you could make the vertical gesture momentary and the horizontal one a toggle.

The layout is called "D-pad" in the lang files.

Cool stuff I'd like to add:

• Move cursor one word left/right (like Ctrl+Arrow on desktop)
• Scroll up/down
• Select adjacent words
• Secondary "shifted" layout to move selection boundaries
  • Scoot the selection left/right (not sure if possible, but you could easily rearrange words this way)
• Since you may access this with a 'space' gesture, it'd be sensible to add that 'trackpad' functionality back into the middle select key there.
  • I wish it were more precise like the iOS one. Perhaps that could be done with a virtual mouse pointer?

TO BE CLEAR: I'm not one of the devs, this is just a personal fork. But! I am working on this and will try to submit a PR. I'll keep y'all posted.

Folks are more than welcome to reach out to me and ask if I've gone dormant—I do have a pretty busy university life at times.

[ghost]

@mledvd

why not use something similar to multiling edit layout?

It's the most flexible feature rich edit layout I've ever seen. The above screenshot is of my current layout. The only thing missing is jump to start\end of entire document.

Ignore my top toolbar in the screenshot, redundancy.

One cool feature that multiling O keyboard does with the edit layout is a swipe from the delete key opens the edit pad, temporarily, so you can trigger a single action quickly — select all, paste, etc as the layout is completely editable.

It might be good for you to install Multiling O keyboard and do some arranging with the edit pad. 🤔

[Helium314]

I am working on this and will try to submit a PR. I'll keep y'all posted.

You're welcome to, though it would be good to sketch your idea for the PR first. Adding a text edting view similar to emoji or clipboard views should be relatively simple though.

Please be aware that currently I don't have enough time for HeliBoard (and I've given up hope it will get better soon), and I spend most of it trying to fix some longstanding bugs.