Pointer X offset for text selection in Windows 7

[GoogleCodeExporter]

In Windows 7 the default text selection pointer appears 2 pixels to the right 
of where it should appear, causing click-and-drag selections often to include 
the character before the intended selection start. This is also described in 
issue 305 (http://code.google.com/p/mintty/issues/detail?id=305)
I suggest to add a configuration parameter for the pointer's X offset in pixels.
The attached patch (cd mintty; patch < pointer_x_offset.patch) adds the integer 
parameter called "Pointer X offset (pixels)", default 0, under a new "Tweaks" 
section of the options popup.
I would have preferred to add the new parameter under the "Mouse" section 
(after "Clicks place command line cursor"), but I have been unable to find out 
where the height of the popup window is set. Anyhow, the patch is just a 
suggestion.
The same parameter can also be useful for people like me, who don't like the 
sensitivity of the left edge of the selection, and thus might prefer to set the 
parameter to 1 on XP and Vista, and to 3 on Windows 7.

Original issue reported on code.google.com by waltertr...@gmail.com on 4 Dec 2011 at 2:41

Attachments:

• pointer_x_offset.patch

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I forgot: the suggested value for the new parameter is 2 on Windows 7 when the 
default mouse pointers are used, 0 otherwise.

Original comment by waltertr...@gmail.com on 11 Dec 2011 at 4:18

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Thanks for going to the trouble of creating a patch, but I'm rejecting this.

On the general point of a customisable cursor offset, I just don't want to add 
options for microscopic details like that, i.e. I'm invoking the "min" in 
mintty here.

A "Work around Windows 7 mouse cursor offset bug" checkbox or something like 
that would have more merit. However, this is a system-wide issue and there 
already is the system-wide workaround of choosing something other than the 
default text selection cursor. Moreover, the issue just isn't all that serious. 
I hadn't noticed it in nearly three years of using Windows 7 (including the 
Beta), and if others have noticed it they weren't sufficiently bothered to 
report it.

Regarding comment 1, if it is possible to find out whether the default text 
selection pointer is being used, then the workaround might as well be applied 
unconditionally. I had a quick look on MSDN, but unfortunately I didn't see a 
way to do this. I'd be interested in finding one though.

Also, you might want to report the offset issue to MS, if you can find a way to 
do this. Looks like the reporting facility at connect.microsoft.com doesn't 
allow to report issues against Windows.

(Note besides: the offset issue doesn't apply to the default arrow pointer, 
which mintty uses in application mouse mode, so the workaround shouldn't apply 
there.)

Original comment by andy.koppe on 23 Dec 2011 at 6:02

• Changed state: Rejected