User Interaction & Shortcuts

User Interaction & Shortcuts provides a comprehensive set of keyboard and mouse event handlers along with context menu actions to facilitate efficient text editing and navigation.

Overview

This section documents the behaviors and properties related to user interactions, including keyboard shortcuts, mouse events, context menu operations, and command key processing. These features ensure that developers can leverage built‐in support for common editing commands and custom shortcuts for an enhanced user experience.

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Key Points

Aspect	Description
Keyboard Navigation	Supports arrow keys, Home, End, Page Up/Down, and other navigation keys to move the cursor and modify selection.
Editing Shortcuts	Implements common editing shortcuts such as Ctrl+Z (Undo), Ctrl+Y (Redo), Ctrl+B (Bold), Ctrl+I (Italic), and Ctrl+U (Underline).
Mouse Interactions	Handles mouse clicks, double-clicks, dragging for selection, and right-click context menu invocation for editing commands.
Context Menu Operations	Provides standard options (Copy, Cut, Paste, Delete, Select All) via a context menu for ease of text manipulation.

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Best Practices

Practice Area	Recommendation
Consistent Shortcut Usage	Leverage the built‐in shortcuts to meet user expectations; avoid overloading keys to prevent conflicts with standard Windows shortcuts.
Preserve Default Behavior	When extending key handling, ensure that navigation and essential editing keys are not inadvertently suppressed.
Context Menu Customization	If extending the context menu, maintain the order and availability of core actions (Copy, Cut, Paste, etc.) to preserve usability.
Accessibility Considerations	Ensure that keyboard shortcuts are documented and accessible, allowing users who rely on keyboard navigation to operate the control efficiently.

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Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Description
Overriding Navigation Keys	Customizing key events without preserving arrow and navigation key functionality may lead to unexpected or non-intuitive cursor behavior.
Shortcut Conflicts	Assigning non-standard shortcuts or interfering with system-wide commands can confuse users and degrade the overall experience.
Inadequate Context Menu Feedback	Failing to update the context menu state (e.g., enabling/disabling items based on selection) may lead to user confusion or unintended actions.
Ignoring Modifier Keys	Not correctly handling combinations with Control, Shift, or Alt may result in missing out on intended behaviors such as selection extension or formatting toggles.

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Real Life Usage Scenarios

Scenario	Description
Text Editors and IDEs	Utilize the full range of keyboard shortcuts and context menu actions to provide a familiar editing experience similar to modern code editors.
Data Entry Applications	Enable efficient navigation and editing for forms with extensive text input, leveraging Undo/Redo and selection shortcuts.
Rich Text Input Controls	Support advanced formatting commands (e.g., bold, italic) via keyboard shortcuts to empower users in content creation scenarios.
Accessibility-Focused Interfaces	Offer robust keyboard support to ensure users who rely on non-mouse navigation have complete control over text editing and selection.

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Troubleshooting Tips

Issue	Suggested Solution
Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working	Verify that key event handlers (OnKeyDown, OnKeyPress) are correctly wired and that the control is focused when shortcuts are used.
Context Menu Actions Disabled	Ensure that the context menu items (Copy, Cut, Paste, etc.) are correctly configured based on the selection state and the control’s read-only status.
Navigation Keys Behaving Unexpectedly	Check that custom key handling logic preserves the default behavior for arrow keys and other navigation keys, especially when modifier keys are pressed.
Shortcut Conflicts with External Tools	Review any custom shortcut assignments to avoid conflicts with standard Windows shortcuts or other application-level keyboard bindings.

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Property Reference

While User Interaction & Shortcuts are primarily managed through event handling rather than individual properties, the following related properties and methods are critical:

Property/Method Name	Type/Return	Description
IsInputKey(Keys keyData)	bool	Determines whether the specified key is recognized as an input key, ensuring proper handling of navigation and editing keys.
OnKeyDown(KeyEventArgs e)	void	Handles key down events for navigation, command shortcuts (e.g., Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y), and formatting toggles (e.g., Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U).
OnKeyPress(KeyPressEventArgs e)	void	Processes character input and updates the text content accordingly.
ProcessCmdKey(ref Message msg, Keys keyData)	bool	Overrides command key processing to handle undo, redo, and other keyboard shortcuts.
ContextMenuStrip	ContextMenuStrip	Provides a context menu with standard actions like Copy, Cut, Paste, Delete, and Select All.

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Code Examples

Below are several code examples that demonstrate the usage of User Interaction & Shortcuts features.

Example 1: Using Keyboard Shortcuts for Editing

This example shows how the control processes keyboard shortcuts to perform actions such as undo, redo, and toggling font styles.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;

public class KeyboardShortcutForm : Form
{
    public KeyboardShortcutForm()
    {
        var customTextBox = new SiticoneTextBox
        {
            Text = "Press Ctrl+Z to Undo, Ctrl+Y to Redo, Ctrl+B for Bold, Ctrl+I for Italic, and Ctrl+U for Underline.",
            Location = new Point(20, 20),
            Size = new Size(400, 60)
        };

        Controls.Add(customTextBox);
        Text = "Keyboard Shortcuts Demo";
        Size = new Size(460, 140);
    }

    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.Run(new KeyboardShortcutForm());
    }
}

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Example 2: Context Menu for Copy, Cut, Paste

This example demonstrates how the built-in context menu is used to provide editing commands via right-click.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;

public class ContextMenuForm : Form
{
    public ContextMenuForm()
    {
        var customTextBox = new SiticoneTextBox
        {
            Text = "Right-click to see the context menu with Copy, Cut, Paste, Delete, and Select All options.",
            Location = new Point(20, 20),
            Size = new Size(400, 60)
        };

        Controls.Add(customTextBox);
        Text = "Context Menu Demo";
        Size = new Size(460, 140);
    }

    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.Run(new ContextMenuForm());
    }
}

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Example 3: Handling Custom Shortcut Actions

This example demonstrates adding additional custom shortcut logic in the control's key handling routines.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using SiticoneNetFrameworkUI;

public class CustomShortcutForm : Form
{
    public CustomShortcutForm()
    {
        var customTextBox = new SiticoneTextBox
        {
            Text = "Custom shortcuts can be implemented in addition to built-in commands.",
            Location = new Point(20, 20),
            Size = new Size(400, 60)
        };

        // Attach an event handler for key down events to add a custom shortcut (e.g., Ctrl+M to show a message)
        customTextBox.KeyDown += (sender, e) =>
        {
            if (e.Control && e.KeyCode == Keys.M)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Custom shortcut Ctrl+M triggered!", "Shortcut", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Information);
                e.Handled = true;
            }
        };

        Controls.Add(customTextBox);
        Text = "Custom Shortcut Demo";
        Size = new Size(460, 140);
    }

    [STAThread]
    static void Main()
    {
        Application.EnableVisualStyles();
        Application.Run(new CustomShortcutForm());
    }
}

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Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
How does the control support keyboard navigation and editing?	The control overrides key event handlers (OnKeyDown, OnKeyPress, ProcessCmdKey) to capture navigation keys, editing shortcuts, and command key combinations.
What default shortcuts are supported?	Common shortcuts include Ctrl+Z (Undo), Ctrl+Y (Redo), Ctrl+B (Bold), Ctrl+I (Italic), and Ctrl+U (Underline), in addition to standard navigation keys.
How is the context menu activated?	The context menu is shown on right-click and includes options such as Copy, Cut, Paste, Delete, and Select All, with availability based on the current selection state.
Can I add my own custom shortcuts?	Yes, you can handle additional key events (e.g., Ctrl+M) in the OnKeyDown event to implement custom shortcuts without interfering with default behavior.
How do I ensure that shortcut keys do not conflict with system commands?	Verify that custom shortcuts are chosen carefully and test in your application environment to ensure they do not interfere with standard Windows shortcuts.

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Integration Checklist

Step	Verification
Keyboard Navigation Functionality	Confirm that the arrow keys, Home, End, and other navigation keys work as expected when the control is focused.
Shortcut Handling	Test built-in shortcuts (Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y, Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U) to ensure they trigger the intended actions.
Context Menu Availability	Verify that the context menu appears on right-click and that all menu items (Copy, Cut, Paste, Delete, Select All) are enabled/disabled appropriately.
Custom Shortcut Implementation	Check that any added custom shortcuts do not interfere with default functionality and that they trigger the correct custom logic.
Event Propagation	Ensure that key and mouse events are correctly processed and that essential events are not inadvertently suppressed.
Consistency Across States	Test the control in different states (editable, read-only, disabled) to ensure that user interactions behave consistently.
Accessibility Compliance	Verify that keyboard interactions are fully accessible and that shortcuts are documented for users relying on non-mouse input.

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Review

Review Aspect	Details
Interaction Responsiveness	The control effectively processes a wide range of keyboard and mouse events, providing a responsive and intuitive editing experience.
Shortcut Consistency	Built-in and custom shortcuts are implemented to meet common user expectations, aligning with standard Windows behavior.
Context Menu Integration	The integrated context menu ensures that standard editing operations are readily available, enhancing usability.
Customization Flexibility	Developers can extend and customize key handling to add additional shortcuts or override default behavior as needed.

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Summary

User Interaction & Shortcuts enhances the text box control by providing robust support for keyboard and mouse event handling, built-in editing shortcuts, and context menu operations.

These features ensure that users can navigate and manipulate text efficiently while enabling developers to extend and customize the interaction model as required.