I just finished implementing automatic name completion for my text RPG. It builds a list of the names of possible targets based on the current selected PC action. When the character is prompted for the name of the target of the action, the input is evaluated character by character. If the player hits a character which, when catted to the previous input characters, does not create a string which is a possible match for any name in the list, the character is neither accepted nor echoed to the screen. In this regard it acts as a pro-active spell-checker. It also automatically completes as much of the input string for you as it can. It acts exactly like the Linux name completion feature except that it is automatic (as though you hit the tab key every time you typed a character on the Linux command line). Additionally, at any point after at least one character has been accepted, the user can cycle through the remaining matches and select the one he is looking for by hitting ''enter''. Advantages: 1) Less typing (obviously) for the user. I''m a slow typer and this was my motivation for for creating this feature. Especially helpful for long names where a unique match is found relatively early in the spelling of the name. 2) The player need not remember the exact spelling of what he''s looking for. As long as he knows at least the first letter, he can then cycle through all the matches until he finds what he''s looking for. Disadvantage: 1) Not helpful for short names that you know the spelling of. It seems like it is actually a little more work for me to enter short names in name-completion mode. I''m one of those guys who needs to look at the keyboard when I type, so every time I type a character in name-completion mode, I need to move my eyes from the keyboard to the monitor to see how much of the name was completed by the program, and then move my eyes back down to the keyboard to type the next letter. Actually, the pre-emptive spell-checking makes it uneccesary to worry about typing an invalid character, but I''m not used to it yet so I''m guessing it would take others some time get used to it. My question is: based on your typing ability, does this feature sound like more of a help or a hinderance? My personal experience is that it helps me more than it slows me down. Thanks in advance, Sean

use tab for cycling through the different matches, otherwise you will definatly confue ppl used to pressing enter to have the command/name accepted. also it should not be a hinderancce at all if its automatic and does not affect what the person types. for example like the auto complete in ie. as you type it compeltes urls but you can ignore it and continue typeing, if there is no match it stops showing possible matches. it is also "smart" by ordering the matches by how often they were picked compared to the other matches. you may consider just leaving them in alphabetical order like quake3/linux does.

the key to keep the auto complete having no disadvantage is make sure it does not interfere with type at all. spell check should be an option that is off by default since most ppl will probally get confused by it.

Thanks for the feedback. I should clarify that the user does cycle through the choices with the tab key, and only uses the enter key to accept the desired choice. Re-reading my post, I can see how it could be taken to say that the enter key also performs the cycling.

Personally, I''d prefer something halfway between bash autocomplete and Windows autocomplete:

• The first name that matches is found, and the rest of it is written at the end of the input line in a selected style. That way, you can type without looking at the screen.
  
• If you press "tab", you move the insert point to the end of the input line and the autocompleted selection. This is effectively the same as the Linux method.
  
• You might, if appropriate/possible, display a list of possible matches and allow the user to move between them with the up and down arrow keys. This is like Explorer''s address-bar autocomplete.
  

Just Plain Wrong

Speaking as a pretty good (and fast) typer I always find these sorts of features a real pain in the neck.

The reason is actually quite simple: to type fast you get into a flow and when the system suddenly guesses at what you mean and offers you options it disrupts that flow.

Yes, you can try to ignore it but often the damage is already done. The more "option" keys you need to navigate the feature, the worse the disruption.

Just my two pence.

E

quote: Original post by Eight
Speaking as a pretty good (and fast) typer I always find these sorts of features a real pain in the neck.

Which is why you should be able to switch th feature off... Sean99, note that!

Yes,
I would do an ato comple where the user can continue typing and the text keeps trying to match as much as they have. (like windows auto complete for ie.) I would also include in the options the abuility to turn the feature off. You can never have to many options.

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