Where's my cursor gone?

[gavspen]

I feel silly even posting such an insignificant thing, but I wonder, does this happen to you......

There are many applications - not all, but many - where using the space bar causes the cursor to disappear. It returns as soon as you move the mouse. Happens in web browsers, TextEdit, Word, Address Book, iTunes iChat, not in DP by the way. It used to happen on my old G4 and it still happens on the G5, through many system upgrades, so it's not just on one setup.

Yeah, it's silly and it doesnt matter anyway, but does it do it on your computer too? Just wondering

Gavin

[MIDI Life Crisis]

It'll also happen if you hit page up/down and if you can scroll L/R - but it should only happen to the "pointer" not the cursor where you are entering text

I believe this is normal behavior in some programs where the cursor in not active at the moment of the redraw.

For example, as I write this, I hit the space bar a lot - the cursor remains because I am in an active text box. If I move the mouse and the pointer changes from the blinking line to an arrow and then hit the space bar, the arrow disappears.

OTOH, if you add some text to the reply and move the cursor over text outside of the text box you are working in - then select some text - such as "Disable BBCode in" (below) and then hit the space bar, the cursor goes away, but the text you selected remains selected.

If you then immediately hit the shift key and move the cursor to the end of the line, the entire line "Disable BBCode in this post" gets selected.

IOW, you haven't lost anything - only that the OS is not redrawing the pointed automatically.

Again, I believe this is normal in programs like browsers, but in other programs (like Acrobat, for example) the cursor remains in place regardless of what you do to the page.

My guess is that there is a line of code that programmers either include or not to have the cursor redraw every time.

Or not...

[FMiguelez]

.

Hmmmm.... talking about weird cursor behavior, sometimes (no recognizable pattern), my mouse's pointer will refuse to go to the other screen (I have two 23' ones). It'll move around one screen, but it won't go to the other. This will happen out of the blue, after hours of working perfectly.

No big deal either. Just wondering...

Except that:
If it happens that it is the right most screen, no problem. I can still access the apple menu and restart. But if it's the left one... I have to shut off the computer by force (with the power button). I don't like doing that, especially if there are opened apps... like DP. I can close it with shortcuts. Duh!! I should put a shortcut for shutting down to avoid this.

Disconnecting/reconnecting the USB mouse won't matter.

It happens like 2-3 times a month...

[gavspen]

but it should only happen to the "pointer" not the cursor where you are entering text

You are exactly correct, I expressed myself poorly...as so often happens. I didnt quite get the next part of your reply, but I'm sure you're right about that too.

All quite normal it seems. Carry on then.

Thanks Mike

[MIDI Life Crisis]

...I have two 23' ones...

WOW! 46 feet of monitor real estate!

[FMiguelez]

...I have two 23' ones...

WOW! 46 feet of monitor real estate!

Yeah. I love it!

Besides what I just described, it's easy to spend a few seconds finding the god damned cursor. It's so funny 'cause often I need to move and move the mouse to find it

[FMiguelez]

.

Wait. You mean 43 inches, not feet, right?

Oh, I see what you mean. I missed one of the '' signs.... Duh!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

.

Wait. You mean 43 inches, not feet, right?

Oh, I see what you mean. I missed one of the '' signs.... Duh!

Couldn't resist. But it could be worse - could've been monkeyman who found it.

besides, the idea of 46 feet of monitor has me fantasizing.

[monkey man]

Yeah, could've been a whole lot worse.