OS X platform, bug report: Unable to delete parts in build mode.

First, some background for non-mac users:

1) a 101-key PC keyboard has separate 'del' and 'backspace' keys. While some full-size apple keyboards do, too, the apple wireless keyboard, which apple has been pushing a lot lately (and consequently has many users) has only a 'delete' key that is positioned where you would expect the backspace key, and which works like backspace, not like delete.

2) on all major OS X browsers (Safari, Firefox, Chrome) the backspace key operates as the browser back button, and thus is not available for use as a delete key to delete components from the circuit editor. (As far as I can tell, this is not configurable, but even if it were, it would be best not to have to dork with non-default key-mappings to use a web site.)

So, the problem: I want to be able to delete stuff! :)

Workaround: I can use ctrl-X to CUT, which is similar of course, but it has side-effects I don't like (i.e. replacing the clipboard contents, so my next paste is not what I really want)

Suggestion 1: The 'mac' way to delete a selected item or group of items is to use {command-delete} (For the uninitiated: the command key is the shift-like modifier key on either side of the space bar - it has an icon that looks like a highway cloverleaf)

Suggestion 2: Personally, I would like to be able to use ctrl-d or ctrl-k to delete the selected components, since I'm an emacs user and these keys have a delete-ish function associated with them. (for non-emacs-users: ctrl-d deletes 1 character ahead of the cursor, ctrl-k deletes from cursor to end-of-line) The text-editing widgets on OS X support both ctrl-d and ctrl-k with these semantics too, so this would not be completely foreign to mac power users, either: although I suspect many non-programmer users don't know about them.

by jvmatl
February 29, 2012

fn delete

by jetpax
February 29, 2012

Use ctrl-click to bring up a menu on the mac - this is how you can delete components.

by ralphrmartin
February 29, 2012

Ignore my silly comment. I was thinking of something else. Indeed, fn-delete does it.

by ralphrmartin
February 29, 2012

We have modified the keyboard shortcuts such that the Delete key on macs will work as expected, without having use Fn-Delete.

We have also made some other modifications that should make keyboard shortcuts on Macs a little more friendly.

by hevans
March 01, 2012

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