Changing pointer shape in Windows

Changing pointer shape in Windows

[Rick Mohr]

Emacs 21 used the "arrow" pointer everywhere, but Emacs 22 uses the "I-beam" pointer over text. How can I get Emacs 22 to use the "arrow" pointer over text?

This doesn't seem to work:

(setq x-pointer-shape 132) ; top_left_arrow
(set-mouse-color "white")

I want to use the arrow pointer because (1) I'm used to it, and (2) the I-beam pointer behaves differently than in other windows applications. In Emacs, clicking on any part of a character places the cursor before that character. In other windows applications, clicking on the left half of a character places the cursor before that character but clicking on the right half of a character places the cursor after that character.

Any help appreciated. Thanks, 

-Rick

Re: Changing pointer shape in Windows

[Nikolaj Schumacher]

Rick Mohr <Rick@RickMohr.net> wrote:

>the I-beam pointer behaves differently than in other windows
>applications. In Emacs, clicking on any part of a character places the
>cursor before that character. In other windows applications, clicking
>on the left half of a character places the cursor before that character
>but clicking on the right half of a character places the cursor after
>that character.

Unfortunately, I don't have a solution for you.  However, I'd consider
this a bug.  This detail has probably just been overlooked.  Could you
report it?


regards,
Nikolaj Schumacher

Re: Changing pointer shape in Windows

[Rick Mohr]

I will enter a bug as you suggest for the I-beam pointer.

Are you saying it's no longer an option to use the "arrow" pointer over text?

Regarding what part of a character you point at to select it, I think the Emacs behavior makes sense with the old arrow pointer + "box" cursor but doesn't make sense with the new I-beam pointer + "sliver" cursor. Highlighting an entire character (the box cursor) rather than the space between characters (the sliver cursor) suggests you are selecting a character rather than the space between characters, so pointing at any part of the character is consistent. 

I prefer the box cursor because it's easier to find on the screen and I always use a fixed-width font. I tried the following unsuccessfully to use the box cursor in Emacs 22:

(setq initial-frame-alist
      '((top . 1)
        (left . 470)
        (width . 148)
        (height . 72)
        (cursor-type . 'box)
        ))

Is it no longer an option to use the "box" cursor?

-Rick

Re: Changing pointer shape in Windows

[Nikolaj Schumacher]

Rick Mohr <Rick@RickMohr.net> wrote:

> I will enter a bug as you suggest for the I-beam pointer.
>
> Are you saying it's no longer an option to use the "arrow" pointer
> over text?

No, I didn't say that.  It might be possible, I don't know.

> Is it no longer an option to use the "box" cursor?

On my installation that's still the default.
Check the variable `cursor-type', if it doesn't work.

regards,
Nikolaj Schumacher