Comments on: TiPb Asks: How Would You Implement Cut/Copy and Paste on the iPhone?

By: Od

Od — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 09:58:52 +0000

I think it. Would be good if you could swipe Acrose the what u want to copy with 2 fingers and then flick 1 finger up to copy and the same finger down 2 paste

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:35:16 +0000

There’s an app called Magic Pad available that is essentially the Notes program with the ability to cut, copy, and paste. Though I would also like the ability to have flash run on the iphone, have the ability to stream video as well. I can hook up my xbox 360 to my home network and stream online netflix movies through it. Why not let the iphone do it?

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 05:23:20 +0000

Doubletap and drag.

By: Danny

Danny — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:30:33 +0000

I think the most streamlined way would be just like you get the magnifying glass and get a small letter bar, you use that to make a selection over some text. then on the keyboard maybe on the numbers page have a small cut/copy/paste buttons or have a function key like the shift key then use the respective c/x/p keys. select one of those and place the curser where u want and hit the paste button.

cheers

By: Vincent

Vincent — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 19:05:59 +0000

@ Lowdown

You’re probably right, iPhone is definitively not a professional tool, it’s more like a toy. I an iPhone, I also own a TyTn2, even if I like this item, I can’t really consider it like something more than a toy. WM6 is a real professional tool. But really less ****…

By: Lowdown

Lowdown — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:02:17 +0000

@ Rene Ritchie,

The iPhone does not multitask very well if at all. Yes you can talk on the phone while on the internet, listen to music while doing some basic stuff but thats not “real multitasking”. Multitasking is using two or more processes at once and using common files between them. Can the iPhone be signed on G-Chat while answering an email… NO, can the phone share any information between apps, No… not really, which is the biggest reason why they haven’t implemented copy and paste, if it were just a matter of having it done right Apple would have figured it out, however it is a design flaw, why can’t people see that! The backbone of the iPhone is just not meant for that kind of work nor the sharing of information between Apps and the iPhone, they are just so detached. I would like to use copy and paste in ALL Apps not just some like there are now, using it in various word pad programs and whatnot. I am an iPhone owner but am not an Apple fan boy like many of the other people here. If you want to implement copy and paste in a good clever way check out WinMo 6.1, they have it done great. After highlighting, which Apple still doens’t have, you hold the selected highlighted area and a drop down appears giving you options on what you would like to do… That is the best of both worlds.

By: Vincent

Vincent — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 19:20:31 +0000

Why not just holding the down button ? (because it's the most easy to acces with both hand when using the other one for touch purpose)

When using the magnifying glass hold it to enter into selection mode. Then you just have to drag the magnifier to highlight he text. When releasing the down button popup the cut/copy/paste dialog box.

I just want 1€ for any new iPhone sale with this feature. "En France, on à pas de pétrole mais on à des idées !"

By: tmaestro

tmaestro — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:50:31 +0000

Swipe (any direction) then tap+hold to choose start point with magnifying glass. Swipe tap+hold to choose end point. When you release you get a pop up that offers cut/copy/paste. If there's something in the clipboard it should offer paste/continue on the first swipe tap+hold choose and release.

That's one finger, the gesture works anywhere on the screen.

By: Sam

Sam — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:28:50 +0000

It’s gotta be something to do with holding down your finger.. Like how the image saving works. Because although iPhone touts multi-touch as it’s main innovation, it should be a command easily performed with one finger. Something you could do with a thumb even, for when you’re not typing.

By: Rene Ritchie

Rene Ritchie — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 13:19:27 +0000

@Lowdown:

I believe you're incorrect. The iPhone multitasks perfectly well. It can play iPod or streaming music while surfing the web. It can send pictures or URLs from Photo or Safari to Mail. It can drop you out of iPod, answer a call, let you surf the web or send an email while on the call, and then drop you right back into iPod when you hang up.

However, Apple doesn't allow 3rd party Apps to multitask, just their own built in Apps. This is not a design flaw, it's choice (and perhaps wrong-headed) in the age old battle between security and convenience, control and chaos.

Bottom line, however, there's nothing architectural about the iPhone that prevents cut and paste, just arbitrary Apple (same way SDK can access contacts but not calendar).