Selection

For ink selection, Microsoft® recommends the following:

• Unless it is inconsistent with your applications selection model, tapping on an ink stroke in selection mode should select that stroke.

• If your application already has selection tools for its objects, make them apply also to ink. If your application does not have selection tools and you want to provide one for Ink objects, use a lasso selection tool, a rectangle selection tool, or both.

• Whenever possible, choose the lasso selection tool over other types of selection tools. Lasso selection is more powerful than a rectangle selection tool and works well for irregular shapes and discontinuous selections. A flexible lasso tool is the most convenient and powerful selection tool for ink drawing and writing.

  

  A rectangle selection tool is less flexible than a lasso selection tool, but is faster and easier to learn. However, it can encompass only objects that are laid out in rectangular regions. In addition, it is difficult to make discontinuous and irregularly shaped selections.

• Selection tools that you provide for ink should implement a fuzzy selection enclosure. This enclosure does not require the user to enclose objects entirely to select them. Fuzzy selection accommodates imprecise pointing and makes it easier to enclose and capture irregularly shaped Ink objects. For more information about the unique characteristics of using the tablet pen as a pointing device, see About Tablet PC.

  

• When ink is selected, it should be clearly visible, as well as independent of:

  • Ink color
  • Page color
  • User settings (high contrast)

  Ensure that selected objects dont hide other objects on the page because this makes positioning for drag-and-drop operations difficult for the user.