Add ability to quickly clear input line

[jmckisson]

Brief summary of issue / Description of requested feature:

It is sometimes necessary to quickly clear the input line in order to type a new command. This is currently possible using multiple keystrokes such as Shift-Home then Down, or by making a key binding that calls clearCmdLine(), but the user is currently unable to bind keys that other mud clients use for this functionality such as Down or Escape.

I propose either allowing Down and/or Escape to be bound as a key, or adding functionality to the Down key to clear the input line if it is not in the state of traversing the command history stack. Additionally it would be useful for the Up key to immediately start traversing the command history regardless if there is typed input on the command line already.

[SlySven]

Are you aware that in the meantime it can be cleared automatically after the existing command is issued:

On the whole though I suspect this is likely to be tricky to do, because as well as the command history, we also have to accommodate visually impaired users who (IIRC) need to use the arrow keys to interact with their screen-reader and Qt's built-in framework for that which we also have to support.

[jmckisson]

Yea I'm aware of that option. But checking that will not solve the problem for example:
I have a command queued up to 'backstab Sampa', but he teleports away and the next best target in the room is Uribam who I wish to immediately type 'trip Uribam'. Sending the backstab command thru to the game would incur game lag as you try to backstab someone who is not there, hence the need to quickly be able to change the command you're trying to send on the fly.

[vadi2]

It is sometimes necessary to quickly clear the input line in order to type a new command.

With Select the text you sent enabled, you can just type one command after another - you don't need to clear the input line. Is there an issue with this for you? This is how everyone in Mudlet does it.

[jmckisson]

It is sometimes necessary to quickly clear the input line in order to type a new command.

With Select the text you sent enabled, you can just type one command after another - you don't need to clear the input line. Is there an issue with this for you? This is how everyone in Mudlet does it.

That allows you to hit backspace to clear IF you haven't started typing something else yet.. But if youre midway through typing some other command and quickly need to switch targets as in my above example then we're forced to either do a key combination, hit some other bound key like F1/2, etc, or backspsace a bunch before entering a new command.

[vadi2]

I see.

I think this makes sense then unless we can see any side-effects:

adding functionality to the Down key to clear the input line if it is not in the state of traversing the command history stack. Additionally it would be useful for the Up key to immediately start traversing the command history regardless if there is typed input on the command line already.