Cursor removed in read-only TextArea

[TomJGooding]

You can still navigate and select the text in read-only mode, so don't we need the cursor?

Originally posted by @TomJGooding in #5925 (comment)

Here's an example to demonstrate:

from textual.app import App, ComposeResult
from textual.widgets import TextArea


class ExampleApp(App):
    def compose(self) -> ComposeResult:
        yield TextArea(
            "Try navigating by holding down the arrow keys. This is a "
            + "very, " * 10
            + "very long line. "
            + "While you're here, try pressing 'ctrl+shift+right'"
            + "Are we nearly there yet? This line seems endless!",
            read_only=True,
            soft_wrap=False,
        )


if __name__ == "__main__":
    app = ExampleApp()
    app.run()

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[darrenburns]

I agree - most times when I use the TextArea in read-only mode I want there to be a cursor so that I can select and copy text (and move the cursor around using keybindings to make selection easier).

[davep]

Count me in too; I have one application that makes a point of using TextArea in read-only mode but with a visible cursor so the user can select and copy specific text.

[willmcgugan]

I was replicating the browser's TextArea, which has no cursor when disabled. For me, cursor means insertion point, but since a read only TextArea can't insert anything, a cursor may be misleading for people who think like me.

So you can still select and copy with the mouse. But I recognize that Textual should be keyboard friendly, and there should ideally be no actions which are mouse only.

For something I was working on, I really don't want a read only cursor. So how about we have read_only and an independent show_cursor boolean?

I'd also like for a read only cursor to be different somehow. So there is a at least some visual indication that you can't actually insert anything. Different color maybe?

[willmcgugan]

Tom's issue was orthogonal. If there is no cursor, then cursor actions and keys should be disabled. And the TextArea should default to the standard ScrollView behaviors with regards to scrolling with the arrow keys.

[davep]

For something I was working on, I really don't want a read only cursor. So how about we have read_only and an independent show_cursor boolean?

I'd also like for a read only cursor to be different somehow. So there is a at least some visual indication that you can't actually insert anything. Different color maybe?

Sounds like the best of all worlds to me. Different colour for the cursor would be ideal too (something I've been doing with Emacs since forever).

[TomJGooding]

I'd also like for a read only cursor to be different somehow. So there is a at least some visual indication that you can't actually insert anything. Different color maybe?

Sounds good - I've been turning off the cursor blink in my own applications which helps differentiate it.

[darrenburns]

For something I was working on, I really don't want a read only cursor. So how about we have read_only and an independent show_cursor boolean?

Yeah I've come across this requirement too, where I essentially want to scroll the TextArea without moving the cursor. Your suggestion sounds like a good approach.

I'd also like for a read only cursor to be different somehow. So there is a at least some visual indication that you can't actually insert anything. Different color maybe?

In Posting's read-only TextAreas I opted to change the cursor color when read_only=True (and I think I also turned off blink), so I'm all for this 👍

[willmcgugan]

A rare consensus was reached! 💪

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