how to include tab character in insert/fill columns

[johnagrandy]

When using Insert/Fill Columns , how to represent the tab character ?

I want a tab character inserted at a certain column # for every row.

Thanks.

[Mofi]

It's not possible to enter the tab character in this dialog. That is a general restriction for all edit fields in Windows. The tab key moves the focus to next item in a dialog. Microsoft has simply forgotten that users may want to enter a tab character too. You have to select a tab character in the document, copy it to the Windows clipboard, prepare the column inserting, open the Insert/Fill Columns dialog and paste with Ctrl+V the tab character into the edit field.

[jorrasdk]

In the "convert to fixed column" dialog IDM has enabled the use of "^t" to enter a tab character. Maybe "^t" should also be enabled in the "Insert/Fill columns dialog" ? (Should we request this for a future IE release ?).

I have more than once had to insert a tab in a column. My approach is to insert a character that doesn't already exist in the document (for example ¤) and then use the replace dialog to change it to tab.

[Mofi]

In the "convert to fixed column" dialog IDM has enabled the use of "^t" to enter a tab character. Maybe "^t" should also be enabled in the "Insert/Fill columns dialog" ?

That would be a good idea. I have even tried what happens when inserting ^t in the "Insert/Fill Columns" dialog before I posted my reply because I hoped that ^t would be interpreted as tab character in this dialog too. That was not the case.

I support the feature request for ^t being interpreted in the "Insert/Fill Columns" dialog as tab character. And ^^ should be interpreted as character ^ if someone wants to use this feature to insert the text "^t" with the entered string "^^t" although I suppose that this does not happen often (ever?). The necessary code would be quite simple in MFC C++.

int iFoundSpecial;
CString csInsertText;

iFoundSpecial = csInsertText.Replace( "^^\t", "<!IdM TaB!>");
csInsertText.Replace( "^^", "^"); // <-- This is not really required if the users only use ^t and ^^t and
csInsertText.Replace( "^\t", "\t"); // the character ^ itself always as is, but that can't be expected.
if( iFoundSpecial ) csInsertText.Replace( "<!IdM TaB!>", "^t");

jorrasdk, would you be so kind to send such a feature request email to IDM with adding Mofi as additional user requesting it. Thanks.

[jorrasdk]

jorrasdk, would you be so kind to send such a feature request email to IDM with adding Mofi as additional user requesting it. Thanks.

Done!