'highlight all items found' selection always cleared on next find

[lolarox]

If 'highlight all items found' is checked during a search and then the search box is closed, 'highlight all items found' is not selected on subsequent searches. This behaviour is different for the other selection options in the search panel (they remain selected across searches). Is there a way to make the 'highlight all items found' sticky?

[Mofi]

Short answer: No! It's designed to be active only for one search. Better you start to learn the ALT+letter hot key for this option for quick activation at every search you need it.

[Yendor04]

What is the correct ALT+letter hot key combination you make reference to above, Mofi? I can't seem to find it.

Thanks!

[Bego]

Hi dude,

I think Mofi means the menu-keyboard-shortcuts (what a word :
Since there is no sticky setting, learn to use keyboard shortcuts
ctrl-f --> search dialog opens
alt-f --> activates "mark" checkbox (at least in German version)
see the letter that is underlined

rds Bego

[Mofi]

In the english find dialog opened with CTRL+F in the option Highlight All Items Found the letter I is underlined. It is a windows standard that you simply can press the ALT+underlined letter to activate this item in the dialog or switch the focus to the edit field below or left the edit name as for example at Find What.

If an item in the dialog has currently the focus which does not allow letter keys like for example all the buttons and options in the Find dialog (and menu items in menus) you can even simply press the underlined letter of an option to activate it. For example if the option Regular Expressions has currently the focus, you can simply press i to switch the focus to "Highlight All Items Found" and toggle the state of this option. The checkboxes like this can be also toggled with the space key if the option has the focus.

If you can't see underlined characters in menus, do following:

-) Minimize all windows to see your desktop.
-) Move the mouse cursor to a position where no shortcut icon is displayed.
-) Press secondary (= normally right) mouse to open the popup menu for the desktop.
-) Click with the primary (= normally left) mouse button on the last item named Properties in this menu.
-) Select the tab Appearance.
-) Click on the button Effects.
-) Uncheck the last item named "Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key".
-) Close the Effects setting dialog with click on button OK.
-) Close the Display setting dialog with click on button OK.

Now you always see the ALT+underlined letters in the menus. Keyboard navigation is much faster than mouse navigation if you start to learn the key combinations of those functions you often need. For example if you often need the Insert Color dialog in menu Edit which has by default no hot key assigned, you can press Alt+e followed by i to quickly open the color selector dialog.

All versions of Windows has a tour for beginners where the navigation with keyboard is explained. The tab key for example moves the focus to the next item in the tab sequence which is defined by the programmer(s) of the application. Shift+tab moves the focus in reverse tab sequence.

For example in the login dialog of windows you

-) enter your user name
-) press tab
-) enter your password
-) and press Enter or Return do activate the default button OK.

I have often seen users which login as follows:

-) Enter user name.
-) Move right hand (or left) to the mouse, move the mouse cursor over the password field and press left (or right) mouse button to set the focus to this field and move the hand back to the keyboard. Pressing the tab key is much faster, isn't it.
-) Enter password.
-) Move again the hand from keyboard to the mouse to navigate it to the OK button and click on it. Pressing simply Return is much faster, isn't it.

[protobion]

Is there a way to make this permanent? I mean why would you not allow people to simply toggle it with Alt + I. That way, those who want it ON can leave it like that, those who want it OFF can leave it like that... and those who want to keep changing it can toggle.

Makes no sense to force people to keep changing it to suit their requirement everytime.