Awkward implementation of subscript and superscript toggles

[Jennifer]

In another thread, I discovered a way to portray vector variables by using the text box of a line object. As part of that experience, I learned about Visio's subscript and superscript facility. Unless there is something I don't understand, always a good possibility, this is a very awkward implementation.

If Word, the subscript and superscript keyboard shortcuts, Ctrl+= & Ctrl++, toggle a mode. Typing Ctrl+= will change the mode to subscript and anything typed after that will be a subscript. Typing the shortcut again will return to "normal" mode. Ctrl++ works similarly.

Visio uses these same shortcuts, which is great, but they work very differently. Instead of setting a mode, they apply to selected text. If no text is selected, they change all of the text in the entire text box. This makes absolutely no sense. Who would ever want to do that? If they aren't going to set a mode, as Word does, they it should be a null operation.

So, here's what I think you have to do:

   
• Type at least the first character of the subscript string.
• Select that character (shift+backspace).
• Type the shortcut.

Then to continue with regular text, you have to do this again. If you just type the shortcut at the end of your subscript, with no text selected, the entire text box will be affected.
What were they smoking when they designed this implementation?
Please tell me that I have this wrong and there is an easier way.

[wapperdude]

It's been awhile since I've played with sub- and super-scripts, but your description and observation sound about right.  The behavior is consistent with Visio's text handling methodology.  If a shape is selected, text operations apply to all of the text.  If a portion of text is selected, then that gets the focus.  It's not that Visio went out of their way to make sub and super scripting difficult, but rather, nothing has been done to make it special, easier, and more intuitive.

Wapperdude

[Jennifer]

That sounds right.  Now that you mention it, that is how other toggles work, like bold, italic, alignment, point size, etc. I should have thought of that.