Suggestion for hex editor

[martix]

Well I have no idea if its by design, a bug or whatever, but I have a suggestion...
When you use go to function or the arrow keys to move the cursor what happens is that a little line moves around in response.
But the trouble is that operations happen on the currently selected text, which doesn't always correspond to the cursor's position.
So I though - why not make a key that selects the byte at the cursor's position.

[GlowSplint]

Yes, I think that this should be implemented as well. I see the line moving but the selected area is not moving with my arrow keys.

[L. Spiro]

Next release (probably).


L. Spiro

[martix]

How's it coming? Is it in yet?

[Zach]

How's it coming? Is it in yet?

As of his latest release [Version 5.4 Pro (10:20 PM 9/18/2008)], I don't think it has been fixed yet.

I only respond to add that this also needs to be implemented in the Auto-Hack helper window as well. Using the keyboard arrow keys to cycle through the various addresses being monitored does not update the display.

Also, moving the cursor around in the Memory window (Hex Viewer) will not update its helper window either.

[L. Spiro]

It was implemented long ago.
As per the standard, you are going to have to hold Shift if you want to select bytes while moving with the arrow keys.

The Helper window text is related to the first selected address. If you select bytes while stepping backwards they will update the Helper window. If you have no selection, the position of the cursor is used, which will cause an update when moved with the arrow keys.


L. Spiro

[Zach]

As per the standard, you are going to have to hold Shift if you want to select bytes while moving with the arrow keys.

Oh, come on, Spiro. We're not idiots.

To get the helper Windows to update correctly, one has to use a mouse click. Changing the selection (be it in Hex Editor or Auto-Hack) via the keyboard yields no update.

Maybe I am referring to a new bug, different than what martix is talking about, but it's still an oversight on your part nonetheless.

[L. Spiro]

No, it is not. I just explained the full emechanics.
If you move the cursor via the arrow keys and it fails to update, it means you have a selection somewhere.

Deselect everything by clicking off to the side.

Both this and my previous reply are in response only to the Hex Editor.


In regards to the Auto-Hack window, there is no way to update when selecting with the arrow keys.
I already tried many methods; Windows does not send a notification of the change of selection if you select with the arrow keys (quite retarded).
It would have been in the first release containing the Auto-Hack if it was possible.


L. Spiro

[Zach]

As I stated, I might be talking about a different problem. I'm sleepy and need to go to bed to get up for work (it's past midnight where I'm at), so I don't feel like taking screenshots, cropping them, hosting them, and then posting them, so bear with me.

Attach to a process and then bring up the Hex Editor. Clicking on a byte will update the helper window to show you all the possible data values (byte[8-bit], short[16-bit], long[32-bit], float[32-bit], etc.) at that location. To set the byte selection to the next byte, one has to click on it with the mouse. Using the arrow keys just moves the editing cursor and not the selection cursor, therefore, the conversion window remains unaffected.

I suppose this is probably by design, so I guess I'm really saying there should an option to change this behavior. In this type of application where we are blindly perusing the raw data to find some known data (or more so, a structure we defined in your fabulous template designer), it is general practice to scroll the data quickly with the arrows/keyboard. Having to manually click each individual byte in a sea of thousands is inefficient.

Every debugger I have ever worked with (and there have been many) work this way, so I guess that's why I find your method unintuitive and cumbersome, particularly given the purpose we are using your tool for in the first place. *shrug*


So in conclusion, I'll concede it's not a bug. But I still would love for you to add a way to scroll the memory with just the keyboard and not have to rely on mouse clicks. That's all I'm saying.

[martix]

As per the standard, you are going to have to hold Shift if you want to select bytes while moving with the arrow keys.

Well you see Spiro, theres the problem. Shift is standard for adding to the selection. Operations still happen on the first byte, so nothing has really moved!
So for ex. now if I use the Go To function and jump somewhere I have to manually click on that little black line to select the byte, so I can do whatever it is I wanna do with it.
It can become a big pain in the ass for something seemingly so small...

The other thing I was hoping could get fixed is updating the helper window when you do an operation on the selection.