Feature request: text suggestions (predictive text)

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pid
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Feature request: text suggestions (predictive text)

Post by pid »

I use PDF-XChange Editor with my Surface Pro often in portrait mode and without a keyboard. It would be great your application supported text suggestions when using the touch keyboard. I'm aware that text suggestion works when using the Onscreen Keyboard but, among other problems, it is awkward to use since the keys are so small in portrait mode. Almost all of the applications that I use (including 'simple' programs like Notepad++) support this feature. Would it be difficult to add to a future release? I love your product and use it all the time. This would be icing on the cake!
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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: Feature request: text suggestions (predictive text)

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hello pid,

Thank you for the suggestion, I can see the merit in such a feature, but do keep in mind that it is very complicated to accomplish this well, the "simple" applications that do this are able to because they can take advantage of their simplicity to do so without too many large "bumps in the road".

There are a number of aspects to consider, many of these functions, build a "quick access" dictionary on a per file basis, and try to use words that have already been used before others when the context matches. In the PDF format that is difficult as we have so many facets for text entry and storage.

Another aspect is the grammar tied to the predictions, as an example, Google offers a very strong predictive text system, this can work in a few ways, either by preparing a very large logic database to work with locally, or performing frequent checks online (like how many mobile phones work).

The former would cause the application to slow down and grow in size to accommodate the countless grammatical variations it is checking (With a more noticeable drop for those users who speak and work in more than one language). Predictive text dictionaries are considerably larger than spellcheck dictionaries, simply because they require grammatical logic to be functional.

The latter would also have some severe complications, if someone who often made use of this function is writing or modifying a legal document forgets that it is enabled, suddenly our application is sending passages from that document back and forth on the internet. This is why we explicitly avoid making our applications communicate with anything on the internet wherever possible.

Nonetheless, I have forwarded this suggestion to our lead developer, and will let you know if he gives a favorable reply, but for the reasons above, and some others, I do not believe this is something we will be implementing in the near future.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

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TrackerSupp-Daniel
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Re: Feature request: text suggestions (predictive text)

Post by TrackerSupp-Daniel »

Hello Again pid,

I have finished speaking with our Development team leader, and he has said that we do not have any intention of offering our own predictive text. On that note however, we have created a new feature request, to support the use of the windows built in predictive text when enabled. Note that you can turn this on in your windows settings for physical keyboards as well as the on screen keyboard.

I cannot speak for when this will be available, but know that it is coming.

Kind regards,
Dan McIntyre - Support Technician
Tracker Software Products (Canada) LTD

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our Web site domain and email address has changed as of 26/10/2023.
https://www.pdf-xchange.com
Support@pdf-xchange.com
pid
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Re: Feature request: text suggestions (predictive text)

Post by pid »

I'm sorry I wasn't clear. I meant support for the built-in Windows feature (with predictive text showing on the top-portion of the touch keyboard) that your developers mentioned. And thank you!
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Re: Feature request: text suggestions (predictive text)

Post by Will - Tracker Supp »

:D
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