This section discusses what you can key into the PSPNum edit box. We have spent a great deal of time refining keystroke processing with users of our Java and VBX/OCX PSPNum versions. The result, we sincerely hope, is intuitive and productive. We welcome any further suggestions in this area.

Your keystrokes are processed according to the following rules:

Moving the caret:

• You can use the arrow keys to move the caret (position for next keystroke) left or right. You can use the Home and End keys to jump the caret left or right. Pressing the Home or End key repeatedly oscillates the caret between the very first/last position in the Text and the first/last input-capable position.
• You can move the caret to a position which is not input-capable i.e. to non-numeric characters after the last digit 0-9. PSPNum rejects with a beep any keystroke at this position. When you use the arrow keys, PSPNum skips the caret over non input-capable positions between the first and last digits 0-9.

Value displayed:

• If the number has decimal places defined (DigitsAfterDP property is positive) then:
  • At least one non-blank character is displayed for the decimal place. This is typically a single full-stop '.' but may be any other character(s) depending upon what is set for the DP component in the edit mask.
  • The numeric value displayed always shows digits for all decimal places. For example, if the number has three decimal places and the value is zero, you see three 0's following the decimal place.
• The numeric value displayed always shows at least one digit before the decimal place. If none have been defined for the number (DigitsBeforeDP property is zero), a single 0 is displayed before the decimal place. You can not change this single 0.
• Apart from a single 0 for the rule above, the displayed value never includes leading 0's.
• In addition to the decimal place, the displayed value may include other non-digit (not 0-9) characters depending upon the setting for edit mask components other than DP e.g. 'CR' for the sign of the number.

Your keystrokes:

• Any valid key immediately updates the Text property. There is no 'confirm input' in the number itself - although there may be a confirm/cancel facility in your application.
• The only valid visible keystrokes are '+', '-', 0-9 and the input decimal place i.e. the character determined by the DI component of the edit mask. Any other visible character (e.g. A-Z) is ignored.
• You change the sign of the number by keying plus '+' or minus '-' anywhere in the displayed Text.
• You can change the relative position of the decimal place by keying a new decimal place anywhere in the displayed value. If the number has no decimal places (DigitsAfterDP is zero), the keyed decimal place is ignored with a beep.
• When you key digits (0-9) the value is always in 'insert' mode. That is, the new digits are added to the existing digits. There is no 'overstrike' mode i.e. where new digits replace existing digits.
• When you key digits (0-9) before the decimal place, the value scrolls off to the left. That is, digits before the new digit are moved one place left. This may mean that the left-most digit is lost because there are now more digits than the DigitsBeforeDP property allows. In this case the OverflowKey property setting determines how PSPNum responds.
• When you key digits (0-9) after the decimal place, the value scrolls off to the right. That is, digits after the new digit are moved one place right. This may mean that the right-most digit is lost because there are now more decimal places than the DigitsAfterDP property allows. In this case the numeric value is updated without a beep. Note that the value of the Round property has no effect on this behaviour because Round only applies to PSPNum operations e.g. when a new value is set in your program code.
• You can use the Delete and Backspace keys to delete digits (0-9) only. You can not delete any part of the displayed value (decimal place, sign etc.) which are determined by the edit mask. You can delete a number of digits at one time by selecting them first (e.g. by the Shift and Arrow keys), then immediately hitting either Delete or Backspace or by keying any new value.

System Clipboard support:

• You can select a range of Text using the Shift and Arrow keys or by dragging the mouse over a range of digits.
• The range selection can be copied to the clipboard by the Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Ins key combinations. The range selection will be deleted to the clipboard (copied then deleted) by the Ctrl+X or Shift+Del key combinations.
• You can paste from the clipboard into the Text value using the Ctrl+V or Shift+Ins key combinations. Any current range selection is first deleted before pasting. Note that only numeric characters (0-9) are pasted from the clipboard. Alphabetic characters in the clipboard string are ignored.