Why won't XCode let me select text?

July 23, 2008 2:50 PM

What the deuce? Why can't I type in certain areas using XCode?

I'm just getting started learning to program in Objective-C using XCode under Leopard, and I'm encountering a bizarre behavior. The I-beam cursor just doesn't work in some areas of my code.

Here's a sample:
//
// main.m
// prog1
//

#import

int main(int argc, const char *argv[])
{
int sum;

// compute result
sum = 25 + 37 - 19;

// display results
printf ("The answer is %i.\n", sum);

return 0;
}

Clicking in most of the code works like you would expect; the I-beam starts blinking, and I can edit the text as I would like.

But if I click anywhere in the area indicated in italics, the I-beam just turns into an arrow cursor until I move the mouse, the blinking text cursor doesn't appear, and I can't edit the text. It is possible to position the cursor before or after the bold area and maneuver into it with the arrow keys.

What on earth is going on here?

posted by designbot to computers & internet (4 comments total)

Correction:

, sum);

should not be in italics. That part of the line can be clicked normally.
posted by designbot at 2:53 PM on July 23, 2008

Also, probably not relevant, but:

#import

should read:

#import <stdio.h>

Metafilter ate my brackets.
posted by designbot at 2:57 PM on July 23, 2008

I've been using Xcode for years, but I've never heard of that problem. You're saying that the affected text looks normal (just like the surrounding text), but only the click behavior is different? There aren't any warning/error bubbles in the middle of the text?

You might have more luck on the Xcode-users mailing list.
posted by xil at 4:47 PM on July 23, 2008

You're saying that the affected text looks normal (just like the surrounding text), but only the click behavior is different?

Exactly. I just restarted XCode, and it looks like it's not doing it anymore, so I guess it was just a fluke bug.
posted by designbot at 6:20 PM on July 23, 2008