I'd recommend removing the text-overwrite function when using the insert key for mIRC. This is an IRC client, not a high level text editor. There seems to be no added functionality given that most IRC text is only a single line.
It would appear that a lot of users find the function annoying (no doubt there will also be those that for some mysterious reason enjoy having an overwrite function in a single-line editbox, but they seem never to speak up when someone rants on about the fact that their IRC text got mangled because of it once again), and to be honest there does not seem to be a good reason to have the function in mIRC other than "it's a windows standard".
Which I might point out it isn't. Notepad doesn't have overwrite, not even wordpad has overwrite. The windows run command, search functions, in fact most text-enabled native windows components don't have overwrite. browser URL bars don't have overwrite, and textfields in browsers like the one I'm typing in now don't have overwrite enabled either, for the simple reason that text-overwrite is a function you only really need in spreadsheet programs and high level text editors... neither of which mIRC is.
An alternative to completely removing it is a programwide flag for allowing the insert key in any and all types of editbox, but at least let users decide whether they want to use a function that cripples many. This is an IRC client, we mostly type in single lines, overwrite is a counterfunctional feature in this light.
- Pomax
PS: please don't reply with suggestion on how to prevent overwrite from being triggered when using mIRC. The fact that it still can even when you know how to not make it overwrite text makes it only more annoying when it suddenly does.
