Delete vs. erase?

[Susan G]

Hi-

Why is it "Erase note" instead of "Delete note" in the Mouse modifiers for MIDI notes? For that matter, is there any practical difference between "erase" and "delete" and if not, can we get rid of one or the other for purposes of filtering (including the Action List)?

I strongly prefer "Delete" myself.

Thanks-

-Susan

[drew]

Personally I don't mind which is used, but it should be consistent.

We also have "remove items" which has thrown me when I've looked in the action list for "delete items".

[Amazed]

Originally Posted by drew

Personally I don't mind which is used, but it should be consistent.

We also have "remove items" which has thrown me when I've looked in the action list for "delete items".

Now remove and delete are generally not synonymous. If you remove something you can put it back. If you delete it, you cannot. Same for erase.

[MichaJo]

Originally Posted by Amazed

Now remove and delete are generally not synonymous. If you remove something you can put it back. If you delete it, you cannot. Same for erase.

In the WEB you'll find each and every combination of definitions about erase, delete, eliminate and remove and if it means things can be restored or not...
Some software for example give you the option to "undelete" or "unerase"...

[Amazed]

Originally Posted by MichaJo

In the WEB you'll find each and every combination of definitions about erase, delete, eliminate and remove and if it means things can be restored or not...
Some software for example give you the option to "undelete" or "unerase"...

Who knew?

[Ollie]

You can remove an eraser, but can you delete it? (Well you can in code, you have to remove the eraser code to delete it from the program...AAAH...)

[Susan G]

I guess it's probably too late to make "Delete" and "Erase" mean the same thing even just in the ME context and go with "Delete"? Oh, well...

Coming from multiple other Windows apps, at least (no experience here with Macs) I can't remember one that uses "Erase" instead of "Delete" in a context like this, or at least not one that uses both synonymously.

The Action List is great -- don't get me wrong -- but it would be even better if the terminology were more consistent, IMO (and yes, I know that's not a novel idea.) The longer it gets (=great; more commands, features and options,) the harder it is to find what I'm looking for without multiple tries.

Thanks-

-Susan

[Ollie]

I'm at a loss giving you specific examples but I remember the usage of "erase" in context with MIDI sequencers (not only with examples actually having an "eraser" for that, IIRC even a hardware sequencer and/or drum machine was among them). I guess that's where the funny distinction is coming from.

The "eraser" analogy seems OK for a MIDI piano roll in particular when there's an "eraser" icon, however I think we don't really need that distinction, it is only showing up in mouse modifiers tho?

[Kihoalu]

.

I prefer VOID (it is short)...

And of course, you win a prize if you say the secret void.

.

[tspring]

Originally Posted by Kihoalu

.

I prefer VOID (it is short)...

And of course, you win a prize if you say the secret void.

.

LOL. I know how old you are.

T

[Susan G]

Originally Posted by Ollie

I'm at a loss giving you specific examples but I remember the usage of "erase" in context with MIDI sequencers (not only with examples actually having an "eraser" for that, IIRC even a hardware sequencer and/or drum machine was among them). I guess that's where the funny distinction is coming from.

The "eraser" analogy seems OK for a MIDI piano roll in particular when there's an "eraser" icon, however I think we don't really need that distinction, it is only showing up in mouse modifiers tho?

Hi Ollie-

The "eraser" analogy seems OK for a MIDI piano roll in particular when there's an "eraser" icon, however I think we don't really need that distinction

Yeah, chicken/egg at this point, since it seems like a done deal anyway and yes, the difference without a distinction only shows up in the ME Action List re mouse modifiers, I think.

Thanks-

-Susan

[Amazed]

Originally Posted by Susan G

I guess it's probably too late to make "Delete" and "Erase" mean the same thing even just in the ME context and go with "Delete"? Oh, well...

Coming from multiple other Windows apps, at least (no experience here with Macs) I can't remember one that uses "Erase" instead of "Delete" in a context like this, or at least not one that uses both synonymously.

The Action List is great -- don't get me wrong -- but it would be even better if the terminology were more consistent, IMO (and yes, I know that's not a novel idea.) The longer it gets (=great; more commands, features and options,) the harder it is to find what I'm looking for without multiple tries.

Thanks-

-Susan

Erase and delete are generally synonymous for English speaking people. I agree, the programmers should pick one or the other. Mixing of terms is just bad practice. It confuses users and makes the software harder to learn. Typical of unmanaged programming teams. In fact programmers will even deliberately introduce mixed terms because they have a conflict with an accelerator key. e.g.Oh we can't use use Delete because the D is already used for Destroy. mmmm I know, let's use N for Nuke.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Amazed

Now remove and delete are generally not synonymous. If you remove something you can put it back. If you delete it, you cannot. Same for erase.

So, why is there "delete active take" but "remove items" when hitting ctrl+Z will put either of them back?

Sorry, I still don't understand the difference in that case.

[j79]

Originally Posted by drew

So, why is there "delete active take" but "remove items" when hitting ctrl+Z will put either of them back?

Sorry, I still don't understand the difference in that case.

I think what Amazed might be getting at is that "delete" could have folks thinking "will this delete the file from my harddrive, from the timeline or both?", while remove might be less likely to be read as something ambiguous.

[drew]

Fair point, j79. So maybe "delete active take" should be "remove active take" too?

[j79]

Yeah...i guess so.

I dont mind that much...but technically speaking, i think "remove" would be the correct term if we want to be consistent, and still have a word for actually deleting something in a way that means the file is gone from the drive.

[Amazed]

Originally Posted by drew

So, why is there "delete active take" but "remove items" when hitting ctrl+Z will put either of them back?

Sorry, I still don't understand the difference in that case.

I'm talking English. Not software. In software, you can call anything anything which is what I thought we were discussing. Our knowledge of the English language dictates what we expect from certain words in software.

[steki]

would be very nice and logical to use the DEL/ENTF button also for "delete active take".
now it is only for "remove items/tracks/envelope points [depending on focus]"

I tried to make a custom action for booth, but it do not worked.

[grinder]

How about
Kill K+L
Dissolve d+S
Exterminate e+x
Annihilate A+n

For something we wish never to use again!

Grinder

[Win Conway]

Erase and delete both need to exist in the MIDI editor for me, but they need to do the correct job too

Erase should be a swipe, so that you can drag across multiple events and erase them (To be a complete erase it should erase based on grid too, so if you swipe over a 32 event and the grid is set to 64 it will erase just half)

Delete should be click to delete (Always whole event, not based on grid)

It is also needed for the arranger but that is an extremely old FR that anybody who has used Acid will miss very much.

[ivansc]

We still cant lasso to delete many??? I thought that was already addressed in an earlier version of 4! I am still on 4.1.0 or thereabouts....

I need to go back and wrangle with the current state of Reapers MIDI and see what if anything has improved since my last go with it.

[grinder]

Delete should mean just that - gone forever
That said I reckon a change to the three letter word "ZAP" might be fun, final and forever....
Grinder

[mcirill]

Hi. Total newbie here.

I have a recording with lots of blank space I want to delete (the space, that is!). Is there a way to select and delete a chunk of time within (not at beginning or end) of a project - it's one track - a wedding ceremony I am trying to eq and clean up? I suspect there is some time code or something that is set when a project's first track is created, and I'll have to select the entire "right-chunk," move it to a new track lined up where I want the "left chunk" to end, and repeat this for each instance until I've reached the end. I was hoping there was a way I could just "delete the space" between chunks. Is there? Appreciate any replies.

[drew]

Originally Posted by mcirill

Hi. Total newbie here.

I have a recording with lots of blank space I want to delete (the space, that is!). Is there a way to select and delete a chunk of time within (not at beginning or end) of a project - it's one track - a wedding ceremony I am trying to eq and clean up? I suspect there is some time code or something that is set when a project's first track is created, and I'll have to select the entire "right-chunk," move it to a new track lined up where I want the "left chunk" to end, and repeat this for each instance until I've reached the end. I was hoping there was a way I could just "delete the space" between chunks. Is there? Appreciate any replies.

A little off-topic for this thread, but try dragging a time selection in the ruler, then right clicking in the ruler and click on "Remove contents of selection (moving later items)".

Hope that helps.