Replace cursor at unknown word, word is bold in suggestions
Type some unknown word:
"I want bixifuxi again"
Place cursor at the end of that word.
→ word appears bold in the suggestions (most of the time, a few times it wasn't bold; same word, same sentence, just moved the cursor around)
I would expect it to be in the left spot under quotes, not bold. The same as during typing.
But I would actually suggest to use all three spots for actual suggestions, under the assumption that moving the cursor to a word, my intention is to edit it, so no need to offer the word again exactly as it is.
Discussion
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@muleluku the bar drew the word under the cursor correctly at first, but any later refresh of the bar redrew it bold, so it depended on timing whether you saw bold or not. Fixed for build 471 and in 2.2.2 on the App Store: the word stays in the middle and never turns bold, because space doesn't change it there, and the corrections sit on both sides. I'm keeping the word in the bar on purpose, so you can tap it to keep it exactly as written.
I'm on 2.2.2 471 and the middle word remains the same as typed
@JackBauer24 that's how it's meant to work now: the word under the cursor stays in the middle as typed, no longer bold, and the corrections sit left and right of it. Space doesn't change the word there, so the middle is the option to keep it as is. If you'd rather have a correction in the middle, open a suggestion for it and I'll weigh it against keeping the typed word.
Build 471.
Middle selection shows the word before the cursor as is and it's not bold anymore. But now it's never bold, I would expect it to be bold, if it is a known dictionary or learned word.
For one, it should be bold for consistency with the behaviour while actively typing and swiping. Second, it is useful to tell at one glance if the word is (likely) spelled correctly or (probably) has a mistake.
Created #S663 for the additional suggestion point for later consideration. It was just an idea, I'm actually not even sure myself, if it's a good idea or not..
@muleluku in 471 I took the bold off the middle word for every word, known or not. Fixed for build 473 and in 2.2.2 on the App Store: with the cursor on a word, the middle is bold when the word is in the dictionary or learned, and stays plain when it's unknown, same as while typing.
The middle suggestion turns bold when the word is added to the learned words or is part of the dictionary. That part is working now.
The original question remains. The word that the cursor moved back to, is an unknown word till it's learnt. So it should be shown in double quotes on the left, not in the middle when the cursor is moved back to it, middle should be the top replacement suggestion and the right should be the next best suggestion. Why are we using the middle spot for an unknown word here?
I compared native, SwiftKey and Gboard in that regard.
Native shows three alternatives when you go back to a word in the middle of a sentence and doesn't repeat the word itself (whether it is known or not).
Gboard always shows the word as is in the left spot (without quotes, the same way during typing).
SwiftKey always shows the current wkrd as is in the middle spot the middle spot, but it doesn't really show the word as is during typing but three corrections/completions.
For EFKey I would also think that putting unknown words left and in quotes to be the best way to go. Just seems more consistent that way. That's basically Gboard's behaviour with added quotes for unknown words.
@ilikered with the cursor back on a word, the bar always kept that word in the middle, even when it wasn't in the dictionary. While typing, an unknown word sits on the left in quotes. Fixed for build 474 and in 2.2.2 on the App Store: an unknown word under the cursor now goes left in quotes, the best suggestion takes the middle and the next one goes right. The middle isn't bold because space doesn't replace the word there. Tapping the quoted word keeps it and learns it straight away.
All good now with 474
I have a feeling this new issue is related to the some thing here.
Birne (uppercase) is a German dictionary word.
If I repeatedly type it in lowercase, I expect it to be learned in lowercase and to override the uppercase version. And it does, the uppercase version does not appear in bold anymore, when it was in bold before. But at the same time the lowercase birne stays in quotes, when I expect it to be in bold.
While when I go back with the cursor to a lowercase birne, it does appear bold in the middle.
@muleluku do you have Autocorrect turned off? With it off, the middle slot is only an offer that space never inserts, so the bar puts the best offer there (Birne) and keeps what you typed on the left in quotes, even when it's a learned word. With the cursor back on the word there's no offer logic, so you get bold birne. Also, when Birne used to be bold in the middle, did space turn your birne into Birne at that point?
Autocorrect is off.
You're right, I described it wrong.
"Birne" only appeard in bold, when I typed it uppercase, as only then did it match the dictionary word exactly.
But after typing "birne" several times my expectation is:
*ohh I see... is this the point? It offers Birne, as it outcompetes birne somehow, so birne is not considered an offer at all anymore. But since we always want the user to have a chance to keep what he has typed, it appears in quotes?
I tried it with London too, typing lowercase london. Interestingly it suggests for "lond" → "london" in lowercase but for "londo" and "london" it suggests → "London".
The semantics of bold is actually different when autocorrect is on vs off, right?
I tried typing, with autocorrect on, "I am ij" → "in" bold, will be replace on space. Type "I am in" → "in" is bold.
With autocorrect off, "I am ij" → "in" not bold. Type "I am in" → "in" is bold.
My experience with autocorrect off is, middle word is only ever bold when it shows the word exactly as I typed and that word is in the dictionary/learned list.