View source for Preferences settings that affect Edit behavior

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{{intro|There are two settings in [[Tracks Behaviors Preferences]] that affect the operation of the ''Cut, Copy, Paste,'' and ''Delete'' editing commands. These are:
* {{CheckboxNotChecked|Enable cut lines}} (unchecked by default)
* {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} (checked by default)
This page provides details and examples of how these preference settings affect editing operations.
}}
<div id="cut_lines"></div>
== Enable Cut Lines ==
<p>When this setting is enabled, cutting a section of audio will leave a red vertical line at the left edge of the cut portion. You can click on this line at any time to restore the cut audio; if you restore in error, use {{menu|Edit > Undo Expand}} to get the cut line back. To remove the line without restoring audio, right-click over it. {{menu|Edit > Undo Remove}} will restore the line if you make a mistake.</p>
<p>You can think of this as a kind of "persistent undo" in that clicking on the cut line undoes the cut, and the cut lines persist when you close and later re-open the project.</p>
{{advice|
* You must use {{menuadvice|Edit > Cut}} - any other Edit command that removes audio will not produce a cut line
* Existing cut lines can be expanded even if the "Enable cut lines" setting is off
}}

<div id="move_clips"></div>
== Editing a clip can move other clips==
<p>If this setting is enabled and the track has been [[Edit Menu: Clip Boundaries#split|split]] into more than one [[Audacity Tracks and Clips|clip]], any clips following to right of the edit point can always move as necessary in response to [[Edit_Menu: Copy, Paste and Duplicate #paste|pasting]], [[Edit Menu#cut|cutting]], [[Edit Menu#delete|deleting]] or other change that adds or removes content.</p>
<p>Unchecking this preferences "pins" clips so that they cannot move in response to an edit in another clip. When removing content, any following clips will not move back. When pasting, an error message will display if there is not enough room to paste without moving the following clips.</p>
{{note|[[Sync-Locked Track Groups|'''Sync-Lock''']] trumps (over-rides) this setting. If you have Sync-Lock enabled in the [[Tracks Menu]], then clips can move even when this setting is turned "off".  This works well when disabling/enabling Sync-Lock, as your preference for clips-can-move is not forgotten when out of Sync-Lock mode. }}

<div id="examples"></div>
==Examples==
{{note|The generated [[Chirp]] sound is used in these examples since it makes it easy to see where audio has been cut or pasted.
}}
===Example 1: the effect of changing "Editing a clip can move other clips"===
{{example|1=
{{bh|Removing audio (Cut or Delete) shifts the audio to the right of the edit to close up the space}}<br>
Before the cut or delete
:<span title="Example 1a - Track before audio is cut or deleted">[[Image:Ex1a_BeforeWithClips_NoScroll.png|link=]]</span>
After the cut or delete with {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - clips to the right of the edit move left
:<span title="Example 1a - Track after audio is cut or deleted">[[Image:Ex1a_AfterWithClips_NoScroll.png|link=]]</span>
After the cut or delete with {{CheckboxNotChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - audio to the right of the edit ''within the clip'' moves left, clips to the right of edited clip do not move
:<span title="Example 1a - Track after audio is cut or deleted">[[Image:Ex1a_AfterWithClips_NoMove.png|link=]]</span>
}}
{{example|1=
{{bh|Pasting into a region selection removes the region and inserts the clipboard contents, adjusting the position of the following audio as needed and if allowed}}<br>
Track with with a region selected, before audio is pasted:
:<span title="Example 1b - Track before audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1b_Before.png|link=]]</span>
After the paste when the audio to be pasted is ''shorter than the selection'' with {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - audio to the right of the edit moves left
:<span title="Example 1b - Track after shorter audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1b_Short_After.png|link=]]</span>
After the paste when the audio to be pasted is ''shorter than the selection'' with {{CheckboxNotChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - audio to the right of the edit ''within the clip'' moves left, clips to the right of the edited clip do not move
:<span title="Example 1b - Track after shorter audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1b_Short_After_NoMove.png|link=]]</span>
<br>
After the paste when the audio to be pasted is ''longer than the selection'' with {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - audio to the right of the edit moves right to make room for the longer region of audio
:<span title="Example 1b - Track after longer audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1b_Long_After.png|link=]]</span>
After the paste when the audio to be pasted is ''longer than the selection'' with {{CheckboxNotChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - the clips to the right of edit cannot move, so the paste is not allowed
:<span title="Example 1b - Track after longer audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1b_Long_After_NoMove.png|link=]]</span>
}}
{{example|1=
{{bh|Pasting into a point selection inserts the audio at that point and adjusts the position of the following audio}}<br>
Track with with a point selection, before audio is pasted
:<span title="Example 1c - Track before audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1c_Before.png|link=]]</span>
After the paste into a point selection with {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - audio to the right of the edit moves right to make room for the longer region of audio
:<span title="Example 1c - Track after audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1c_After.png|link=]]</span>
After the paste into a point selection with {{CheckboxNotChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}} - the clips to the right of edit cannot move, so the paste is not allowed
:<span title="Example 1c - Track after audio is pasted">[[Image:Ex1c_After_NoMove.png|link=]]</span>
}}

===Example 2: cut lines===
{{example|1=
{{bh|Creating and restoring cut lines}}<br>
The settings for this example are
* {{CheckboxChecked|Enable cut lines}}
* {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}}
Before cutting a region of audio from the first clip
:<span title="Example 2a - Track before audio is cut">[[Image:Ex2a_Before.png|link=]]</span>
After cutting the region - note the red indication of the cut line
:<span title="Example 2a - Track after audio is cut showing cut line">[[Image:Ex2a_After.png|link=]]</span>
Two more cuts are made
:<span title="Example 2a - Track after two more cuts are made">[[Image:Ex2a_After2More.png|link=]]</span>
We can now expand the first cut - without the use of cut lines one would have to Undo three times to get the first cut back, then redo the second and third cuts
:<span title="Example 2a - Track after first cut is expanded">[[Image:Ex2a_CutExpanded.png|link=]]</span>
}}
{{example|1=
{{bh|Cut lines cannot be expanded if doing so would violate the "Editing a clip can move other clips" setting}}<br>
The settings for this example are
* {{CheckboxChecked|Enable cut lines}}
* {{CheckboxNotChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}}
Before cutting a region from the first clip
:<span title="Example 2b - Track before audio is cut">[[Image:Ex2b_Before.png|link=]]</span>
After cutting the region, then moving the second clip to the left so it touches the first clip
:<span title="Example 2b - Track after audio is cut and second clip is moved">[[Image:Ex2b_AfterCutAndMove.png|link=]]</span>
After attempting to expand the cut line
:<span title="Example 2b - Track after attempting to expand the clip">[[Image:Ex2b_AfterExpand.png|link=]]</span>
}}
{{example|1=
{{bh|Cut lines are not created if one or both edges of the region coincide with a clip boundary}}<br>
The settings for this example are
* {{CheckboxChecked|Enable cut lines}}
* {{CheckboxChecked|Editing a clip can move other clips}}
Before cutting a region from the second clip - note that the left edge of the selection coincides with the left clip boundary
:<span title="Example 2c - Track before audio is cut">[[Image:Ex2c_Before.png|link=]]</span>
After cutting the region - note that there is no cut line
:<span title="Example 2c - Track after audio is cut showing no cut line">[[Image:Ex2c_After.png|link=]]</span>
}}