Paradigm Shift English

Comparison to verb-object paradigm

As of 2007^[update], the cut-and-paste paradigm has become so universal that most computer users take it for granted. A competing paradigm that was popular in some early, highly successful applications, and considered easy to use by the standards of their day, is illustrated by the following sequence of steps:

1. Initially, the user has not selected any text
2. The user initiates the operation by selecting a move command in some manner
3. The system displays a prompt such as "Move what?"
4. The system enters a modal state in which the user can either select text or cancel the move-operation
5. The user selects the text in some manner
6. The system displays a prompt "To where?"
7. The system enters a modal state in which the user can either indicate an insertion-point or cancel the move-operation
8. The user indicates the insertion-point and confirms the move-operation
9. The system displays the effects of the move

In contrast to the verb-object paradigm, cut and paste is an object-verb paradigm:

Verb-object: cut here, paste there.

Object-verb: here cut, there paste.

Object-verb is inverted, compared to English word order, yet it is understandable to those who speak English:

Object-verb inverted is, to English word order compared, yet understandable it is to those who English speak.