Have I got this right? Comparing JET's description with the pen tool (preferred over the shape tool) yields the following:
1. Click to place a cornerPoint. Drag to place a curvePoint. You should NOT have to press a key (much less click a button) to change between placing corner and anchor points. [Designer Pro's Pen--the one Xara acts ashamed of--does this]
2. Press a modifier key during drag to break the outgoing handle of a curvePoint independent of the incoming (thereby making it a corner with extended handles). [Xara doesn't do this and yes, that would be a great improvement]
3. Back-editing. By this I mean at any time while drawing a path, go back to alter the handles of already-drawn segments, as long as the path is still selected. [Xara does this]
4. Resume: By this I mean that after performing any back-editing, the Pen is still poised to resume drawing from where it left off, as if it had never been interrupted. [Xara requires you to click back on the last point]
5. Ending a path should not require pressing a key. Best treatment is doubleClicking when placing the endpoint of an open path. [Xara requires either Esc or the selection of another tool]
6. Tapping Delete should delete the last-placed point and cause the previous one to be selected and the point from which resume occurs. You should be able to "back up" segment by segment, all the way to the first point by tapping Delete. [Xara does this to the active point; if the last point, the previous point is not selected?]
7. The active point (the last one placed) should look like it is selected and should act like it is selected. [In Xara the active point looks and acts selected but is not necessarily the last one placed]