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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: A DBUS call for calling global shortcuts.
From:       todd rme <toddrme2178 () gmail ! com>
Date:       2010-06-01 15:05:30
Message-ID: AANLkTikhbCtHWejVT6FLoB7Zm7j730uGZGsFyM9dp54I () mail ! gmail ! com
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On Tue, Apr 6, 2010 at 1:17 PM, Andreas Hartmetz <ahartmetz@gmail.com> wrote:
>> The implementation for the "invokeAction" call is very simple; most of
>> the things needed to implement calling global shortcuts via D-Bus is
>> already there.  In comparison, making a(nother) D-Bus interface for an
>> application usually requires adding a lot more code.
>>
>> - Being able to assign multiple global hotkeys for the advanced user
>>
>> Right now, the user is limited to have only one global shortcut for
>> each global action.  This makes it possible to assign more (via say
>> khotkeys).  This gives more advanced users and distro maintainers more
>> flexibility.
>>
> I think that this is a bad idea.
> - Global shortcuts are very scarce. There are only so many keys and reasonable
>  modifier combinations on a keyboard. On the other hand, there are more than
>  a few applications that might want to use global shortcuts.
> - An advanced user can already change global shortcuts. I don't see any other
>  use case for having several for one action except catering to more than one
>  group of users that are already used to a certain shortcut scheme.
> - Finally, there is already some support for having two global shortcuts for
>  an action, but it's not exposed in the UI because it doesn't make much
>  sense. IIRC it's literally just a row in the global shortcuts editor widget
>  that is hidden by default. Mike will know if that support is still present
>  and working.

I think there are at least several important use-cases.

One, for instance, is for laptop users, who can have multimedia
keyboards at home but likely still want to be able to use shortcuts
when they just have their laptop.  It is even more true if they, for
instance, carry their laptop between home and work where they have two
different multimedia keyboards (I do this).

Another case is somehow who had a basic keyboard and a bluetooth
remote control or HID device of some sort.  Those have fixed,
unchangeable keys often mapped to special keyboard keys.  So in order
to use those the person has to choose between having keyboard
shortcuts and being able to use their remote, they currently can't do
both from within KDE.

Yet another case is people using multiple keyboards, for instance a
wired one at their desk and, since they are using their TV as an
external monitor, a second one on their couch.

Also, if KDE ever gets support for using mouse buttons as shortcuts
(which is one of the most-requested features) then this will be
essential.

I personally don't see the problem with letting people choosing to use
multiple global shortcuts.  There should definitely be a policy
against a program setting multiple default global shortcuts, but not
against people setting their own.  In my opinion this isn't a
situation where someone can be easily confused, if they start running
out of global shortcuts then the system will tell them that they are
being duplicated and where the duplicates lie.  Yes, there aren't that
many global shortcuts, but surely users can decide for themselves how
they want them allocated.  And most of the use-cases I mentioned
involve using regular keyboard shortcuts alongside special keyboard
keys, or using multiple special keyboard keys, which I think avoids
this problem entirely.

-Todd
 
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