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List: kfm-devel
Subject: we need "tab" for navigating through widget elements, not for switching
From: Tobias Anton <anton () stud ! fbi ! fh-darmstadt ! de>
Date: 2000-06-29 15:14:23
[Download RAW message or body]
Navigating through the links in html pages should be made possible by pressing
"tab" and "shift-tab",
as this is the common way to navigate throught widgets in dialog boxes, and
Buttons are quite similar to links.
That`s why I propose to reassign the default keys for switching between the
multiple views in konqueror from tab to ctrl-tab. Unfortunately, this collides
with the function "switch through desktops", which i consider less important than
switching views. That`s why this shortcut should be moved to ctrl-alt-tab imo i.e.
because there are other keys to access the virtual desktops.
As the modifiers around the "tab" key are rare, and the tab key is born for
switching rectangles,
this discussion seems to become very important for the usability aspect of the
whole kde environment.
Matthias Ettrich wrote:
> It's true that MS-Windows uses Ctrl-Tab for traversal of MDI Document windows.
> Windows, however, does not feature virtual desktops.
> Given that there are very few MDI applications for the X Window System and that
> users use virtual desktops very frequently, we considered Ctrl-Tab to be more
> suited for desktop switching. I think this argument still holds, even more
> since long-term KDE users are used to Ctrl-Tab for desktop switching.
But now we have a better way to switch between desktops.
Most people use "ctrl-F1" through "ctrl-Fn" to switch to the desktops directly,
which is much more convenient AND common to all linux users because of the virtual
terminals in text mode.
This is also the opinion of David Faure. He wrote an according mail the last days.
I think this is why we basically don`t need step-by-step-switching of desktops at
all, and the keys should be reassigned, as kfm _is_ an MDI application, and it
will probably be the most used one in kde at all.
> For MDI document windows, there's still the other MS-Windows shortcut Alt-F6.
As i can remember, the "alt-F6"-shortcut is a legacy from dos applications, such
as the old editor and some text mode IDEs, and is not commonly used by windows
people.
Anyway, alt-F6 is inconvenient to use, because you need two hands to access it.
As a matter of reason, we should consider if we really need incremental desktop
switching more often than that switching between frames, views, documents etc.
It would lead to an inconsistent and difficult-to-learn user interface if
switching between the large-scale-windows is on an easy shortcut despite its
redundancy, while switching between the smaller elements is on a key combo that`s
difficult to reach _though_ more often used.
At the moment, default key assignments are as follows:
*switching desktops ctrl-tab ctrl-shift-tab
*switching windows alt-tab alt-shift-tab
*switching documents alt-F6 alt-F5(?)
*switching frames and forms in khtml tab shift-tab
*switching through the link list n p
who is supposed to get along with this?
with a keyboard concept like this, i`m not surprised if even my colleagues keep
using windows, as they say it`s more comfortable to use.
What do you think about this?
with best regards,
Tobias.
--
In a world without walls and fences,
who needs Windows and Gates?
[Attachment #3 (text/html)]
<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
<html>
<br>Navigating through the links in html pages should be made possible
by pressing "tab" and "shift-tab",
<br>as this is the common way to navigate throught widgets in dialog boxes,
and Buttons are quite similar to links.
<p>That`s why I propose to reassign the default keys for switching between
the multiple views in konqueror from tab to ctrl-tab. Unfortunately, this
collides with the function "switch through desktops", which i consider
less important than switching views. That`s why this shortcut should be
moved to ctrl-alt-tab imo i.e. because there are other keys to access the
virtual desktops.
<p>As the modifiers around the "tab" key are rare, and the tab key is born
for switching rectangles,
<br>this discussion seems to become very important for the usability aspect
of the whole kde environment.
<p>Matthias Ettrich wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>It's true that MS-Windows uses Ctrl-Tab for traversal
of MDI Document windows.
<br>Windows, however, does not feature virtual desktops.</blockquote>
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>Given that there are very few MDI applications for
the X Window System and that
<br>users use virtual desktops very frequently, we considered Ctrl-Tab
to be more
<br>suited for desktop switching. I think this argument still holds, even
more
<br>since long-term KDE users are used to Ctrl-Tab for desktop \
switching.</blockquote> But now we have a better way to switch between desktops.
<br>Most people use "ctrl-F1" through "ctrl-Fn" to switch to the desktops
directly, which is much more convenient AND common to all linux users because
of the virtual terminals in text mode.
<p>This is also the opinion of David Faure. He wrote an according mail
the last days.
<p>I think this is why we basically don`t need step-by-step-switching of
desktops at all, and the keys should be reassigned, as kfm _is_ an MDI
application, and it will probably be the most used one in kde at all.
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>For MDI document windows, there's still the other
MS-Windows shortcut Alt-F6.</blockquote>
As i can remember, the "alt-F6"-shortcut is a legacy from dos applications,
such as the old editor and some text mode IDEs, and is not commonly used
by windows people.
<br>Anyway, alt-F6 is inconvenient to use, because you need two hands to
access it.
<p>As a matter of reason, we should consider if we really need incremental
desktop switching more often than that switching between frames, views,
documents etc.
<p>It would lead to an inconsistent and difficult-to-learn user interface
if switching between the large-scale-windows is on an easy shortcut despite
its redundancy, while switching between the smaller elements is on a key
combo that`s difficult to reach _though_ more often used.
<p>At the moment, default key assignments are as follows:
<li>
<tt>switching desktops
ctrl-tab \
ctrl-shift-tab</tt></li>
<li>
<tt>switching windows
alt-tab \
alt-shift-tab</tt></li>
<li>
<tt>switching documents
alt-F6
alt-F5(?)</tt></li>
<li>
<tt>switching frames and forms in khtml \
tab
shift-tab</tt></li>
<li>
<tt>switching through the link list
n
p</tt></li>
<tt></tt>
<p><br>who is supposed to get along with this?
<p>with a keyboard concept like this, i`m not surprised if even my colleagues
keep using <i>windows</i>, as they say it`s more comfortable to use.
<p>What do <b>you</b> think about this?
<p>with best regards,
<br>Tobias.
<br>--
<br>In a world without walls and fences,
<br>who needs Windows and Gates?
<br> </html>
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