[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kwin
Subject:    Re: new default keyboard shortcut proposal
From:       Andrew Dorrell <andrew.dorrell () gmail ! com>
Date:       2009-02-13 23:35:21
Message-ID: 499603B9.7060107 () gmail ! com
[Download RAW message or body]

FWIW http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_keyboard_shortcuts 
demonstrated quite a mix of conventions IMHO.  It would be nice to have 
a DE with a single consistent convention.

Andrew Dorrell wrote:
> It is always nice if there is some clear (from a user perspective) 
> convention with shortcuts - rather than the first in best dressed 
> style approach.  I agree it can be a real problem finding good 
> shortcuts to use in apps; but I agree that using the cursor keys to 
> navigate vitual desktops improves on using function keys.  Some points 
> (most would have considered but lets just state them):
>
> 1. Ctrl+key is used a lot by applications.  Perhaps WM and DE 
> components should completely avoid.
> 2. Alt+key is used as a shortcut to application menus though Alt+tab 
> is universally accepted as an application swtcher and shortcuts like 
> Alt+Space have also become familiar to some for WM tasks relating to 
> the currently active window.
> 2. Ctrl+Alt+key is used for "dangerous"/"system" tasks such as reset, 
> kill X, and other tasks that intimidate less confident users (and 
> provide a playground for confident users) such as switching virtual 
> consoles (linux)
> 3. Meta is now mostly associated with the system menu (friendly).  
> It's inclusion on PC keyboards is also relatively recent so there is 
> no established practice for including it in application shortcuts.
>
> My naive suggestion would be that:
>
> - DE (and plasma) limit themselves to Meta+key shortcuts.  So for 
> example, virtual desktop switching would be Meta+cursor or 
> Meta+shift+cursor (see below); activity switching may be Meta+Fn (for 
> example). 
>
> - Ctrl+Alt+key is used purely for "system" tasks such as shutting down 
> etc... I think a user friendly DE would avoid using Ctrl+Alt+key 
> because the cost of a typo is potentially high (e.g. killing X vs 
> logging out).  Should not be available for applications;  Should 
> provide an alternative to Meta where the keyboard is missing this key 
> only (for DE/WM shortcuts).
>
> - Fn keys, Ctrl+key and Alt+<character-key> should be reserved for use 
> by applications.  Some global conventions exist and should be pursued 
> via UI guidelines (and provided by default in application templates) 
> but otherwise each application should have the ability to use these 
> shortcuts without interference. 
>
> Alt+<any key corresponding to a non-printable character> such as Tab 
> and other navigation keys should be fair gain for providing WM shortcuts.
>
> - Ctrl+Shft+key and Alt+Shft+key are as above but IMHO should be used 
> sparingly and if used should augment or provide an "advanced" 
> variation on the function associated with the corresponding Ctrl+key 
> and Alt+key.  So for example, while the application menu is triggered 
> by Alt it would be consistent to trigger the applications window menu 
> using Alt+Shift (instead of the Alt+space familiar to windows users).  
> One variation to this is useful: Alt+tab should be augmented with a 
> Meta version - so Meta+Tab should be reserved for application 
> switching, perhaps via a secondary switcher (such as present windows).
>
>
> BTW I'd love to have a global convention for switching between tabs in 
> tabbed applications.  In this case the cursor keys are difficult - 
> because shortcuts that use them are already common in support of 
> navigation within the applicattion's view.  But if Alt+left/right 
> could be spared it would be really a nice thing to have.  My world 
> would also have:
> - Alt+shft+cursor toggling resize of the window so that the edge 
> pointed to was pushed to the corresponding screen boundary;
> - Alt+shft+Space toggle maximise;
> - Alt+shft+Del to close the window;
> - minimise has interaction with DE so this deserves careful 
> consideration.  I'd want a shortcut that minimised the current 
> application window and transferred focus to the task-bar (if there is 
> one); then navigate the task bar with cursor; raise and return focus 
> to an application with Enter (or Alt+Enter).  Given that usage model 
> I'd suggest Alt+Enter as the minimise shortcut.  Pressing Alt+Enter 
> twice should minimise then return the currently active window.
>
>
> Oh, and as it becomes possible to do more things in the WM/DE an undo 
> function becomes increasingly interesting - Meta+z ;-)  Just some 
> extra wishes to entertain...
>
> </opinion>
>
> Thanks for reading.
>
>
> Andrew Stromme wrote:
>> The first thing I do on any KDE desktop is turn on arrow key switching for 
>> virtual desktops. It is so much more spatially consistent (I use a desktop 
>> grid 2x2) than the f[1-4] keys. And I've yet to find a collision with a KDE 
>> app. /shrug. I say +1 for default to alt-ctrl-arrow keys.
>>
>> Andrew Stromme
>>
>>
>> On Friday 13 February 2009 11:26:47 Andreas Pakulat wrote:
>>   
>>> On 13.02.09 10:27:39, Roman Shtylman wrote:
>>>     
>>>> Currently there is no default keyboard shortcut to switch desktops
>>>> left, right, up, down. I like to bind ctrl+alt+<left arrow>|<right
>>>> arrow> to navigate desktops. Wondering if those would be good
>>>> keybindings to set as default for that action?
>>>>       
>>> IMNSHO: No. There are already default shortcuts to switch to the first 4
>>> desktops. Adding yet another set of mostly redundant global shortcuts means
>>> stealing them from any app. There are apps out there that need more than a
>>> handful of app-shortcuts and theey already have a hard time now to find
>>> good non-used ones.
>>>
>>> Andreas
>>>     
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> kwin mailing list
>> kwin@kde.org
>> https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kwin
>>   
>

_______________________________________________
kwin mailing list
kwin@kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kwin
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]