Re: on application focus navigation (was: On ctrl-tab)

[Behdad Esfahbod <behdad behdad org>]

On 11/25/2009 12:29 PM, Jud Craft wrote:
> On Sun, Nov 22, 2009 at 6:57 PM, Behdad Esfahbod wrote:
> > They have all been CLOSED WONTFIX consistently.  The
> > reason for not doing that by default is that currently ctrl+tab is used to
> > change focus when tab itself is consumed by a widget (text area, etc.  vte
> > currently doesn't do that, but that's a separate bug.  Bug #602665).
>
> (mini-rant that I am completely unjustified in making.)
>
> I can't believe that the focus shortcut policy holds a relatively
> simple and sensible change.  GNOME's focus switching is so
> inconsistent it boggles my mind.

Then lets just discuss it.  I even brought it up!


> I'd much rather them fix focus switching to use Tab *exclusively*, and

How would you Tab out of a gedit text area?


> make more sense.  You can tab into a ListView, but not shift-tab (only
> into the headers), and not being able to tab through toolbar buttons

File bug?


> (but you can ctrl-tab -- until you hit a non-button widget!  or
> whatever.  it's extremely difficult to keep track) is a nightmare.

Either file bugs, or if its more fundamental stuff, bring it up here.


> Panel keyboard navigation (trying to work through the launchers, task
> buttons, and menus) is another thing entirely, but a little better.
>
> Actually navigating the focus around a semi-complex GNOME application
> (Banshee, Rhythmbox, MonoDevelop, F-Spot, Evolution) involves me
> trying many different ways to get through the stupid text-boxes and
> drop-downs, each of which have inconsistent and *completely different*
> ways to move focus from them.

Agreed.  File bugs?


> Never mind that sometimes, just pressing an arrow key makes my focus
> jump from a toolbar to the document!

Yeah, that can be quite handy or annoying depending how you look at it.


> I'd much rather GNOME fix the focus-navigation shortcuts to be less
> insane, and then add a liberated Ctrl-Tab as a blessed tab-document
> switcher.

How?  I much rather GNOME fix all the other bugs too.  That's my Xmas wish, 
now lets wait for Santa!


> (/mini-rant)
>
> PS.  I have no idea how to file bugs against the interface guidelines
> themselves -- or even if anyone agrees with me.  Are people really
> happy with GNOME keyboard focus navigation?

Technically the HIG, but doesn't help that it's unmaintained.  So, perhaps we 
need to address this problem first, that currently there's no way to change 
these things.

behdad