Re: focussing the desktop [was: Mozilla - like JAWS or like Hal?]

[Bill Haneman <Bill Haneman Sun COM>]

Tom and Esther Ward wrote:
Hi Tom and Esther:

I understand your interest in having a dedicated "hotkey" for focussing 
the panel.  But recall that in GNOME all panels are "equal" so there 
isn't a notion of a "main panel".  Most users only have one panel, so at 
most, the current Control-Alt-Tab approach requires one keystroke more 
than a dedicated key.  That is, you can get to your panel, assuming you 
have only one, with "Control-Alt-Tab-Tab".  If you have more than one 
panel, none of them are any more "primary" than the others, so even a 
dedicated "panel" key would have to cycle between them.  And as I said, 
adding global hotkeys like this doesn't come without cost, there are 
only so many combinations available. 

regards

Bill

> I know about how to cycle between the pannel and desktop using
> alt+control++tab, but there needs to be a way to get to the main pannel
> quickly from anywhere.
> Here is an example. A user wwants to  check the current time. It would be
> easier to do an alt+control+p to get the main pannel, and tab to the clock.
> As it stands now one must cycle through desktop and all pannels to get the
> main pannel using alt+control+tab, and then tab around on the main pannel to
> find the clock. It is alot more work than is necessary.
> I imagine I am like most users in putting launchers for folders, and
> applications on the main pannel for easy access, and it would be nice to be
> able to reach that pannel quickly from anywhere.
>
>  
>
> > Do you feel that the extra keystroke (Control-Alt-Tab-Tab) required to
> > reach the next item in the focus chain (i.e. panel or desktop) is a big
> > issue?  Or were you perhaps misunderstanding the way Control-Alt-Tab
> >    
> cycles?
>
> I know how alt+control+tab cycles, and it is a great command. the only issue
> is there are limits on which item in the chain comes up first.
> What I would like to see in 2.8 is the ability to select what item in the
> chain I want be it a pannel or the desktop. Perhaps a hot key to go directly
> to the main pannel and one for desktop. Another option is a command that
> brings up a list of options which one can arrow to and after pressing enter
> on the option it will go to that item in the chain.
>
>
>  
>
> > best regards,
> >
> > - Bill
> >
> >
> >    
>
>