Re: [gtk-list] Re: Rectangular selection and style guide

[Dražen Kačar <dave srce hr>]

Derek Simkowiak wrote:
> > Good question. There really are so few apps that implement rectangular select
> > that I think it's a 'frontier' -- no real conventions.
> 
> 	I am also working on an app to implement block mode (aka
> rectangular selection). I think I am going to use the "ALT" key.
> 
> 	There is no standard governing the use of ALT keys in window
> managers, but there is a 'standard by convention' of using the ALT key for
> block mode due to the Microsoft platform.

Which is why I use Meta for window manager shorcuts, thus leaving Alt for
the applications. Netscape browser is a rather strange application. It's
insanely buggy in some areas, but it's brilliant in others. Its shortcuts
will react to both Meta and Alt, if the browser receives them (ie. if
one is not taken by the window manager). It was a pain to code that in Motif,
but they did it and I would suggest to do the same, if you don't plan
to use Meta and Alt for different purposes.

A bug which can be seen in many applications is that they assume that Alt
is the key which has Mod1 modifier assotiated. X says that Alt is the key
which either has Alt_L or Alt_R KeySym and one of the modifier bits set.
Similarly, Meta is the key which either has Meta_L or Meta_R KeySym and one
of the modifier bits set.

Key mappings can be changed in run-time (and they get changed, it's not a
theoretical possibility) in which case the application receives
ConfigureNotify (IIRC, not sure), so it should look up the keys again.

-- 
 .-.   .-.    I don't work for my employer.
(_  \ /  _)
     |        dave@srce.hr
     |        dave@fly.srk.fer.hr