Re: Accelerator and terminology guides?

[Liam Quin <liam holoweb net>]

On Thu, Jun 28, 2001 at 08:17:22AM +0100, Calum Benson wrote:
> Those ones certainly do... it just leaves the equally large problem of
> what you use instead of ALT to access mnemonics?  :)

Well, I admit I don't do that :-)  But that doesn't mean others shouldn't
be able to, and I see your point.

So the first priority is per-user key bindings, just as Xt, CDE, Motif,
OpenWindows, etc. all have.

There is no way I'd be happy with my terminal window vanishing every
time I delete a word, but I'm also unhappy with it not fitting the
UI standard.  About once a week mozilla vanishes on me because I pressed
control-w in the wrong window by mistake.  But using control-shift-arrow
then DEL to delete a word is very tedious and makes me take my hand
off the home keys.

Maybe usurp the MENU key when it's available, for menu mnemonics?

It is only a conflict with the underlined letter of menu names, of course,
not with things in the menu.

<rant type="philosophical">
    If Linux and Gnome are to make significant inroads, it is not just because
    they are free.  It is not just because they are almost as good as a
    two or three year old version of Windows (and copyers always trail).

    It is because we have specific advantages, as well as the combination
    of all the above.

    Linux is reputed to be more robust than Windows and making better use
    of the hardware; it is also known to scale better for advanced users.

    Gnome needs to be empowering, not just dumbing down.  It is a very, very
    difficult challenge, and there are no easy answes.
</rant>

> (Sidenote-- the gtk widgets will have emacs-style keybindings turned off
> by default for 2.0, I believe, not that this makes the slightest
> difference with Netscape/Mozilla etc.)

It makes a difference for people using KDE, Xt andor Motif apps, in which
emacs-style bindings are turned on.

I understand the "netscape" browser is fairly widely used on Linux ;-)
it has alt-w to close a window, alt-r to reload, etc., not control.
And yes, it has alt-first-letter-of-menu to activate a menu, and then
you press the underlined letter.  they just had to avoid conflicts.

Lee

-- 
Liam Quin - Barefoot in Toronto - liam holoweb net - http://www.holoweb.net/
Ankh: irc.sorcery.net www.valinor.sorcery.net irc.gnome.org www.advogato.org
Author, Open Source XML Database Toolkit, Wiley August 2000
Co-author: The XML Specification Guide, Wiley 1999; Mastering XML, Sybex 2001