Re: [Usability] Re: Keyboard navigation- outstanding issues

[Liam Quin <liam holoweb net>]

MM <my_gnome_usability gmx net> wrote:
> You can then use the Tab for typing your text .
> You can then exit the multiline field using  the Alt key.

Alt-tab is used by default to switch between applications, and is
grabbed by the window manager.

I don't think using Alt as anything other than a modifier key is wise.

The difficulty I see is a lack of consistency combined with a lack of
affordance -- there's no way for the user to know what to do next.
Saying, they can choose Help, is no good if they think they can't get
out of the multiline text field to navigate there :-)

A possibility might be to give instructions, when you use tab to move
into a text field, about how to get out, e.g. with a tool tip, or
a bouncing paper clip :-)

Lee

-- 
Liam Quin - XML Core staff contact, W3C, http://www.w3.org/People/Quin/
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