[Usability] Keyboard combos for closing windows

[Matthew Paul Thomas <mpt myrealbox com>]

Mackenzie Morgan wrote on 25/11/08 10:40:
> 
> On Tue, 2008-11-25 at 05:37 -0500, Philip Ganchev wrote:
>...
>> Isn't it the job of the window manager, rather than the application,
>> to handle closing of windows? If so, should the HIG specify it? In
>> Metacity, the shortcut is "Alt+Space; c".
> 
> I believe alt+f4 also works in Metacity (one habit I didn't have to
> relearn from Windows).

They're not shortcuts, they're longcuts. Alt Space, C is three keys that
don't even work if pressed simultaneously. And Alt F4 cannot easily be
reached without two hands.

Ctrl W is better than Alt F4, but it's at a similarly awkward angle,
unless you are using a keyboard with Ctrl to the left of A -- and if you
are using that sort of keyboard, you're probably also using at least one
application (emacs or gnome-terminal) where Ctrl W absolutely Must Not
close the window.

>                         That's what I usually use. It's ctrl+q that
> gives me trouble when I try to ctrl+w and hit the wrong key.  I need to
> stop doing that.
>...

I suggest reporting bugs on those applications to get rid of their Quit
menu items and therefore also their Ctrl Q keyboard combos (like
Epiphany, Character Map, and some of the Gnome games already do).

It's a continuing embarrassment for Gnome that some windows close with
Ctrl W, some with Shift Ctrl W, some with Ctrl Q, and some with Esc, and
there's no consistency to which is used where.

-- 
Matthew Paul Thomas
http://mpt.net.nz/