Re: Design for Keyboard Shortcut Behaviour:

Hi,

There was a suggestion earlier on that when ALT-TAB was pressed the window
list comes up and then navigating with the arrow keys.  This is great.

To switch from virtual to virtual CTL-Arrow is the most simple and fast, less
contorting of all the options that we can give to users.

I believe that having keybourd shortcuts unconfigured is dumb, because there
will be no standard. By having a default that is well documented/advertised
will give Y a well understood default behaviour.

KDE gives no default for switching desktops but swallows CTL-Left and
CTL-right in some other stupid function.  Gnome has CTL-SHIFT-ARROW which
causes some major finger action to do a simple task.

I am only looking a two hotkeys here but these are the important ones. 
ALT-TAB is well known, CTL-ARROW is sensible.  It makes sense to keep hotkeys
in the familiar sequence in general. - Gee even F1 could give some help about
the hotkeys.

<VIRTUAL_DESKTOPS>
Hopefully the virtual destops will be n*n like Gnome or better enlightenment
not the rediculous n*2 on KDE.  Maybe even 3D n*n*n (Overlayed)
</VIRTUAL_DESKTOPS>

>> <snip>
>> Ideally the system would somehow encourage the user to use the
>> keyboard shortcuts over mouse commands (where they are more
>> efficient). Anyone with any bright ideas as to how to do this let me
>> know.

A nice way of teaching users about HotKeys may be to display them on window
initialisation or tooltips.  During window initialization it could have a
quick intro that disapears after a couple of seconds but can be suspended buy
"Click Here" or F1 to bring it back when desktop is in context.  And a "don't
show me this crap again" button.

Maybe the longer you have the mouse over something(In context of Y) the more
information it shows you about your options. Expanding tooltip??? Not
overbearing of course.

Really we should be able to do everything without a mouse.

> I'm not opposed to having a shortcut system at all, but I think that
> users shouldn't be encouraged to use one method over another. Many of
> the new users I help out eschew keyboard shortcuts entirely. Long term,
> very few non-technical users pick up the shortcuts, even if I encourage
> them to try it out. Many users seem to remember the sequence of events
> better if they use the mouse.

But we need a default

>> <snip>
>> Hopefully we could avoid locking the user in to a single behaviour (I
>> know how Linux users love to use diverse weird and wonderful
>> interfaces/window managers). Provide a good default interface, but
>> still allow people to use something else if they feel the need.
>

But we still need a default

We need to chose something and a reasoable but effective and familiar scheme
is the best way to go.  It does not need to be exactly the same as anyone
else.

Cheers


Grahame Jordan


-- 
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* Microsoft may be making money *
* But Linux is making it work   *
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