Some ideas regarding keyboard shortcuts

Hello

I read through this devel-list's archive from May 2nd to this date, and wanted 
to think aloud.  I am currently linux only, but have used Mac and Windows 
too.

I do not use keyboard shortcuts in KDE, Gnome, wmaker, XFCE-4 or Windows, 
because I'm scared.  I do not know what they do, and don't want to take time 
to learn everything from the ground up.  It was so different with Apple's 
System 6 and 7, old Mac Plus and Mac LC.

I am not sure anymore what all the keys are called, but I think this is how 
they correspond:
PC has alt, Macs have command (the 2-pitched fork).  PC has ctrl, and Mac has 
the option key (with the four-looped symbol, can't remember its name now).  
Time passed and Mac got a ctrl key for compatibility.  Time passed and PC got 
the Windows keys.  I have gleefully removed them from 2 keyboards (and many 
do because accidentally hitting one in Windows is a good way to screw up a 
fullscreen game by displaying the Start menu) and own one keyboard that 
doesn't have them at all.

I think we should do at least two things:

1. Define a guideline so that using Y wouldn't require Windows keys.  This is 
also good for multi-platform.

2. Define a guideline so that we won't conflict with software we intend to use 
or be compatible with, i.e. what are the ideas of KDE or GNOME for certain 
tasks.

This may be right or wrong, but I see a threefold division between power keys: 
a) system, b) windowmanager and c) application.  Maybe just twofold: system 
and application.  All power keys fall into the following categories 
(incomplete):

Pure FKEYS (F1-help, F10-menus)
Alt+FKEYS
Ctrl+FKEYS
Shift+FKEYS
Ctrl+Shift+FKEYS
Alt+Ctrl+FKEYS -- virtual console switching in linux
Alt+Shift+FKEYS

Alt+numkeys -- change virtual desktops in wmaker
Ctrl+numkeys
Shift+numkeys -- These are the !"#¤%&/()= and I just checked if anyone would 
notice
Alt+Ctrl+numkeys -- Can't remember these being used anywhere
Alt+Shift+numkeys -- Same
Shift+Ctrl+numkeys -- Same

Alt+numpad -- Maybe the return of once-seen input method: Alt+92 for ASCII 92.

Alt+TAB -- Application switching, a standard whether we like it or not
Ctrl+TAB -- Switching between document windows or subwindows.  Any other 
possibilities?
Alt+Ctrl+TAB -- maybe a useless combination?
Shift+TAB -- Changes here between typing and document bar (Gnome editor)
	  -- Also "previous widget" when TAB is "next widget"
	  -- Maybe "exit widget" if it happens to be a multiline input field
Alt+Shift+TAB -- Same as Alt+TAB, and I think it is good that way
Ctrl-Shift+TAB -- This feels like an useless combination

Alt+Enter -- Maybe application-specific
Ctrl+Enter -- Same
Shift+Enter
Alt+Ctrl+Enter -- Same

Alt+Arrowkeys
Ctrl+Arrowkeys
Alt+Ctrl+Arrowkeys -- Can't imagine any use for these.  Maybe "send to back", 
"bring to front" or moving windows using the keyboard.

Where Enter is a good shortcut for "accept" or "OK", Esc is good for "Cancel".  
This was mentioned here already, but is it widely used?  And, if the dialog 
says "You are about to do something dangerous", and the default action (a 
button with BOLD edges, this we learned from the Macintosh) is "Cancel", then 
there ought to be no easy shortcut for "Destroy", for example.  Maybe alt+d, 
or just tabbing until the "Destroy" button is highlighted.  Enter = always 
the default action.  Esc = always "Cancel".

A twofond division cropped up: We have a) combinations that are made to be 
used with mouse, and b) combinations that suppose a user that entirely avoids 
mouse and prefers keyboard.

One "powerkeybase", maybe Ctrl+letters could be user-assignable.  I.e. the 
user has "Close" selected with his mouse, and he presses Ctrl-h, and the 
shortcut for "Close" changes to Ctrl-h.  With Ctrl+letters we can only make 
recommendations, but I loved the way these worked with early Macintoshes.  W 
was always "close", s for save, q for quit, x, c and v we all know.  I was 
really puzzled when someone (Microsoft?) used somewhere Shift-insert, 
Ctrl-insert, Ctrl-delete and the like.

What about Ctrl+letters and Alt+letters?  Do these mix?  If these are mixed 
somewhere, I expect the experiences to have been sour.  People use keyboard 
shortcuts if they are sure they intuitively know what happens, and this is 
not the case when deciding between Alt+s and Ctrl+s.

And when a shortcut is used, for example, Ctrl+s for "File -> Save", the menu 
title ought to flash briefly, or for the duration of the operation, whichever 
is longer.

We need to decide on a key combination for switching virtual desktops.  
Ctrl+Alt+numkeys?  Or Ctrl+FKEYS?  Or virtual desktop cycling with arrowkeys?

I hope these could be first discussed, then defined, then clearly stated 
somewhere (in the WIKI for example).

-Kimmo Sundqvist