Subject: Re: Alt-Insert (was Re: keyboard input of arbitrary characters)
From: Mike Nordell (tamlin@algonet.se)
Date: Fri Apr 27 2001 - 15:57:14 CDT
Paul Rohr wrote:
> At 08:59 AM 4/27/01 +0200, Mike Nordell wrote:
>
> >Many of the function keys also have default meanings... But, what about
> >Alt-Insert? That even has some kind of correct semantics.
>
> On balance, I think I like this idea. Before we consider going forward
with
> it, though, a few issues to consider:
[...]
> 3. Is it physically comfortable enough?
Hell no, but would you think of physical comfort while trying to input hex
using a qwerty keyboard?! ;-)
> On both of the keyboards in front of me, I can
> easily do the Alt-Ins chord one-handed, but I have big hands.
That was one of the reasons I pitched in for the std keyboard shortcuts back
when I had a discussion with Be developers on Be std behaviour; you should
be able to do these common tasks with one hand only.
But you are using a US keyboard. As explained in a recent post, the key to
the right of the space bar isn't Alt on my (and others) keyboard, it's AltGr
(the combined Alt+Ctrl)... Ain't it a bitch.
> 4. This way we still have a single chord to start the mode, and can then
> just type single characters for the rest. I'd guess that this would make
it
> easier to type one-handed, but I'm no accessibility expert.
Me neither, but I think it makes a good point. I sure would have liked the
current PC behaviour to be selectable between "Alt-1 2 3" and
"<mode-introducer> 1 2 3 <return>" (obviously allowing Esc to cancel the
mode).
> 6. It's not the ISO Ctrl-Shift continuous chording alternative being
> discussed elsewhere in this thread.
Unimplemented by current BIOS and OS (well, perhaps some of the newest have
it), I think it will take some time before it (if ever) reaches acceptance.
> Anything I overlooked?
Perhaps one possibility. What if we instead of displaying a dialog,
displayed a pop-up "tooltip" at the insertion point when entering the "enter
hex" mode? I actually like this idea, even that it's my own! :-)
/Mike - please don't cc - i read the list
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Fri Apr 27 2001 - 15:54:56 CDT