[Geany] revisiting default keyboard shortcuts: a proposed solution

[John Gabriele]

On 9/4/07, Enrico Tröger <enrico.troeger at uvena.de> wrote:
> On Tue, 4 Sep 2007 12:27:32 -0400, "John Gabriele" <jmg3000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > On 9/4/07, Enrico Tröger <enrico.troeger at uvena.de> wrote:
> > > On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:17:07 +0100, Nick Treleaven
> > > <nick.treleaven at btinternet.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > > [...]
> > > > > Currently, the F-keys are used the way I'm proposing Shift-Alt
> > > > > be used. This is fine, and some users who really want certain
> > > > > F-key commands really at their fingertips may want to re-assign
> > > > > them to
> > >
> > > I can't understand why you have such a big antipathy against the
> > > F-keys ;-). Seriously, I don't believe I'm the only one who likes to
> > > use the F-keys. One reason should be that many(or even most [besides
> > > Emacs ;-)]) apps use the F-keys by default.
> >
> > I probably use my editor more than all the other apps on my system
> > combined. And most of that time, my fingers on on the home row. I can
> > hit Ctrl, Shift-Ctrl, Alt, Shift-Alt, and Ctrl-Alt just fine and zoom
> > around the editor and text files with those keys without removing my
> > hands from the home row. Having to resort to using an F-key throws a
> > monkeywrench into the works and I've got to remove my hands *and* look
> > down to find those F-keys.
>
> Hehe, I have more problems to press Shift-Alt than pressing blindly any
> F key. And for pressing any F key I need only one finger, for pressing
> any key together with Shift-Alt I need in most cases even both hands.
> All what I want to say is that not all people dislike the F keys.

Cool. Then some users will keep and continue to use the F-key
defaults, and others will have the Shift-Alt modifier available if
they want to remap.

My argument here is simply that, for a variety of reasons previously
mentioned, it seems right (IMO) to use Shift-Alt primarily for
selecting text and for dealing with GUI elements. The F-keys also
happen to be used for dealing with GUI elements (often (but not
always) in the sense of switching between gui panes like the search
bar, vte, scribble, editor window, etc.). This is merely a happy
coincidence, and if users want to remap some F-keys in their own
keybindings.conf, it's nice that they've got a nice set of roped-off
key combos they can stake out for that purpose: namely, the Shift-Alt
prefixed keys.

The biggest factor, IMO, is that when you consistently section off key
combos into groups, for example:

* Ctrl- is for common and well-known editor features
* Shift-Ctrl- is most often either an extension of, or opposite
version of, Ctrl-
* Alt- is (as usual) for menus and other GUI elements
* Shift- is (as usual) most often for selecting text while you move
the cursor via the keyboard
* Shift-Alt- is for selecting text and manipulating gui elements
* Ctrl-Alt- is for lesser-used or else advanced editor features
* Shift-Ctrl-Alt is strictly for easter eggs ;)

they become easier to remember (and easier for your fingers to
remember). I think Geany could use the extra key combos you get when
using *both* Shift-Alt and Ctrl-Alt, but if key combos just get
randomly assigned with both prefixes, I think it will make things very
difficult to remember.

---John