[UX advise] Key navigation in ValueSet controls

[Matteo Casalin]

Hi Astron,
     thanks for you feedback.
Before beginning to modify the behavior of key navigation, I'd like to 
recap the things that I should do, as from my understanding of our 
discussion. Would you mind confirming them (yes/no will suffice)?

* left/right keys should not wrap around from top to bottom or bottom
   to top
* up/down, page up/down should not wrap around from top to bottom or
   bottom to top
* up/down should move along the current column.
* page up/down should move to first/last item when no more motion in
   the same column is possible (I'm not sure you agreed on this)
* key modifiers should not modify navigation behavior, unless needed.
   In particular, ALT/CTRL should not disable motion through page up/down
   as they currently do.
* Use tab/shift tab for moving to/from NoneItem field. I don't know if
   this can be done, since these keys are use for moving through widgets,
   while we would use them for motion inside the same widget. I'll test
   it.
* If the previous is not possible, move to/from NoneItem field through
   normal motion keys, but the only entry/exit point is the first item.
* Return key should close menus
* Return key should not close ValueSet widgets embedded in other
   windows.

I'll start working on this after a final feedback from you.

Thanks and best regards
Matteo

On 03/12/2012 02:17 PM, Stefan Knorr (Astron) wrote:
> Hi Matteo,
>
>> Well, in this case my goal is to let the user see the content of not-full
>> rows without explicitly looking for it, and to move rapidly from an item to
>> another without too much corrections.
>
> I see.
>
>
>> Good catch. Also speaking from a Western perspective, I find it somewhat
>> confusing to be brought at the opposite side of the one I was moving to (and
>> columns can be long and involve scrolling, while rows don't scroll). My
>> point is that currently left/right let you navigate through all the items,
>> while up/down keys can leave a row "hidden".
>
> This again makes lots of sense to me. Also, we didn't hear anything
> about wrapping around from top to bottom being necessary behaviour, so
> I guess, just doing it should be fine.
>
>
>> I don't know the original goals of that features: currently it seems to me
>> that if you use modifiers than nothing happens.
>
> As I said, I /think/ you should keep that behaviour.
>
>
>>>> * If "none" item is present, then it could be accessed only from the
>>>>   first item by pressing any of left/up (also page up/home ?) keys.
>>>>   When selected, it can be exited only by pressing right/down (also
>>>>   page down/end?) keys, but always lead to the first item.
>>
>> I'm less sure of this, now. If a wrap around for up/down is desired, the
>> current behavior of always passing through the "none" item probably makes
>> more sense. Unless we find a dedicated key to select that item, which could
>> solve the situation. Any idea?
>
> Hrm. Extremely wild idea: use backspace..?
> More conventional idea: use Tab to go the normal items, use Shift-Tab
> to go to the "None" item.
>
>
>>>> * Return key behavior: at least it should not close the color
>>>>   configuration window, but my guess is that's a misconfiguration of
>>>>   the specific instance of ValueSet.
>>>
>>>
>>> Not entirely sure about this one, although probably most people would
>>> want to use Return and Tab the same way (i. e. to get to the next
>>> widget and select a colour).
>
> I just noticed that wrote that this is used for both both colour
> configuration and selection ...
> * for the configuration what I wrote makes sense
> * for selection, less so – I guess, pressing Return there should
> indeed close the popup
>
>
> Astron.
>