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Re: "Safe" shortcut keys

for

From: Rich Pedley
Date: Feb 11, 2009 2:25AM

On 10/02/2009 22:24, John Foliot wrote:
> Christophe Strobbe wrote:

>> At 20:58 5/02/2009, John Foliot wrote:
>>> http://www.wats.ca/show.php?contentid=43
>> What is your opinion on Gez Lemon's "User-Defined Access Keys":
>> <http://juicystudio.com/article/user-defined-accesskeys.php>;

>
> The right idea, and much better - it puts the final control in the
> hands of the person most appropriately situated to make a workable
> decision on mapping shortcut keys inside the user-interface. When
> I first compiled that list however, solutions such as Gez's did not
> exist, and still today I see too many instances of accesskey with
> built in conflicts that need not exist.
>
> The only on-going issue is that to be able to implement this type
> of solution, the end user needs to be instructed on what/how, and
> if I recall correctly, custom mapping needs to be implemented on a
> site-by-site basis

There have been suggestions that default access keys should be used
with these - though I'm not in favour of that myself.

How many programs do you have that you know *all* the keyboard
shortcuts for? Now how many sites do you visit? Unless the
implementation of access keys is the same across the board then
remembering them becomes nigh on impossible. At least where you can
define your own set it gives you a chance to remember them.

But until every site allows people to set their own access keys -
which lets face it is never going to happen - then their usefulness is
considerably lessened. Look at the situation where access keys *are*
implemented - how many sites actually use the same set? You might say
that the government sites do, but I can guarantee that they all don't.
So then it becomes hit and miss as to whether they work or not.

So I agree with John, no surprise on this topic.

Rich