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Thread: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)
From: Ramya Sethuraman
Date: Fri, Sep 21 2012 1:39PM
Subject: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
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Hi,
I am trying to find out if Google's method of implementing keyboard short
cuts described here:
http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559 is the
standard way to implement keyboard shortcuts? Normally, when we use access
keys, we would have to use a browser specific keystroke like alt + shift
for FF for example
to trigger the access key. However, if you turn on keyboard shortcuts in
Google, you can just type the letter c for example and you will be able to
compose a new email.
You don't need to press Shift + alt + c to compose a new email. Is this
standard?
Thanks,
Ramya
From: Ramya Sethuraman
Date: Fri, Sep 21 2012 1:49PM
Subject: Re: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
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Not sure why the google link didn't get pasted correctly, here is the
correct url:
http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559
Look for the word, shortcut.
Thanks,
Ramya
On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 3:39 PM, Ramya Sethuraman <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am trying to find out if Google's method of implementing keyboard short
> cuts described here:
> http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559 is the
> standard way to implement keyboard shortcuts? Normally, when we use access
> keys, we would have to use a browser specific keystroke like alt + shift
> for FF for example
> to trigger the access key. However, if you turn on keyboard shortcuts in
> Google, you can just type the letter c for example and you will be able to
> compose a new email.
> You don't need to press Shift + alt + c to compose a new email. Is this
> standard?
>
> Thanks,
> Ramya
>
--
*I also exist @: http://www.ramyasethuraman.com*
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Sun, Sep 23 2012 11:53AM
Subject: Re: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
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Ramya,
Google and other sites use JavaScript to check to make sure focus
isn't in a certain part of the page, such as where you type the body
of the e-mail. If that is true they add key listeners for certain
keys. Doing this instead of making your site/app accessible is a bit
frowned upon.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Ramya Sethuraman
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Not sure why the google link didn't get pasted correctly, here is the
> correct url:
> http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559
> Look for the word, shortcut.
>
> Thanks,
> Ramya
>
> On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 3:39 PM, Ramya Sethuraman <
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I am trying to find out if Google's method of implementing keyboard short
>> cuts described here:
>> http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559 is the
>> standard way to implement keyboard shortcuts? Normally, when we use access
>> keys, we would have to use a browser specific keystroke like alt + shift
>> for FF for example
>> to trigger the access key. However, if you turn on keyboard shortcuts in
>> Google, you can just type the letter c for example and you will be able to
>> compose a new email.
>> You don't need to press Shift + alt + c to compose a new email. Is this
>> standard?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Ramya
>>
>
>
>
> --
> *I also exist @: http://www.ramyasethuraman.com*
> > >
From: Ramya Sethuraman
Date: Sun, Sep 23 2012 7:59PM
Subject: Re: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
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Ryan,
Thanks for the response. But, if we just want to enhance accessibility with
keyboard short cuts would using accesskeys be the best way to go
or would we trap certain keys like gmail does and initiate certain actions?
I am not asking if doing this instead of making a site accessible is
acceptable
but I want to do if any standards exist or what keyboard only users expect
in general? In a way, I like the gmail way of implementing the short cut
because
it remains consistent across browsers unlike access keys where you have to
remember the modifier like shift + alt etc.
Thanks,
Ramya
On Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Ryan E. Benson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >wrote:
> Ramya,
>
> Google and other sites use JavaScript to check to make sure focus
> isn't in a certain part of the page, such as where you type the body
> of the e-mail. If that is true they add key listeners for certain
> keys. Doing this instead of making your site/app accessible is a bit
> frowned upon.
>
> --
> Ryan E. Benson
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Ramya Sethuraman
> < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> > Not sure why the google link didn't get pasted correctly, here is the
> > correct url:
> > http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559
> > Look for the word, shortcut.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Ramya
> >
> > On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 3:39 PM, Ramya Sethuraman <
> > = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I am trying to find out if Google's method of implementing keyboard
> short
> >> cuts described here:
> >> http://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer559 is the
> >> standard way to implement keyboard shortcuts? Normally, when we use
> access
> >> keys, we would have to use a browser specific keystroke like alt + shift
> >> for FF for example
> >> to trigger the access key. However, if you turn on keyboard shortcuts in
> >> Google, you can just type the letter c for example and you will be able
> to
> >> compose a new email.
> >> You don't need to press Shift + alt + c to compose a new email. Is this
> >> standard?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Ramya
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > *I also exist @: http://www.ramyasethuraman.com*
> > > > > > > > > >
--
*I also exist @: http://www.ramyasethuraman.com*
From: deborah.kaplan
Date: Sun, Sep 23 2012 8:10PM
Subject: Re: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
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Capturing keystrokes for webapps, unless very carefully done, can be dreadful for keyboard users, who usually have every key on their keyboards used in order to be webusers at all. For example, as a keyboard user I find I can't use rememberthemilk.com at ALL, because so many of the keys I use simply to manipulate a browser are overriden by the app. Even on a smaller scale, any number of websites capture, say, the "/" key to mean "take the user to the in-app search field" --- which overrides Firefox's use of the "/" key as a browser search shortcut.
So if you do it, make absolutely sure you aren't overriding keys that are meaningful in Opera, Safari, Firefox, IE, or Chrome.
-Deborah
--
Deborah Kaplan
Accessibility Team co-lead
Dreamwidth Studios LLC
From: Ramya Sethuraman
Date: Mon, Sep 24 2012 7:31AM
Subject: Re: Keyboard short cuts and access keys.
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Thanks Deborah, that helps. So using accesskeys to enhance accessibility
seems to be the best way to go for keyboard only users.
Ramya
On Sun, Sep 23, 2012 at 10:10 PM, < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Capturing keystrokes for webapps, unless very carefully done, can be
> dreadful for keyboard users, who usually have every key on their keyboards
> used in order to be webusers at all. For example, as a keyboard user I find
> I can't use rememberthemilk.com at ALL, because so many of the keys I use
> simply to manipulate a browser are overriden by the app. Even on a smaller
> scale, any number of websites capture, say, the "/" key to mean "take the
> user to the in-app search field" --- which overrides Firefox's use of the
> "/" key as a browser search shortcut.
>
> So if you do it, make absolutely sure you aren't overriding keys that are
> meaningful in Opera, Safari, Firefox, IE, or Chrome.
>
> -Deborah
> --
> Deborah Kaplan
> Accessibility Team co-lead
> Dreamwidth Studios LLC
> > > >
--
*I also exist @: http://www.ramyasethuraman.com*