KAction port: do we need to support multiple shortcuts per action?

[Chusslove Illich]

> [: Hamish Rodda :]
> 1) Do people agree with the assessment that multiple shortcuts per
> action is bad for usability?

There is something I was thinking of putting forth for some time, and this 
seems a good moment as it concerns shortcuts and usability (though I might 
be barking up the wrong tree...)

There is a problem with shortcuts (ctrl- and alt-combinations) when the 
*scripts* of interface language and keyboard layouts differ (eg. Russian 
interface, English keyboard layout). Then, simply, shortcuts don't work 
("wrong" letters are used in ctrl- and alt-combos).

(The things get slightly better if one uses "Include Latin layout" in 
layout preferences, then by virtue of X, at least ctrl-combinations with 
Latin 1 letters work.)

Gnome handles this in an interesting way, and from what I hear from people 
using it, very usable one. First, its keyboard layout chooser uses X 
grouping option, introduced since XFree 4.3, for all layouts (unlike KDE's 
layout chooser). Then, once user presses ctrl- or alt-combination, Gnome 
first tries the letter associated with current layout, and if it doesn't 
do anything, it tries letters which are in the same position in other 
layouts in the group. This results in seamless operation of shortcuts in 
case of interface/layout script mismatch.

How about doing this in KDE as well?

-- 
Chusslove Illich (Часлав Илић)
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