Global Shortcuts

[Michael Jansen]

Am Dienstag 18 März 2008 09:59:37 schrieb Andreas Hartmetz:
> Am Montag, 17. März 2008 14:37:55 schrieb Anders Lund:
> > On Monday 17 March 2008, Andreas Hartmetz wrote:
> > > > 1. I don't care for applications registering global shortcuts without
> > > > telling me and without giving me the oppurtunity to disable them. I
> > > > start a application i don't know, accidently press some button
> > > > combination and something happens. Don't like it.
> > > >    No global shortcuts without my consent. Basta. A application is
> > > > allowed to advertise actions it thinks are appropriate for global
> > > > shortcuts, and give default values, but after starting the
> > > > application the first time they arent active. It's opt-in.
> > >
> > > I am somewhat split on this. I can see the reasons for that but I think
> > > the reason against it is stronger: You want users to start using an app
> > > right away and if a user walks from one machine to the next it would be
> > > nice to have mostly (barring clashes which should be rare) the same
> > > shortcuts on both.
> >
> > I'm with Michael here, I find the sudden missing functinoality in one
> > application due to stolen shortcuts *very* disturbing, and an automated
> > way to turn them off would be nice indeed.
>
> It's expected that application programmers do a little bit of searching for
> a good shortcut on their own. Stealing a *global* shortcut that is already
> assigned *never* happens automatically. The API is there but it's
> documented that you shouldn't use it willy-nilly and so far nobody does.
> Also, global shortcuts usually have two modifiers and should be exotic
> enough not to override local shortcuts.

And how should this be done? Got to kde-apps.org, download each and every 
application there possibly having global shortcuts and see what's left? Or 
better freshmeat? I guess gnome has global shortcuts too. Just check for kde 
core components?

It's impossible to to that. And i bet somewhere out there is a user using a 
application u never heard of getting a conflict. Developers tend activate 
shortcuts and global shortcuts too fast. I would have liked to get the control 
back. 

And by the way. Anders talked of global shortcuts stealing local shortcuts. 
There is no conflict checking against local shortcuts when assigning a global 
shortcut. That would be nearly impossible to realize. Global shortcuts are 
only checked against the other at that time known global shortcuts. You get a 
conflict check if you change the local shortcut. But i would guess that's done 
only from power users and doesn't help with those 99% of local shortcuts that 
never get changed.

Ever taken a look at the kdevelop shortcut list? Good luck trying to predict 
what kind of shortcuts each and every new plugin you load brings into the 
game. I came to the conclusion the only modifier that is safe to use if the 
meta/win key. 

On a side note. If you want to see that problem driven to the extreme install 
firefox with something about 30 Plugins of your choice. There is a key 
configuration extension there. Try that one and have a look. It's not 
impossible to have shortcuts with 4 or 5 plugins trying to grab it.

Mike

-- 
Michael Jansen
Available for contract work ( Development / Configuration Management )
http://www.michael-jansen.biz