D24281: Add default shortcut to switch to the desktop to the left/right/top/bottom

[Thiago Sueto]

thiagosueto added a comment.


  Sorry for being late to respond.
  My two main concerns are whether the modifier keys are suitable ***and*** that we stay consistent on them.
  What we have seen so far:
  
  > In general, apps don't use the Meta key for their shortcuts, while the shell does.
  
  I verified that the first part of this is not true. Other DEs and distro implementations such as Xubuntu use the rule Meta+(first letter of application functionality).
  
  > Also I don't like overloading the arrow keys with functionality such that you need to remember unrelated modifier keys for when does it what.
  
  This seems to be unavoidable from what I've seen. So far, GNOME, XFCE and MATE did not manage to make things consistent in this regard, each appealing to some complex alternative just so as to compensate the lack of keys available for the huge amount of functionality. GNOME includes an alternative to Meta+arrows by using Ctrl+Alt+PgUp/Down, XFCE tried to do the opposite of Plasma, using Ctrl+Alt+arrows/PgUp-PgDown for system shortcuts and Meta for applications in addition to an extensive use of F# keys, MATE by using Ctrl+Alt to the max and simply not assigning other keyboard shortcuts, and Cinnamon simply sacrificed as much keyboard shortcuts as possible.
  The main issue I see here is that we will likely end up having a four-key keycombo eventually, which I disapprove of but is not the end of the world.
  
  - Meta+WASD is niche
  - Meta+WASD requires unbinding Meta+D
  - Meta+arrows for switching between DEs would require unbinding window snapping
  - Meta+Alt+arrows requires unbinding switch focus, whose functionality I personally like
  - Meta+Ctrl+Shift+arrows is a four-key keycombo, so should be used for the most niche navigation purposes
  - Ctrl+Alt+arrows can interfere with Konsole, which is a core KDE application
  
  > Unfamiliar users accidentally pressing the wrong combination might end up in a state they do not expect and don't know how to recover from directly
  
  This may be partially avoidable with the progressive increase in the number of keys. Assuming we have Meta+Ctrl for switching between workspaces and Meta+Ctrl+Shift for moving a window between workspaces, it would be more difficult (although marginally due to the proximity between Ctrl and Shift) for the user to press Meta+Ctrl+Shift than it is to press Meta+Ctrl. Generally speaking, the reason people use two-key keycombos is so that people don't accidentally activate functionality with a single touch. Three-key keycombos are inherently harder to press accidentally than only two keys. In this case, while the distance between Ctrl and Shift is problematic, the distance between Ctrl and Meta are not.
  
  > The shortcuts here need both hands. A workflow with quick switching of windows between different VDs is not possible.
  >  for these I expect them to be usable via one hand and with the opposite hand of the mouse hand (normally this means they are accessed with the left hand)
  
  Using two hands is desirable if we consider RSI, it reduces strain by letting both hands share the workload.
  
  I see this as a balance between being practical/efficient and being healthy, so I weigh both typing with one hand and typing with both as being on the same level, as long as the keyboard shortcut isn't an abomination like Meta+Ctrl+Tab or Ctrl+Alt+Tab. That said, all DEs I checked so far use at least two hands to navigate and move windows between workspaces, so this requirement is a bit off the charts.
  
  The only consistent way to switch between workspaces with one hand are Meta+WASD and Meta+1-4, and I don't think they're practical or needed.
  I'd say we go with Meta+Ctrl+arrows for this one.

REPOSITORY
  R108 KWin

REVISION DETAIL
  https://phabricator.kde.org/D24281

To: GB_2, #kwin, #plasma, #vdg, romangg, ngraham, davidedmundson
Cc: broulik, davidedmundson, thiagosueto, ngraham, romangg, zzag, #vdg, #plasma, kwin, #kwin, LeGast00n, The-Feren-OS-Dev, sbergeron, jraleigh, fbampaloukas, GB_2, mkulinski, ragreen, jackyalcine, iodelay, crozbo, bwowk, ZrenBot, alexeymin, himcesjf, lesliezhai, ali-mohamed, hardening, jensreuterberg, abetts, sebas, apol, ahiemstra, mart
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