Re: [platform-swt-dev] Re: [Bug 19568] {} on a german keyboard [swt-carb

["Mike Wilson" <Mike_Wilson@xxxxxxx>]

The only problem I can see with this strategy is that you end up needing four fingers to do "control-shift-<char>". Otherwise it seems like a good mapping to me. What do you think, Andre?

McQ.

"Bob Foster" <bob@xxxxxxxxxx> Sent by: platform-swt-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx 07/10/2002 12:52 PM Please respond to platform-swt-dev

To:        <platform-swt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>         cc:                 Subject:        Re: [platform-swt-dev] Re: [Bug 19568] {} on a german keyboard [swt-carbon]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andre Weinand" <weinand@xxxxxxx>
To: <platform-swt-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 09, 2002 4:53 PM
Subject: Re: [platform-swt-dev] Re: [Bug 19568] {} on a german keyboard
[swt-carbon]


> >
> >a) That's confusing. Command->CTRL. Ctrl->ALT. Alt/option->nothing.
>
> Have you tried it? I did, so I *know* its not confusing :-)
> (and I'm switching between Window and Mac several times a day)
> Eclipse on Mac has used Command instead of Control from the beginning,
> and nobody has ever complained :-)

Yes, you're right. But Control->SWT.ALT will be confusing and un-Mac-like.

>
> >b) Alt/option->nothing doesn't allow the alternate-menu usage of option.
>
> Yes, but there seems to be no generic way to find out (for all
> existing keyboards)
> whether Alt-<any key> maps to a special character or
> whether the Alt modifier is available for mapping to an 'alternate-menu
usage'.

All Apple keyboards use the option key for extended characters. Go to your
keyboard and type option-5. ;-}

On the Mac, shortcuts are always modified with the command key. Other
modifiers do not invoke shortcuts unless the command key is also down.

The option key should be used as a shortcut modifier when the command
modifier is also present, and as a shift-out for extended characters when it
is not used with command. The control key should be used as a shortcut
modifier with command and just passed on to the program without command.

It would be pretty surprising on the Mac if Control all by itself invoked a
shortcut, but that seems to be what you propose. Control is expected to be
available to programs. Just like it will be surprising that Option isn't
available to programs. If you had to sacrifice Mac-specific features for
portability, that would be one thing. But you don't.

Without belaboring this further (Per your suggestion, I did read all 13
.java files that use SWT.ALT as well as the two plugin.xml files that define
shortcuts with Alt. There could of course be an infinite number of the
latter.) Here is an alternative proposal that preserves the Mac keycodes for
people who want to write Mac-specific programs with SWT and works with
existing portable programs in a Mac-like way.

Macintosh keys down -> SWT codes

Command key by itself -> SWT.CTRL (portability)
Command key + option key -> SWT.ALT (portability)
Option key without command key -> SWT.OPTION (mac-specific)
Control key -> SWT.MCONTROL (mac-specific)

All other key combinations work normally. E.g., Option/Command/Shift =
SWT.ALT+SWT.CTRL+SWT.SHIFT. Impact on documentation: All references to Ctrl
change to Command; all references to Alt change to Option-Command.

Bob

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