Bug 179257

Summary:	enable user to leave (keyboard-initated) context menu by a key close to the context menu key
Product:	[Unmaintained] kdelibs	Reporter:	Wolfram R. Sieber <Wolfram.R.Sieber>
Component:	kdeui	Assignee:	kdelibs bugs <kdelibs-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED UNMAINTAINED
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	cfeck, finex, johanssongreppet
Priority:	NOR
Version First Reported In:	unspecified
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	unspecified
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Wolfram R. Sieber 2009-01-01 08:47:52 UTC

Version: 2.5.10 (using 3.5.10, Debian Package 4:3.5.10.dfsg.1-0lenny1 (lenny/sid))
Compiler: Target: i486-linux-gnu
OS: Linux (i686) release 2.6.26-1-686

Actually, this is not a kate related issue, as context menus apply to almost everything in KDE. I just don't have the least clue where to file it. I hope one of the Kate bugs maintainer can help out here.

So, what's this about?

On a laptop I quite often accidentally hit the context menu key on the keyboard which is located next to my cursor direct keys. Also, I still quite often write one-handed only. Kate's auto-completion helps a lot here.

So, when I accidentally hit the context key, my hand's in the bottom right corner of the keyboard. The context menu pops up as (accidentally) requested.

Now what? -- Originally, I wanted to move the cursor around. Unfortunately, there's no immediate way to leave the context menu, except by hitting Escape. That is, leave the cursor keys area, lift the hand, move it over to the top-left corner of the keyboard, hit Escape, go back to the bottom right, either peek at the keyboard to find the cursor keys immediately or try to figure it out blindly -- including the chance to hit the context menu key again, causing the same hassle again.

To be clear about this one: I am not a disabled person. I just often use the laptop when laying in bed or elsewhere. That's not a too uncommon habit, so it would be nice if the KDE project would support that a bit. :)

As context menu navigation (and menu navigation in general) requires the Up/Down and Right cursor key only, I'd suggest to make the Left cursor key to leave the context menu. That'd improve KDEs overall usability greatly and would support us laying laptop users greatly too.

I'd be glad, if someone could implement some feature like this anytime soon.

PS. Disabled people might love this feature too.

Comment 1 Magnus Johansson 2010-05-14 13:16:36 UTC

Interesting post, Wolfram. What would you think of making the Menu key toggle the context menu on and off?

Comment 2 Wolfram R. Sieber 2010-05-14 14:22:57 UTC

Magnus, yes, sure. Once you said it, it was obvious. Making the menu key to be a toggle seems a good idea.

Comment 3 Christoph Feck 2010-09-01 04:09:56 UTC

Left key could work, I think. Menu key probably not, because menu items might actually have a context menu itself.

Comment 4 Magnus Johansson 2010-09-01 10:59:41 UTC

Thanks for the feedback, Christoph. However, I think a context menu should not have an item in the menu selected directly when opened; if a context menu has a context menu it should be represented as an item in the menu itself.

Comment 5 Wolfram R. Sieber 2010-09-01 14:22:05 UTC

OTOH, using the Left-Key would match the Lynx navigation, so it would be intuitive for Lynx (or Midnight Commander) users. Oh, and it would be a pun, of course. ("Left it".)

Comment 6 Wolfram R. Sieber 2010-09-01 14:23:44 UTC

OTOH, using the Left-Key would match the Lynx navigation, so it would be intuitive for Lynx (or Midnight Commander) users. Oh, and it would be a pun, of course. ("Left it".)

Comment 7 Christoph Cullmann 2024-09-14 16:17:28 UTC

Hi,

kdelibs (version 4 and earlier) is no longer maintained since a few years.

KDE Frameworks 5 or 6 might already have implemented this wish.

If not, please re-open against the matching framework if feasible or against the application that shows the issue.

We then can still dispatch it to the right Bugzilla product or component.

Greetings
Christoph Cullmann

Comment 8 Magnus Johansson 2024-09-14 20:00:17 UTC

(In reply to Christoph Cullmann from comment #7)
> Hi,
> 
> kdelibs (version 4 and earlier) is no longer maintained since a few years.
> 
> KDE Frameworks 5 or 6 might already have implemented this wish.
> 
> If not, please re-open against the matching framework if feasible or against
> the application that shows the issue.
> 
> We then can still dispatch it to the right Bugzilla product or component.
> 
> Greetings
> Christoph Cullmann

Hi, Christoph! In KDE Framework 5.78.0 one can close the context menu with Esc, Tab, Alt and Win keys (the last one opens the start menu of course so it has to be pressed twice to close also that menu) but thus not with any key close to Menu or Menu itself so the issue is still there.

Regards,
Magnus Johansson