Bug 338760

Summary: Improve key shortcuts for moving through records
Product: [Applications] KEXI Reporter: Ian Balchin <inksi>
Component: FormsAssignee: Kexi Bugs <kexi-bugs>
Status: CONFIRMED ---    
Severity: wishlist CC: adam, inksi, staniek
Priority: NOR Keywords: junior-jobs
Version: 2.9 AlphaFlags: staniek: Usability+
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Mint (Ubuntu based)   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Sentry Crash Report:
Attachments: formatted listing of early kexi key shortcuts as .txt file

Description Ian Balchin 2014-09-02 20:06:28 UTC 
I have to  vent my frustration at the mental gymnastics necessary  to match the default shortcuts with the desired action

1. To have to use 2 keys to move one record up or down is irrational. 
2. The mixture of keys used changes horses midstream as it were, Home & End keys are for editing movement in a field and should not be used for moving through records
3. The use of the Ctl power key + Pg-up or Pg-dn to do a lesser function than Pg-up or Pg-dn does on its own does not match up

I expect these are Access or Windows compatible, but IMHO this is no reason to stay with them. Consider what we have.

Move one record up 'Ctl+Pg-up'
Move one record down 'Ctl+Pg-down'
Move a group of records up 'Page-up'
Move a group of records down 'Page-down'
Move to the first record 'Ctl+Home'
Move to the last record 'Ctl+End'

I will not suggest what we should have, but I leave you to consider the defaults in Paradox, applicable in any view - Table or Form

Move one record up 'F11'
Move one record down 'F12'
Move a group of records up 'Shift-F11'
Move a group of records down 'Shift-F12'
Move to the first record 'Ctl-F11'
Move to the last record 'Ctl-F12'

This is consistent, 
the two function keys F11 & F12 are used in all moves.
Shift has a lesser effect on the function keys than does Ctl
This allows easy one handed operation. 

There, I've said it! If we cannot change the coded-in keys to something more intuitive as suggested, then we need to revert to the function provided in early versions of kexi that allowed you to assign these keys as desired.

Using a mouse at present (I have poor fine motor control) is fiddly and there is a longish move from the <  icon to the  > icon if I overshoot the mark and need to go back.  Additionally, there is no icon for moving a group of records, only for moving to the next record, or to the first/last record. I have to use the Find box to do wide-ranging moves and this was definitely not the case in Paradox with the default keys which made moving around in Paradox faster by a whole order.

My half-penny worth!
Comment 1 Jarosław Staniek 2014-09-02 22:01:19 UTC 
Ian, thanks for this feedback. There are two tasks, maybe they could be reported separately:

1. Review the current shortcuts regarding their usability, completeness and comparing to what similar apps offer. Example source of inspiration: http://www.shortcutworld.com/en/win/Access_2010.html
For the record, here's what we have now: https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=221&t=122550#p318170

2. Restore the shortcuts configuration feature. Is this reported as a wish/bug?
Comment 2 Ian Balchin 2014-09-03 07:13:37 UTC 
Created attachment 88539 [details]
formatted listing of early kexi key shortcuts as .txt file

Jaroslaw, this is what I am working with. The document that you mentioned (earlier too) cannot be printed so I ran it thru the mill and created this.
Ian
Comment 3 Ian Balchin 2014-09-03 07:19:34 UTC 
Jaroslaw,

I'll do a more formal review of the shortcuts later. Good idea. In the meantime I am working with the earlier shortcuts listing and picking up any apparent shortfalls from there. I am using this as a basis to create the wiki page for shortcuts (which now see) as a work-in-progress.

Yes. I'll do a bug for the regressed configuration feature.

Ian