Bug 496208

Summary:	Meta+0-9 shortcut should cycle through windows when using clicking grouped task shows small window previews
Product:	[Plasma] plasmashell	Reporter:	rae <notraedev>
Component:	Task Manager and Icons-Only Task Manager widgets	Assignee:	Plasma Bugs List <plasma-bugs-null>
Status:	RESOLVED INTENTIONAL
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	nate, qydwhotmail
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	usability
Version First Reported In:	master
Target Milestone:	1.0
Platform:	unspecified
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description rae 2024-11-13 10:23:17 UTC

When using Clicking grouped task: Shows small window previews on icons only task manager, using super+0-9 on an app that has multiple windows currently only shows the previews and does not focus any of them. Pressing the shortcut again simply closes the previews. There is no way to navigate these previews using the keyboard. The way it should behave is when you repeatedly press the shortcut (i.e. super+1), it should focus the first window and then cycle through the 2nd, 3rd, etc window.

This would emulate the behaviour of Windows 7+ and Dash to Panel/Dock on GNOME, which would be good for those migrating from those desktops, as well as be a new accessibility feature as selecting one of the window previews currently *requires* the mouse.

I've been using Plasma for a very long time and I still repeatedly press super+2 to attempt to cycle my Firefox windows before realising "oh yeah, this isn't Windows" and find it incredibly frustrating to have to take my hand off my keyboard to do such a basic task before putting my hand right back to my keyboard after I've selected the window i want.

Comment 1 Nate Graham 2024-11-13 16:27:55 UTC

Can confirm the issue. Looking at the code, it's clear this is "expected but not intended" as the interaction between these two features was not considered at the time. Making it cycle through tasks instead of opening the thumbnails view seems sane. The user-facing text for the setting even supports this by asserting that the setting will only take effect on click.

Comment 2 Bug Janitor Service 2024-11-13 22:52:48 UTC

A possibly relevant merge request was started @ https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/-/merge_requests/2634

Comment 3 Nate Graham 2024-11-14 15:51:39 UTC

Git commit b80685154d49a41495f43db7de69841abf358a47 by Nate Graham.
Committed on 14/11/2024 at 15:38.
Pushed by ngraham into branch 'master'.

applets/taskmanager: improve non-default grouped Meta+[number] UX

Clicking a grouped task respects your user preference with regards to
behavior (it's configurable). However, when activating a grouped task
using Meta+[number key], the only behavior that really makes sense is
cycling between windows; all other behaviors are quite mouse-driven,
and since you already had your fingers on the keyboard, using a
mouse-driven UI here doesn't make much sense.

Accordingly, always use the cycling behavior when activating a grouped
task with Meta+[number key].
FIXED-IN: 6.3.0

M  +2    -2    applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/code/tools.js
M  +10   -1    applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/-/commit/b80685154d49a41495f43db7de69841abf358a47

Comment 4 Nate Graham 2024-11-26 04:42:40 UTC

Git commit 513279ac374406e0b294b4caf05e700aaa4f33fe by Nate Graham.
Committed on 26/11/2024 at 04:40.
Pushed by ngraham into branch 'master'.

Revert "applets/taskmanager: improve non-default grouped Meta+[number] UX"

This reverts commit b80685154d49a41495f43db7de69841abf358a47.

This was probably not the best way to resolve the issue mentioned in
496208; most grouping UIs do work fine with the keyboard, with the
exception of the tooltips. The better approach would be to fix that.

M  +2    -2    applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/code/tools.js
M  +1    -10   applets/taskmanager/package/contents/ui/main.qml

https://invent.kde.org/plasma/plasma-desktop/-/commit/513279ac374406e0b294b4caf05e700aaa4f33fe

Comment 5 Nate Graham 2024-11-26 04:43:44 UTC

Sp I'm afraid this had to be intentional behavior, sorry. I will work on improving (well, implementing) keyboard navigability for the tooltips, though.