Bug 438152 - Usability Issue: Selection of Key Bindings is confusing
Summary: Usability Issue: Selection of Key Bindings is confusing
Status: REPORTED
Alias: None
Product: konsole
Classification: Applications
Component: keyboard (show other bugs)
Version: 19.12.3
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Konsole Developer
URL:
Keywords: usability
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2021-06-06 09:58 UTC by Philipp Keck
Modified: 2021-06-09 17:33 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

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Description Philipp Keck 2021-06-06 09:58:57 UTC
SUMMARY

The way that the UI selects the active key binding scheme/profile is confusing.


STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Edit Current Profile -> Keyboard (do NOT click Edit -- this issue is about the list of key binding schemes/profiles)
2. Click one that's not selected.


OBSERVED RESULT

It becomes the active key binding scheme/profile. Note that the "Apply" button became enabled.


EXPECTED RESULT

No effect. Selecting an item from this list is done ONLY to make the "Edit..." and "Remove" buttons apply to it.


EXPLANATION

There are many UIs that use the selection from a list combined with a single set of buttons on the side, to not have to put a button into every single row. In those cases, the list selection *only* influences the buttons. But Konsole at the same time uses the list selection to indicate/pick the active profile. This means:
1. It's impossible to view a non-active profile (e.g. to see how that other profile handles certain key assignments) without making it active at the same time.
2. Users can be confused and think that all profiles are simultaneously active (because there's no indicator for which one is active), and unintentionally activate a random one.

In my case, I spent hours googling why my arrow keys didn't work, not realizing that the whole time I was using (only) the profile "Solaris console" and not the default one.


PROPOSED SOLUTION

Add another button "Activate" and mark the active one as "... (Active)" in the list. Perhaps gray out the icons of the non-active ones.


SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Linux/KDE Plasma: Mint 20.1
KDE Plasma Version: 5.18.5
KDE Frameworks Version: 5.68.0
Qt Version: 5.12.8