Bug 488258 - Horizontal touch scroll doesn't work, makes navigating files on small screens impractical
Summary: Horizontal touch scroll doesn't work, makes navigating files on small screens...
Status: REPORTED
Alias: None
Product: kate
Classification: Applications
Component: general (other bugs)
Version First Reported In: 24.08.1
Platform: Other Linux
: NOR normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: KWrite Developers
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-06-09 15:09 UTC by Ellie
Modified: 2024-09-24 19:46 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:
Latest Commit:
Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:


Attachments
Screenshot showing a touch environment where horizontal scroll is heavily required (225.94 KB, image/png)
2024-06-09 15:09 UTC, Ellie
Details

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Description Ellie 2024-06-09 15:09:15 UTC
Created attachment 170293 [details]
Screenshot showing a touch environment where horizontal scroll is heavily required

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SUMMARY

I tested kate on a smaller screen today and ran into an issue that seems to basically make it unusable in practice, even though it would be an easy fix: when dragging vertically I can navigate up and down, but left and right to see the end of the lines doesn't work, even though that is the default on all mainstream touch devices. Instead I have to use the scrollbar on the bottom, but when my finger is on that one I can't vertically scroll anymore, which makes it impossible to efficiently navigate a larger file. This is sadly required for any sort of notable code work to get an overview of what I'm even doing. A screenshot of what I'm seeing is attached!

It seems like horizontal touch selects text instead. This seems however not an action that is intensely required often in a complex program, or not as often as simply reading the file (which requires horizontal touch). It's also not what horizontal touch usually does on any other touch device. Therefore this seems like a wrongly assigned action or mixup of sorts, or I'm not sure why it is like that. Should it be changed?

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Make kate window relatively small
2. Disable word wrap (which at least in my tests seems to be somewhat required to read code at a smaller size without being confused visually since then all lines start to belnd into each other
3. Try to just read the file and just navigate around to get an overview

OBSERVED RESULT

Navigating the file is not really practical. Horizontal scroll isnt attached to horizontal tap as expected.

EXPECTED RESULT

Horizontal touch triggers horizontal scroll. Long press triggers a selected word instead with movable text markers and a floating separate menu button that can expand the context menu. There doesn't seem to be a different touch text edit paradigm that works well on all touch devices. My apologies if I incorrectly configured this myself somehow without realizing!

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
Windows: 
macOS: 
Linux/KDE Plasma: postmarketOS
(available in About System)
KDE Plasma Version: 
KDE Frameworks Version: 
Qt Version: 5.15.10

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Comment 1 Christoph Cullmann 2024-09-15 16:03:32 UTC
The Qt 6 based version works for me, can scroll in all directions using a touch pad.
Comment 2 Ellie 2024-09-15 17:15:19 UTC
It's currently broken here using plasmashell 6.1.5, KDE frameworks 6.5.0, Qt 6.7.2, with a Plasma 6 Wayland session and a touch screen. Maybe a touchpad isn't reported in an equivalent manor? In any case, I would suggest reopening.
Comment 3 Ellie 2024-09-16 23:44:49 UTC
I'm hoping it's okay that I reopen this for now. It doesn't seem to be fixed using Qt6 and a touch screen, or at least not for all environments for some reason. I don't have a touch pad, so I don't know how that would differ.
Comment 4 Christoph Cullmann 2024-09-24 19:46:35 UTC
Ok, sure, not that I can test it, I have no touch screen. But we can keep it open if that still happens for you.