Key Modifiers

jonemi · Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 4:27 am Post subject: Key Modifiers

Does anyone know if there is a convention for developers to use when deciding which key modifier to use (e.g. alt, control, shift)?

Or should I say, what do they really do? Is shift supposed to invert something? So pressing shift + backspace make it delete the character in front of the cursor as opposed to behind it?

I'm interested seeing as there's lots of inconsistency between programs.

Sorry, this is pretty incoherent.

mooman · Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 6:13 am Post subject:

The only shift "reversal" I can think of is for TAB. shift-TAB is fairly universal for going *back* one tab (in navigation, not in editing).

I've never heard the shift-backspace one. isn't that what 'delete' does...?

In Windows vernacular, shift and any navigation keys (cursors, home, end, page up, page down) is used to extend a selection. But that's not "inverting"...
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jonemi · Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 7:00 am Post subject:

Heh, obviously my laziness in thought shown through once again. I suppose I didn't think that out enough. :-(

Still wondering what the convention is, though.

Carlos · Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2002 2:42 pm Post subject:

I don't think there's so much a convention as several styles of key mappings. You've got traditional vi-style keys, emacs keys, as well as modern Windoze-style keys (alt-tab, control-backspace, etc.), and probably schemes I've never even heard of or seen before.

I think there should just be /some/ defaults, and have them be configurable. Eventually people would discuss and exchange keymappings and end up with several different styles agoin, hte only difference being that each style would be a consistent set of mappings for a large set of apps (WM, browser, editor, etc.).
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