Sloppy post interfaces (keys / shortcuts)
I have long wanted to speak on one topic. Namely, “Key Modifiers” (Shift, Alt, CTRL, Win / CMD / Apple / Amiga).
Do they have the right (when you click on them) to perform any action?
I now think that they do not. Take, for example, ALT - it is used in key combinations such as ALT + F4 (win) or ALT + F2 (Far), or (God forgive me) ALT + SHIFT (rus / lat).
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However, a person may change his mind to press a key combination or press a modifier key randomly. And what will happen then? On the “safe”, normal modifier keys - nothing.
These include in Windows Shift and CTRL. And on the “dangerous” type of WIN or ALT, the most perfect nonsense will occur: ALT will change the input focus by moving the cursor to the menu bar. WIN - in general, can throw you out of the full-screen mode of the application, only in order to happily show you the start menu.
Hence the first rule of the keyboard user interface: the modifier key itself must be inert. (When you click on it, nothing should happen.)
Next, there is the awful ALT + SHIFT combination, which in some cases is used in Windows to switch keyboard layouts. What is it awful? If you missed SHIFT or did not press it clearly enough and it did not work, a single ALT will work, which will change the input focus and spit out you into the menu bar. And since you wrote the text at this time, you may not notice this and your presses can in the worst case lead to the execution of some menu commands, or simply unpleasant input of several letters into the void.
The combination of CTRL + SHIFT is not particularly better, as though it is “safe” and inert (that is, if one key or another fails to work, nothing will happen), the flip side of this “security” is something that cannot be recognized whether there was a switch (indicator rus / lat, as a rule is out of sight during typing).
And why? Because the second rule is violated: the modifier key combinations with each other must also remain inert (that is, you cannot assign actions to CTRL + SHIFT or CTRL + SHIFT + ALT combinations, firstly, because if this action is silent and imperceptible - it will be impossible to unambiguously determine whether it was done or not, and secondly, any exception to the rule of inertia of modifier keys destroys the feeling of “security”).
What combination would be more successful to switch layouts? (since he was cited as an example). But at least the same CTRL + Space (or CMD + Space on Mac). Why is it better? 1) a combination of a safe modifier key and a conditionally safe spacebar is used (it is conditionally safe when typing text - since the space character does not spoil the text). 2) in case of a modifier key failure, we will immediately see it - instead of switching the layout, a space will be entered.
In general, for complete happiness in windows it is necessary: 1) to make all modifier keys inert and save, finally, ALT and WIN from these terrible side effects. 2) disable all actions assigned to modifier key combinations.
And then, perhaps, managing applications (and the system itself) using hotkeys will become more convenient (they will, finally, begin to use the WIN button fully on a par with everyone).
(ps this post is the answer to the sub- publication post . To read it, subscribe to the “these user interfaces” blog.)
NB Friends, switching layouts is just one example. You should not take it to heart =) The main question is: "should the modifier keys and their combinations be inert."
(In other words: is it worth it to call any single function with one key for the sake of doubtful convenience - to get the inconvenience of using this key in all combinations with it?)
Do they have the right (when you click on them) to perform any action?
I now think that they do not. Take, for example, ALT - it is used in key combinations such as ALT + F4 (win) or ALT + F2 (Far), or (God forgive me) ALT + SHIFT (rus / lat).
')
However, a person may change his mind to press a key combination or press a modifier key randomly. And what will happen then? On the “safe”, normal modifier keys - nothing.
These include in Windows Shift and CTRL. And on the “dangerous” type of WIN or ALT, the most perfect nonsense will occur: ALT will change the input focus by moving the cursor to the menu bar. WIN - in general, can throw you out of the full-screen mode of the application, only in order to happily show you the start menu.
Hence the first rule of the keyboard user interface: the modifier key itself must be inert. (When you click on it, nothing should happen.)
Next, there is the awful ALT + SHIFT combination, which in some cases is used in Windows to switch keyboard layouts. What is it awful? If you missed SHIFT or did not press it clearly enough and it did not work, a single ALT will work, which will change the input focus and spit out you into the menu bar. And since you wrote the text at this time, you may not notice this and your presses can in the worst case lead to the execution of some menu commands, or simply unpleasant input of several letters into the void.
The combination of CTRL + SHIFT is not particularly better, as though it is “safe” and inert (that is, if one key or another fails to work, nothing will happen), the flip side of this “security” is something that cannot be recognized whether there was a switch (indicator rus / lat, as a rule is out of sight during typing).
And why? Because the second rule is violated: the modifier key combinations with each other must also remain inert (that is, you cannot assign actions to CTRL + SHIFT or CTRL + SHIFT + ALT combinations, firstly, because if this action is silent and imperceptible - it will be impossible to unambiguously determine whether it was done or not, and secondly, any exception to the rule of inertia of modifier keys destroys the feeling of “security”).
What combination would be more successful to switch layouts? (since he was cited as an example). But at least the same CTRL + Space (or CMD + Space on Mac). Why is it better? 1) a combination of a safe modifier key and a conditionally safe spacebar is used (it is conditionally safe when typing text - since the space character does not spoil the text). 2) in case of a modifier key failure, we will immediately see it - instead of switching the layout, a space will be entered.
In general, for complete happiness in windows it is necessary: 1) to make all modifier keys inert and save, finally, ALT and WIN from these terrible side effects. 2) disable all actions assigned to modifier key combinations.
And then, perhaps, managing applications (and the system itself) using hotkeys will become more convenient (they will, finally, begin to use the WIN button fully on a par with everyone).
(ps this post is the answer to the sub- publication post . To read it, subscribe to the “these user interfaces” blog.)
NB Friends, switching layouts is just one example. You should not take it to heart =) The main question is: "should the modifier keys and their combinations be inert."
(In other words: is it worth it to call any single function with one key for the sake of doubtful convenience - to get the inconvenience of using this key in all combinations with it?)
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/59710/
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