[imp] Tab order in message composition and keyboard shortcuts.

[Jan Schneider]

Zitat von gimili <gimili17 at gmail.com>:

> Jan Schneider wrote:
>> Zitat von gimili <gimili17 at gmail.com>:
>>
>>> Message composition is something that is used often.  Shouldn't  
>>> imp tab to the message body after the message subject?  To get to  
>>> the message body you have to hit tab 20 times after you enter the  
>>> subject when using firefox 3 and I can't get it to tab past the  
>>> subject field in Internet Explorer 7.  This is annoying for mouse  
>>> haters like myself.  Perhaps I am doing something wrong?  Is there  
>>> a way to change the tab order?  Is this a browser issue or a imp  
>>> issue?
>>
>> Both. We set a tab order, but it depends on the browser whether it  
>> sticks to it. I disagree that tabbing from the subject should get  
>> to the text body. This is confusing because you can't get to the  
>> elements between those fields easily.
>> And since you discovered access keys, this is not necessary either.
> Hmm I don't use the 20 elements that come before the body.  :-)  Most of
> the time I use the To, Subject and then body.  Wouldn't this be the case
> for users?  Literally having to hit tab 20 times to get to the message
> body in firefox after the subject might turn off the odd user.  I can't
> get to the message body at all in ie no matter how many times I hit tab
> it won't go past the subject field.  This does not seem like normal
> behaviour.  As a quick comparison I just opened Thunderbird and it goes
> from To, Subject and then body by using the tab key.  I opened Outlook
> Express and it goes from To, CC, Subject and then body.

With firefox it takes me 4 tabs to get to the body.

> I had to work really hard to "discover the access keys".... imho as mail
> composition is such a basic function the user should not have to work so
> hard to figure out how to do something so basic.  I believe one reason
> people don't like web based mail is the lack of keyboard shortcuts.  I
> don't understand how the access keys solve the problem as you suggest.
> How do you use them to jump directly to the message body after entering
> the subject?

Eh, by using the "T" access key? Or whatever the access key is for  
your language.

>>> It took me awhile to learn that in firefox 3 you need to hit alt,  
>>> shift and then the underlined character to move around in imp.   
>>> Perhaps that will help someone else.  In ie you only need to use  
>>> alt and the underlined character.
>>>
>>> The "S" is not underlined on the send message button but "alt  
>>> shift S" selects the send button and then "space bar" will do the  
>>> same as clicking on it to quickly send the message in firefox  
>>> without the mouse.  A simple "alt-s" sends in message in ie.  It  
>>> would be nice to get those underlines added to the buttons.
>>
>> This is not possible.
> Too bad.  Maybe there could be a legend or some other way to let people
> know about the hidden keyboard shortcuts?  Could the help file ever be
> more like a wiki so that tips could be added?  I wouldn't mind adding to
> the help info if it was easy to do.

The access key is displayed in a title balloon if you mouse over the button.

We're currently working on a help-wiki-integration.

>>> There doesn't seem to be keyboard shortcuts in dimp for things  
>>> like send or jump to the "To" field.
>>
>> This is because the elements in DIMP aren't HTML elements that  
>> could have an access key.
>>
>> In CVS HEAD I have implemented a proof of concept that converts  
>> access keys to javascript keyboard handlers. The advantage is that  
>> that it works consistently across all browsers, and that you can  
>> also use access keys on elements that usually don't accept any.
>> Of course it also has a few disadvantages.
>>
>> Jan.
>>
> That would be really nice.
>
> **Thanks for all the info.  Much appreciated. **
>
> A mouse hater :-)

I don't use the mouse at all when using IMP, so I really can't  
understand your issues.

Jan.

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