Enki's GUI is not keyboard-friendly enough

[vi]

1. When closing, I expect "Save checked", "Discard", and "Cancel close" to have Alt+S, Alt+D and Alt+C shortcuts (with S, D and C characters underlined on button labels).
2. I expect to be able to open main menu using Alt+F (or just Alt). In the menu itself some entries have underlined characters, some not...
3. A random thing: I can open "Preview" pane from View menu, but can't close it from menu. Usually such things are done as checkbox in the menu. How to close preview pane without using mouse?

Try to configure and work for some time in Enki without mouse (but putting aside the pre-existing knowledge of the Application Shortcuts).

[andreikop]

1

S and C is busy, but I'll check, Save Files is modal dialog and I hope shortcuts will work without conflicts Accepted

2

I would be happy to allocate Alt+something shortcuts for menu, but, at most all shortcuts are busy https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AlY4NZ8uGZGxdF9aeERuSTc5ajMxVVZjOWZCZGpaM3c&output=html Main menu is really slow. I hope you'll bind your favorite actions on shortcuts now and forget about MM.

3

If I made checkable actions in the menu, you won't be able to jump (move focus) to visible pane without closing it.

You shall set focus to the pane and press Esc. I.e. Alt+P,Esc to close Preview pane.

This is described in the user manual, but, programmers never read manuals and I don't know how to force them. And I don't know how to make 100% intuitive itnerface. I'll probably make something like "tip of the day". Maybe you have any other ideas?

I use mouse only for one action - resizing panes (dock widgets). But, I hope I'll solve this problem

[vi]

At least the "tip of the day" that is displayed in modal window at startup is not good idea.

Imagination tells me about advanced context-related tip-of-the-day that appears in some status-bar-like panel in response to some user actions. Example: after user press close button on "preview" panel, the tip about "You can use Alt+P,Esc to close the preview pane" appears (noticeable, but not annoying). When user starts to remove or copy chunks of each line repeatably, a message about "You can use rectangular selection for this" appears. I.e user learns about features at the time when he really need them.

It should be more-or-less heuristical. Tips should be categorized "navigation tips, saving and loading tips, preview tips, text selection tips, ..." and when tips are enabled, user actions can be counted (changed file, scrolling, selecting part of text, editing text, replacing part of the text a little, using search, saving...) and the next tip is displayed depending on what user is doing. If it navigating from file to file and scrolling around much, a tip about bookmarks is displayed. If user is switching away from Enki, but after switching back scrolling, the tip about "go to line" is displayed. If user is always saving before switching away from Enki, a tip about auto-saving is displayed. (oh, there is no such feature).

[vi]

"I use mouse only for one action - resizing panes (dock widgets). But, I hope I'll solve this problem."

Try to imagine you're a new Enki user who does read manual (BTW I don't see integrated offline manual like in Vim or qtcreator) and is exploring Enki's features. Try to open configuration window from keyboard and change settings there from keyboard. Try to Settings->Application shortcuts without mouse. Good GUI should be fully accessible both with keyboard only and with mouse only (except of typing the text).

I would be happy to allocate Alt+something shortcuts for menu, but, at most all shortcuts are busy

At least there should be some standrard way to just focus the main menu. Plain "Alt" can be enough (user can navigate further using arrows). It works actually, no problem.

[andreikop]

1

done

[andreikop]

tips

Interactive "teacher" requires more time. Not now. I added tool tip for all docks (panes). Sometimes mouse will be over a dock and user will read this tip. Will see, if tool tip is not too annoying.

integrated manual

It is 2012. Do you really think it is necessary? You can't start using vim without manual or google or books. But Enki is usable as is. (Probably, not so comfortable)

gui accesible without mouse

Do you often configure GUI software without mouse? I never I explained not correctly, I never use mouse when coding, 98% of the time. But, configuration sometimes requires mouse.

And, I think it is acceptable. It is quicker to navigate in the menus with mouse, than with Alt+X shortcuts.

99.9% of PCs have mouse, and other 0.01 (broken Xorg configuration? dead mouse?) can work as is or edit ~/.enki/...

[vi]

Interactive "teacher" requires more time. Not now.

Low priority. You can do it if/when the sudden inspiration comes.

Will see, if tool tip is not too annoying.

A bit annoying. Maybe the tooltip should be shown only on pane's header (no on the whole pane)?

It is 2012. Do you really think it is necessary?

Maybe not very necessary _{(internally I feel I still live in about 2002 sometimes; not always connected to the Internet, don't like to depend on it)}.

[andreikop]

Done. Now shown on the pane header.

[andreikop]

May I close the bug?

One more question about the interface: have you discovered Locator?

[vi]

Closing this issue. Further problems about keyboard shortcut issues will be as separate issues probably.

Have seen Locator (is was discussed in other issues on tracker), but does not yet know what is it for. If it is clearly described in the docs, I can read it.