Nemo: no way to select a Search (Ctrl-F) result with keyboard

[sietse]

 * Cinnamon version: 4.2.3
 * Distribution - Mint 19.2 Tina
 * Graphics hardware *and* driver used
        Graphics:  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 5500 vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           chip ID: 8086:1616 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.6 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa 
           compositor: muffin resolution: 1360x768~60Hz, 1920x1080~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 5500 (Broadwell GT2) v: 4.5 Mesa 19.0.2 
           compat-v: 3.0 direct render: Yes 
 * 64 bit
 * Attach /home/<username>/.xsession-errors, or /var/log/syslog

Hello Cinnamon folks! I'd like to start by saying that I really appreciate having Cinnamon as a desktop environment <3. So many things 'just work' for me; you must be doing a lot of work behind the scenes to make the experience so smooth. I cannot thank you enough. :heart_eyes:

Issue

The bug I'd like to report: When I use the search function in Nemo, I cannot open a search result with the keyboard.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a test folder containing a file and a folder such that you don't want to type out the full name: mkdir /tmp/nemo-search-bug cd /tmp/nemo-search-bug touch 20190805-keyword-apple.txt mkdir 20120118-keyword-pear
2. Open that folder /tmp/nemo-search-bug in Nemo
3. Ctrl-F, or click on the magnifiying glass in the toolbar
4. Search for keyword, or for apple, or pear -- it doesn't matter whether you get one or multiple results, and whether the results are folders or files
5. Try to select a search result using the keyboard
   1. Hit Esc to leave the search toolbar -- doesn't work
   2. Hit Tab to focus the results pane -- doesn't work
   3. Hit Enter to 'complete' the search -- doesn't work
6. Double-click on a search result to show that selecting using the mouse does work.

Expected behaviour

That it is possible to choose and open a search result with the keyboard.

Things I expected, but I'm sure the Cinnamon UX design guidelines has something to say about this:

• Esc cancels search
• Tab focuses the results pane
  • you can then select a search result with Up/Down
  • and open the selected result with Enter
• Enter does something, not sure what users expect it to do. Same thing as Tab?

Other information

For people who can use a pointer device, there is a workaround: select the desired search result with the mouse/touchpad/touchscreen.

[sietse]

[On second thoughts, I'm deleting this comment -- how about I give the maintainers a change to read this issue and decide for themselves what they want to do with it, instead of posting solution suggestions unprompted.]

[okaestne]

Please post this in the nemo repository (https://github.com/linuxmint/nemo) :)

[icarter09]

Nemo v4.4.2 Mint 19.3 64bit

Was able to reproduce this issue with the steps provided in the ticket.

[icarter09]

I'm not sure that using Enter to complete the search is needed since the search automatically fires off after the 3rd character is entered into the search field.

I think the ideas on using Esc to close the search field and using Tab to jump into the search results make sense.

Also Ctrl + F will toggle the search field, but that will also remove any current search results.

[SevenSystems]

It's very surprising that it is impossible to use the keyboard to switch from the search field to a search result, seeing as a keyboard-only workflow is proabably the most likely candidate where the search will be used at all? Odd.