[transferring to gimp-devel since gimp-user is not the proper forum to discuss this beyond the voting level] [Sven pondered changing the CTRL-L shortcut of the layers dialog so that it is available for "File / Open Location" as suggested by the HIG.] Sven Neumann (sven@xxxxxxxx) wrote: > Simon Budig <simon@xxxxxxxx> writes: > > I frequently use CTRL-L to bring the layers tab to the front, it is a > > handy shortcut. > > Of course it is a very useful shortcut and I use it a lot myself. > However if we want to try to coexist peacefully with other > applications, it would make sense to respect the fact that Ctrl-L is a > standard keybinding that should be bound to "Open Location" in all > applications. The question is thus if we can find a different > keybinding for the Layers dialog. I don't think this is the question. The question is if we have a very good reason to inconvenience existing users or if it is necessary to change the keybinding to peacefully coexist with other applications. Besides the fact that CTRL-L is documented in a lot of places for the layers dialog and the Layers-Dialog is way more important than the "Open Location" function I don't think that the HIG really suggests this binding for applications like the GIMP. Table 4.15 on http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/menus-standard.html suggests CTRL-L as a shortcut for the "Go -> Location..." for "a browser application". I don't think that the Gimp is anything near a "browser application" [1]. So I don't see a need to change this frequently used and well established shortcut. Gimp very well can conform to the HIG without implementing CTRL-L for "Open Location". Generally I'd like to have some kind of policy on the keyboard shortcuts. I tend to be a bit conservative with changing defaults, especially when I have to explain changes to people on fairs etc. (The <Image>->Image/Layers reorganisation still bites people - but this was IMO a necessary change). Maybe I am talking blatantly obvious stuff now, but maybe it is the time to explicitely state this: We should prefer Gimp-Usability over Standard-Compliance. Always. And just because we happen to implement lots of the HIG-suggestions that should not imply that we implement everything that remotely seems applicable. Especially I'd like to suggest better reasoning than "it's in the HIG" when it is about first-class[2] established keyboard shortcuts. Thanks for listening :) Bye, Simon [1] I did not see a definition of a "browser application" but I'd define it as an application with the main purpose to visit different locations for whatever reason. It might apply to a file manager as well as a webbrowser. Of course having a standard shortcut for "Location..." makes a lot of sense here. [2] first-class as in "needs no finger contorsion to reach" or "up to one modifier". -- simon@xxxxxxxx http://simon.budig.de/
