[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@gimp.org) wrote:
Simon Budig 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/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".
