Re: Review of Keybindings [Re: Dia's user interface]

[Ben Hetland <ben a hetland sintef no>]

Well, then allow me to return you "provocation"... :-)

On Wed, 1 May 2002 00:17:34 -0400, "James K.Lowden" <jklowden@speakeasy.org> wrote:
> 
> I propose:  Leave the feature on.  Reverse dragging selects intersecting
> objects, and Forward dragging does not.  If the user holds down a Shift or
> Ctrl key, the opposite happens: Forward dragging selects intersecting
> objects, and Reverse dragging does not.
> 
> I think that's still pretty easy to discover, and more flexible than what
> happens currently.  If you don't want to hold down the Ctrl key, you get
> Select Intersecting Objects for "free" with reverse drag.

Why such an inconsistent behavior?

FWIW, I often find myself confusing the different kind of shift/ctrl/alt
combinations, especially when there are multiple functionalites "embedded"
in them, like one for "unshifted", one for "shift", one for "ctrl",
another one for "ctrl-shift", etc... Consistent behavior helps a little,
assuming that I also use the feature relatively often (to "refresh" my
memory).

One example: The Windows Explorer that so many of us know, enables you
to drag files and folders around (w/left button). Problem is, when I
just do this, I don't always get the same action... because sometimes
the file is copied, sometimes moved, or perhaps a "shortcut" is created.
Yes, there are "rules" for what will happen, but they are complicated
and takes into consideration things you don't always bother too much
about right then, like if the drive letter of the two folders where
actually the same. Result? I find myself right-dragging instead, so I
have the explicit choice & control every time, even though it's a more
indirect and time-consuming task to perform... Compare that with GNOME
FMs and Midnight Commander more consistent behavior!

So therefore my argument is: Better let the meaning of the Ctrl key (or
whichever it might be) be consistent, rather than depending on the
user's spontaneous, perhaps unconscious, decision to drag in the other
direction instead...


>             And FWIW, CAD
> users at least will experience the principle of least surprise.

Of course, NOT being a CAD user, this has perhaps the opposite effect on
me, not necessarily making the connection between the objects that were
selected versus "which direction did I just drag?"... I would just
probably discover it accidentally, thinking it was some strange bug or
something that "glitched" to include some extra objects I didn't intend
to... This of course assumes I didn't read the manual first, explaining
this feature very carefully to me... :-)


> How does that sound?

I'm putting myself deliberately in the mind of the most silly user right
now, of course... It's really an enjoyable discussion, hope you don't
mind!


Best regards,

-+-Ben-+-