From: jaker@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (Jake Rose)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re: A Style Guide Question
Date: 18 Nov 92 12:22:23 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA

jfieber@sophia.smith.edu (John Fieber) writes:

>In article <37104@cbmvax.commodore.com> peter@cbmvax.commodore.com (Peter Cherna) writes:
>>In article <mwm.2nu7@contessa.palo-alto.ca.us> mwm@contessa.palo-alto.ca.us (Mike Meyer) writes:
>>>4.) Add menu items Done and Cancel that are identical to the buttons,
>>>	and have the shortcuts be Amiga-D and Amiga-C.
>>
>>This is not a good idea.  First of all, Amiga-C is the _standard_ key
>>equivalent for "copy to clipboard".  Let's try not to abuse those
>>standards that have appeared in at least some number of apps.

>...and appears to be a cross-platform standard.  XCV for cut,
>copy paste is used on the Mac, Messy-Windows, and NeXT to name a
>few.  It is quite nice to be able to bounce around between
>platforms and not even have to shift gears...

Yep!  As far as I can tell, it comes from WordStar, where you used ^KC to copy
a block, ^KV to move, etcetera...

>>The Amiga Style Guide addresses this problem by recommending that
>><ENTER> in a string gadget deactivate the string gadget but not close
>>the window or take any other drastic action.  The idea is that <ENTER>
>>followed by "D" or "C" would have the desired effect.

>[note: I don't have my style guide handy so I can't say if this
>is mentioned...]

>However, there are many instances where the logical action of the
><enter> key is to activate another string gadget.  Several
>programs I use take the approach of having <alt-enter>
>de-activate the string gadget *without* activating the next.

>I frequently find myself doing unexpected things on the mac
>because the <enter> key almost always takes some drastic action
>while the <tab> key is used to move around between string
>gadgets.  2.0 now provides for tabbing through string gadgets as
>well and I suppose with conditioning I could get used to that.
>But, having the <enter> key do anything more drastic than
>deactivate a string gadget or activating the next would require a
>lobotomy to get used to.  For me <enter> means "I'm done typing
>that one thing", not "I'm done with everything in the requester,
>now place my file into a black hole".  

>Also, on the Mac I find that since the same key (enter) is always
>used for the default action I have much less of a tendancy to
>actually *read* what the choices say and thus sometimes make the
>mistake of choosing the default action when I really wanted
>something else.  In contrast, if I have to hit a specific letter
>key for the choice I want, I must then *read* the choices to find
>out what key to hit.  With Amiga software that uses the latter
>approach, I tend to make fewer mistakes.

>One thing though, mac software is *consistant* in its quirks,
>even if they are undesirably quirks.  Amiga software is inching
>toward this consistancy but has a lot of catchup work to do.
>Gadtools, Asl, the style guide and many other things in 2.0+ do
>provide a *big* kick in the right direction.

>-john

>-- 
>=== jfieber@sophia.smith.edu ================================================
>======================================= Come up and be a kite!  --K. Bush ===
-- 

Wulf                    |"Did you make mankind after we made you?"
jaker@csugrad.cs.vt.edu |			--XTC, "Dear God"