Re: Default command key under X11

[Robert Slover]

While I agree with Lars that the other tool kits (including windows) have it 
wrong, I would not have a problem with the as-shipped default matching other 
X11 toolkits.  I would simply set it back to the more sensible definition it 
has now, and would then forget about it.  I do not use Gnome or KDE at all 
(mostly use aterm and emacs, so I like emacs key bindings to remain unmolested).

The MacOS Keyboard Preferences allow selection of the key code a modifier is 
assigned to and assignment of keyboard shortcuts to be controlled 
independently, per keyboard.  Changing the modifier assignments doesn't alter 
their appearance in menus or anything (e.g., swapping Control and Command 
modifiers doesn't suddenly turn lozenge-Q in menus to caret-Q).  It only 
effects what the interface believes you held down when it sees certain key 
codes.  It would be nice if GNUStep allowed both the modifier assignments and 
the string used to represent the modifier in menu entries to be altered by user 
preference.  In that way, a user could make the menus actually represent their 
keyboard (for example, the goofy Microsoft keyboard I am using right now has an 
asterisk on the Control key, instead of the traditional caret symbol, and the 
Alt key displays nothing but 'Alt').  That preference pane on the Mac is also 
nice in that it lets you assign preferences for menu key bindings both globally 
and per-app.  It is very handy when the application is missing bindings for 
things you use often.  Setting these does effect menus -- the new bindings 
display beside the menu title in every app they effect.

--Robert


On May 2, 2011, at 4:14 PM, Lars Sonchocky-Helldorf wrote:

> 
> Am 02.05.2011 um 05:36 schrieb Eric Wasylishen:
> 
>> Hey,
>> 
>> Why don't we change the default command key under X11 to Control?
>> 
>> My reasoning is that the most important uses of keyboard modifiers (by far) 
>> are the CUA key combinations like ctrl+c for copy, ctrl-v for paste, ctrl+z 
>> for undo, etc., and since every other X11 toolkit uses the Control key for 
>> these by default, I think GS should as well. It's really jarring to have to 
>> switch between Ctrl when using non-GNUstep apps and Alt when using GS apps. 
>> I know you can configure this using user defaults, but we should be using 
>> settings that fit in with gtk/qt by default, I think. Thoughts?
> 
> Using Ctrl is historically younger than using cmd (on the Mac) or meta (on 
> other platforms) and stems from the omittance of such a key on the 
> (historical) standard PC keyboard layout. It conflicts with the Ctrl-Key 
> usage in terminal windows (where Ctrl-C means something completely different) 
> and is a typical quick and dirty Windows-Workaround that somehow became "the 
> standard™" like many of such Windows misconceptions. 
> 
> Short: Control is for terminal, Command is for GUI – don't mix this
> 
>> 
>> Cheers.
>> Eric
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> 
> 
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