[net.micro.mac] a few more option-keys tips

borton@sdcc3.UUCP (Chris Borton) (04/21/86)

One of the most fun things to share with other Mac people are option-key
'tricks' you've discovered or heard about.  Supposedly these are all
documented somewhere, but not obviously.  Hence, a few more for those who
haven't heard already:

option-click on close box closes ALL windows.

cmd-period soon after double-clicking in the finder will abort back.

option-open folder in Finder 5.[12] will leave window closed upon return.

cmd-drag icon in Finder 5.[12] leaves icon 'on grid.'  This can be
	permanently enabled, along with many other goodies, in the LAYO
	resource of the Finder.  Use ResEdit 1.0D? to modify.

Most people know the option tricks for Font/DA Mover by now...

Know some more?  Tell the world.  (or at least USENET :-))

-Chris
-- 
Chris Borton, UC San Diego Undergraduate CS; Micro Consultant, UCSD
borton@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU || ...!{ucbvax,decvax,noscvax,ihnp4,bang}!sdcsvax!borton

d@alice.UucP (Daniel Rosenberg) (04/26/86)

So many of these neat messages seem to come by, but I can't
tack them all up (very neatly) near the Mac. So here's
a request to all you hardcore MacFreaks out there (and I know
you're out there!) -

Why not have a periodically updated list of these option, command,
and other combination Easter egg type-of-things?

If you already have one, please, *please* post it to the net.
If you only have a few, please mail them to me at the address below,
and when it starts to get really huge, I post it back up again.

Thanks and stuff,

-- 
############# Dan Rosenberg ### CE @# AT&T Bell Labs, Murray^Hill ##########
#         [ These opinions are necessarily mine, not my emp/o\yer's. ]     #
## UUCP: {ihnp4 || research || allegra}!alice!d #AT&T: 201/582\9428 (work)##

greg%harvard@harvard.UUCP (05/01/86)

In article <3237@sdcc3.UUCP> borton@sdcc3.UUCP (Chris Borton) writes:
>One of the most fun things to share with other Mac people are option-key
>'tricks' you've discovered or heard about.
...
>option-click on close box closes ALL windows.
>
>cmd-period soon after double-clicking in the finder will abort back.
>
>option-open folder in Finder 5.[12] will leave window closed upon return.
>
>cmd-drag icon in Finder 5.[12] leaves icon 'on grid.'  This can be
>	permanently enabled, along with many other goodies, in the LAYO
>	resource of the Finder.  Use ResEdit 1.0D? to modify.
>
>Most people know the option tricks for Font/DA Mover by now...

You call these things fun?  Well what about shift-command-click-option-double-
click?  Doesn't that do something too??  Oh yes, but you wouldn't know since
it's *undocumented*.

Apple and other software developers should stop these interface abuses
before they get out of hand.
-- 
gregregreg

neth@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (05/15/86)

On finder "Shortcuts" greg%harvard@harvard.UUCP writes:

>You call these things fun?  Well what about shift-command-click-option-double-
>click?  Doesn't that do something too??  Oh yes, but you wouldn't know since
>it's *undocumented*.

>Apple and other software developers should stop these interface abuses
>before they get out of hand.

But they are *documented*.  The MAC+ manual, at least, has a table that lists
all of the mentioned shortcuts.

I agree that this kind of cleverness can get out of hand quickly. 
Most of the shortcuts, at least, do things most people can live without.
The only notable exception is cmd-opt-double click on finder, which ought to 
be in a menu.  This *shortcut* is a necessity for running single drive systems.


Craig Neth
uiucdcs!neth

whp@cbnap.UUCP (W. H. Pollock x4575 3S235) (05/19/86)

Actually the option-command open works with any file, not just finder.  This
is useful not only for the finder, but for applications that aren't set right
(for instance, some program you just downloaded).

These are all clearly documented in a single place (in Apple's "power user's
short-cut summary").   In addition, they have been documented elsewhere too,
in MacUser magazine and USENET for instance.

W. H. Pollock,
UUCP:	...!cbnap!whp
DELPHI:	WHP

	"The opinions expressed above are ficticious.  Any resemblance
	to the opinions of persons living or dead is purely coincidental."

chrism@reed.UUCP (05/25/86)

In article <132@cbnap.UUCP> whp@cbnap.UUCP (W. H. Pollock x4575 3S235) writes:
>These are all clearly documented in a single place (in Apple's "power user's
>short-cut summary").   In addition, they have been documented elsewhere too,
>in MacUser magazine and USENET for instance.

This is great that they at least are documented somewhere, but that really
makes no difference.  Much of the appeal of the Macintosh (it's biggest
selling point, in my opinion) IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO READ A BIG MANUAL
TO USE EACH PROGRAM.  I don't want to have to dig through manuals to figure
out how to do things.  With shortcuts implemented in a non-intuitive way
that requires reference to a manual to use them, the Mac loses one of the
key characteristics that renders it superior to IBM style machines--it's
intuitive, friendly nature.

                                               ...Chris...
                                               UUCP: tektronix!reed!chrism
                                               "Death is Nature's way of saying
                                                    take it easy."  _I Spy_

jimb@amdcad.UUCP (Jim Budler) (05/26/86)

In article <3530@reed.UUCP> chrism@reed.UUCP (Chris McKnight) writes:
>This is great that they at least are documented somewhere, but that really
>makes no difference.  Much of the appeal of the Macintosh (it's biggest
>selling point, in my opinion) IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO READ A BIG MANUAL
>TO USE EACH PROGRAM.  I don't want to have to dig through manuals to figure
>out how to do things.  With shortcuts implemented in a non-intuitive way
>that requires reference to a manual to use them, the Mac loses one of the
>key characteristics that renders it superior to IBM style machines--it's
>intuitive, friendly nature.

How silly. You still don't have to read a manual. You just can't use the
shortcuts. Macintosh's friendly user interface is still there.

I find both the options presented here to be silly (actually one option
phrased two ways):

	1. Don't allow any operation in any program or finder if it isn't
	a menu option.

	2. Make all operations menu options.


The first penalizes those who are willing to read the manual in search of 
possible shortcuts. 

The second could make menus large and unwieldy enough to discourage users.

Remember that the 'user friendly system' only provides an environment
where productive effort can be generated with a minimum of learning time
spent. If it promised that additional learning time gained no additional
productivity gains I wouldn't be using it now. THAT option reminds me of
many menu operated tools of one sort or another which by making the 
performance of a job so easy that anyone could do it, made the possibility of
using the tool for anything above the original design intent impossible.

Ever try to use a dedicated word processor for anything else?


-- 
 Jim Budler
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
 (408) 749-5806
 Usenet: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amdcad!jimb
 Compuserve:	72415,1200

jerryg@dartvax.UUCP (Jerry Godes) (05/26/86)

> ... Much of the appeal of the Macintosh (it's biggest
> selling point, in my opinion) IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO READ A BIG MANUAL
> TO USE EACH PROGRAM.  I don't want to have to dig through manuals to figure
> out how to do things.  With shortcuts implemented in a non-intuitive way
> that requires reference to a manual to use them, the Mac loses one of the
> key characteristics that renders it superior to IBM style machines--it's
> intuitive, friendly nature.
> 
>                                                ...Chris...

Who said you have to use the short-cuts?  The mac is still user friendly to
those who need it.  But, for someone who is going to use a program a lot, it
saves an enormous amount of time if you don't have to move your hands from
the keyboard.  That's the advantage of the short-cuts:  you can start to use
the program without using the manual, but as you use progress, you can
naturally learn the short-cuts and improve your productivity.

	  - Jerry Godes

merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant) (05/27/86)

> Who said you have to use the short-cuts?  The mac is still user friendly to
> those who need it.  But, for someone who is going to use a program a lot, it
> saves an enormous amount of time if you don't have to move your hands from
> the keyboard.  That's the advantage of the short-cuts:  you can start to use
> the program without using the manual, but as you use progress, you can
> naturally learn the short-cuts and improve your productivity.
> 
> 	  - Jerry Godes

Maybe it's just me, but I find the mouse to be a real great shortcut.

I've been using TML Pascal recently.  I figure it's  probably faster for
me to point and click than it is to type out "Exam Maker.Pas".  All these
shortcuts are great for things like MacWrite and Word, but aren't all that
necessary for stuff that uses the mouse alot.

Here's what I did:  I went out and spent $29.95 and bought MacTracks, by
Assimilation.  MacTracks installs as a Desk Accessory and allows you to
store a mouse movement as a keystroke.  Thus, if you hit Cmd-X, it will
move the mouse up to the top of the screen and select the appropriate
menu.  Great.  I can now define my own mouse movements.

There.  Now all your favourite commands can have their own keystrokes.
It was $29.95 when I bought it, retail, about a year ago.  Go buy it, define
your favourite menu functions as keystrokes, and go away.

Yeesh.
--
"Synchronized like magic..."                           Peter Merchant

mazlack@ernie.Berkeley.EDU (Lawrence J. Mazlack) (05/27/86)

>>This is great that they at least are documented somewhere, but that really
>>makes no difference.  Much of the appeal of the Macintosh (it's biggest
>>selling point, in my opinion) IS THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO READ A BIG MANUAL
>>TO USE EACH PROGRAM.  I don't want to have to dig through manuals to figure
>>out how to do things.  With shortcuts implemented in a non-intuitive way
>>that requires reference to a manual to use them, the Mac loses one of the
>>key characteristics that renders it superior to IBM style machines--it's
>>intuitive, friendly nature.
>
>How silly. You still don't have to read a manual. You just can't use the
>shortcuts. Macintosh's friendly user interface is still there.
>
 
I certainly agree, if you don't like em, don't use em. Casual users don't
need em. You only need em when you are fairly sophisticated and are trying
to save time.  For example, when using Word and you keep changing fonts
and styles.  You CAN do it all through menu selections, but it takes a
long, long, long time.
 
Larry Mazlack
  New style	mazlack@ernie.berkeley.edu	
  ARPA | CSNET	mazlack%ernie@berkeley.ARPA
  BITNET   	mazlack@ucbernie.BITNET
  telephone     (415) 528-0496
  snail         CS Dept, 571 Evans, U. California, Berkeley, CA 94720

jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (05/28/86)

[The referenced article complains that the "shortcut" or "power user"
keystrokes contradict the Macintosh user interface's goal of ease of
use without a manual.]

I disagree with this complaint.  While it is somewhat annoying that you
can't find out the shortcuts without referencing a manual, the goal of the
user interface should be that the user can use whatever application is
being run, without having to reference the manual, to the extent that your
*average* user would want to use it.  Additional "esoteric" or "obscure"
features, if they are shown to the new user, tend to be confusing.  So
it makes sense that some features should be essentially hidden until the
program becomes familiar -- but they definitely should be available.

This is not a new idea by any means, though; for example, I can recall
that the same idea was expressed in the introductory description of the
old Univac TSOS operating system (ca. 1973), which gave a simple set of
commands that could do most things, but with a wide array of options to
give flexibility.  The trick there was a judicious choice of defaults: the
commands documented in the introductory manuals didn't tell about all the
available options, because the defaults were the ones most users would
want.  On the other hand, once you became familiar with the commands, you
could change these defaults to gain greater flexibility.
-- 
E. Roskos

rb@ccird1.UUCP (Rex Ballard) (06/05/86)

In article <2189@peora.UUCP> jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) writes:
>[The referenced article complains that the "shortcut" or "power user"
>keystrokes contradict the Macintosh user interface's goal of ease of
>use without a manual.]
>
>I disagree with this complaint.  While it is somewhat annoying that you
>can't find out the shortcuts without referencing a manual, the goal of the
>user interface should be that the user can use whatever application is
>being run, without having to reference the manual, to the extent that your
>*average* user would want to use it.  Additional "esoteric" or "obscure"
>features, if they are shown to the new user, tend to be confusing.  So
>it makes sense that some features should be essentially hidden until the
>program becomes familiar -- but they definitely should be available.

My main complaint is that many short-cuts aren't documented on-line.
For example, trick like clover-p and such are only documented in the
manual.  I've even heard there's some way to switch the keyboard to
DVORAK.  Unfortunately, such things can't even be found in the online
documentation.  A real simple suggestion here would be to have various
layers of "option menus" or "hint windows", which, even if mousing at
them does nothing, at least lets you know that clover-P (or whatever)
will send postscript out the printer port.

I use shortcuts too, but there are a lot of them I just don't know
about.  Some of the shortcuts are different for different applications.
How many additional bytes would be needed to have system level and application
level "help windows" for each machine?  How about a little "help" selection
on the menu bar.  Mouse to the menu bar, touch the "Option" key and a list
of corresponding letters tells you what you can do with the "Option-letter"
keys.  Do the same for the various permutations of Shift, Option, and Clover.

The beauty of the Mac (or most of the other mice and windows interfaces) is
that the manual can be put on a "back shelf" while you learn the basics
of a new application.  Unfortunately, when you are ready to learn a few
shortcuts, the manual is packed in some unlabled box!

I suppose, if one is really couragous, they could just hit various combinations
of keys and see what happens (are there shortcuts to format the disk :-).