jww@sdcsvax.UUCP (Joel West) (08/18/85)
REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: Macintosh Command Key Bindings
It is interesting to note that the first chapter of the 1400 pages of Inside
Macintosh is "Macintosh User Interface Guidelines"; begun in March 1982,
it is also one of the oldest. A consistent user interface is what
distinguishes the Mac's use of a mouse, menus, windows, etc. from any
attempt to retrofit such gimmicks onto other computers, e.g., an IBM PC.
However, thus far there has been no attempt to standardize the command key
bindings for user applications. I'm referring, of course, to the keyboard
shortcuts to menu selections that are intended for the most commonly used
options. The existing differences are already getting annoying, and are
likely to get worse.
I've drafted a standard to guide my own personal work. At the same time,
I'd like my software to be consistent with everyone else's.
I've surveyed a number of programs that I feel are representative and
were in my disk case. Emphasis was given to Apple-brand software (straight
from the Oracle's mouth?) even though many were developed elsewhere. I
omitted terminal programs because command is used as a control key, but
looked at a few other programs (major and minor) not listed here.
I'd like to summarize the results listed in detail below:
1. Text editor functions are common to most applications
2. Case (shift key) should NOT be significant
3. Preference is given to frequent (Plain) vs. infrequent (Print) uses
4. Most applications are reasonably consistent
WHAT THIS IS
* Suggested where corresponding functions are included
* Intended for new programs
* Consistent with "Macintosh User Interface Guidelines"
* Representing the author's personal views only
WHAT THIS IS NOT
* An ANSII standard
* Prohibiting alternatives where different functions are used
* All-inclusive or comprehensive
* Cast in stone
I would like to hear comments from others who have developed software,
or those who've have programs not mentioned (particularly Jazz, Multiplan,
and database programs.)
I will summarize all responses in a later article.
Joel West CACI, Inc. - Federal (c/o UC San Diego)
{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww
jww@SDCSVAX.ARPA
------------------------cut-me---cut-me---cut-me------------------------
Macintosh User Interface
Proposed Command Key Standard
Joel West <jww@sdcsvax.ARPA>
August 17, 1985
SURVEY OF EXISTING SOFTWARE and PROPOSED STANDARD
Write Paint Draw Edit Word* Basic Finder Std.
File
New n n n n
Open o o o
Close w
Save s s
Print p
Quit q q - q
Edit
Undo z z z - z - z z
Cut x x x x x x x x
Copy c c c c c c c c
Paste v v v v v v v v
Clear - b -
Select All- - a - - - a a
Duplicate - - d - - - d d
Search
Find - - f f f - f
Find next f - - - - n -
Change - - s h -
Go To g - - g - - g
Write Paint Draw Edit Word* Basic Finder Std.
(Align)****
Left n l - L - - l
Center m m - C - - m
Right r r - R - - r
Justify j - - - J - - j
Style
Plain p p p - ** - - p
Bold b b b - B - - b
Italic i i i - I - - i
Underline u u u - U - - u
Outline o o - D - - o
Shadow s s - S - - s
Super h - - - + - -
Subscript l - - - *** - -
Unless otherwise noted, key equivalents are not case sensitive, and
order of menus is standard order.
- Not available
* Case must match
** Shift-spacebar
*** Shift-minus
**** Menu title containing align operations varies:
Format MacWrite
Style MacPaint, MacDraw
Paragraph MS-Word
AREAS OF OVERLAP/DISPUTE
n Next or New
o Outline or Open
s Shadow or Save
p Plain or Print
VERSIONS SURVEYED
MacWrite 4.5
MacPaint 1.5
MacDraw 1.0
MDS Edit "10/84"
MS-Word 1.0
MS-Basic 2.0
Finder 4.1howard@amdahl.UUCP (Howard C. Simonson) (08/19/85)
Joel, with all due respect to the work you did in researching current command
key equivalents, remember that the main word in User Interface is USER.
When I get serious about running an application, one of the first things I do
is get out my trusty ResEdit and set the control keys the way *I* want them.
And sometimes I don't stop there. Where dialogs show up is fair game. Icons
are definitely an item to enhance. And a lot can be done with string
resources. The bottom line; where control A is initially means very little,
I will eventually put it where I want it.
--
Time for a new catchy phrase in my Howard C. Simonson
.signature, now if I could only ...{dragon,hplabs,ihnp4,nsc}!amdahl!howard
think of one...
[ Opinion? What opinion. I think you have the wrong guy... ]kdmoen@watcgl.UUCP (Doug Moen) (08/22/85)
Just one thing to add: The standard keyboard abbreviation for 'Clear' in the Edit menu seems to be backspace. This is part of Text Edit, and thus works in all the places where text is edited. It also works in MacPaint, MacWrite, and the Apple desk accessories. -- Doug Moen (watmath!watcgl!kdmoen) University of Waterloo Computer Graphics Lab