jon@weber.ucsd.edu (Jon Matousek) (08/29/90)
In article <GHH.90Aug24224834@clarity.princeton.edu> ghh@clarity.Princeton.EDU (Gilbert Harman) writes: > >I have just received the Nisus 3.0 upgrade. It is possible >to assign a function to a sequence of 1-3 command-key >combinations. But, as far as I can tell, the command-key >has to be part of the combination. So, for example, you >could assign forward-word to the sequence: > <command>-<escape>, <command>-F >but not to the sequence: > <escape>, F >... >... >If there is a way to use combinations that do not contain ><command> in them, I would be grateful to hear about it. >-- > Gilbert Harman > Princeton University Cognitive Science Laboratory Nisus 3.0 requires all command keys, except function keys, be a variation of <command>-something, going along with traditional Macintosh Guidlines. I have already received some flak for allowing the assignment of more than 1 letter in a command key, because it does not follow Macintosh guidlines. (I personally find it a relief and time saver not to have to grab the mouse at every turn, opting instead to use a double or triple command key.) But as always, I am interested in hearing how others would like to have it. I would like to know more about how other programs execute commands via the keyboard. I would also like to know how the Macintosh community feels about deviating away from requiring the <command> key in every command key sequence. -jOn -------------------------------------------------------------------------- %% SoftwareEngineer: jOn mAtOUsEk; Internet: jon@weber.ucsd.edu %% AppleLink: D0405 Paragon Concepts, Inc. FAX: (619)481-6154 990 Highland Drive, #312 Solana Beach, Ca. 92075 (619)481-1477 ==========================================================================
clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu (Chaz Larson) (08/29/90)
In article <2768@network.ucsd.edu> jon@weber.ucsd.edu (jOn mAtOUsEk) writes: >I would also like to >know how the Macintosh community feels about deviating away from >requiring the <command> key in every command key sequence. Seems like a good idea to me, though I would like to see it as a configurable option so as to not inadvertantly baffle the novice. A checkbox in a preferences dialog like "[clover] key required in assigned keyboard commands" would be swell. chaz. -- -- Joan Rivers Slaughters Ninety-Five Chinese Physicists in drunken rampage. -spew clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu AOL:Crowbone
wilcox@hydra.unm.edu (Sherman Wilcox) (08/29/90)
In article <2768@network.ucsd.edu> jon@weber.ucsd.edu (jOn mAtOUsEk) writes: >In article <GHH.90Aug24224834@clarity.princeton.edu> > ghh@clarity.Princeton.EDU (Gilbert Harman) writes: >> >>I have just received the Nisus 3.0 upgrade. It is possible >>to assign a function to a sequence of 1-3 command-key >>combinations. But, as far as I can tell, the command-key >>has to be part of the combination. So, for example, you >>could assign forward-word to the sequence: >> <command>-<escape>, <command>-F >>but not to the sequence: >> <escape>, F >>... >>... >>If there is a way to use combinations that do not contain >><command> in them, I would be grateful to hear about it. >>-- >> Gilbert Harman >> Princeton University Cognitive Science Laboratory > >Nisus 3.0 requires all command keys, except function keys, >be a variation of <command>-something, going along with traditional >Macintosh Guidlines. > >I have already received some flak for allowing the assignment of more >than 1 letter in a command key, because it does not follow Macintosh >guidlines. (I personally find it a relief and time saver not to have >to grab the mouse at every turn, opting instead to use a double or >triple command key.) But as always, I am interested in hearing how >others would like to have it. I would like to know more about how >other programs execute commands via the keyboard. I would also like to >know how the Macintosh community feels about deviating away from >requiring the <command> key in every command key sequence. > >-jOn > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- >%% >SoftwareEngineer: jOn mAtOUsEk; Internet: jon@weber.ucsd.edu >%% AppleLink: D0405 >Paragon Concepts, Inc. FAX: (619)481-6154 >990 Highland Drive, #312 >Solana Beach, Ca. 92075 >(619)481-1477 >========================================================================== I have been using Nisus 3.0 for only a few days now, but I must say that the ability to assign multiple key sequences (e.g., COMMAND-PS for Page Setup) is one of the nicer parts of the already very nice upgrade. A colleague here at my university, who has just "played" with Nisus on my machine for a few minutes (he is a Word user), thinks this feature is the "best thing since sliced bread";a substantial improvement in the user interface. I find the ability to assign command key sequences to my heart's content which are mnemonic a dream. I can give my most used commands single letter commands, less used double, and even less used triple letter sequences and *still* remember what they are even tho I don't use them that often. Yeah to Paragon, I say, for creative deviation. :wq
pete@tone.rice.edu (Pete Keleher) (08/29/90)
jon@weber.ucsd.edu says: > I have already received some flak for allowing the assignment of more > than 1 letter in a command key, because it does not follow Macintosh > guidlines. (I personally find it a relief and time saver not to have > to grab the mouse at every turn, opting instead to use a double or > triple command key.) But as always, I am interested in hearing how > others would like to have it. I would like to know more about how > other programs execute commands via the keyboard. I would also like to > know how the Macintosh community feels about deviating away from > requiring the <command> key in every command key sequence. Alpha 2.0 (just hitting the ftp sites now) allows any combination of command, option, escape, and control keys with a single "primary" key, which can be any key that produced a 'keyDown' event. My guidelines for the user interface (in order of importance) were: 1) Fully support the mac interface 2) Allow any function or feature to be accessed via menus, the mouse, in a way that the user can figure out without the online help if he took a little time. 3) Allow everything in the program to be accessed without touching the mouse. (1) and (2) are very important because the success of the mac is based in large part on the ability of users to more from one program to the next with little retraining. (3) is also very important because once a program's operation is learned, the primary criteria for judging it's quality often becomes: "How quickly can I do this? or that?", and using command sequences (once memorized) IS much faster than the mouse in a text editing environment. -- ============================================================================= Pete Keleher pete@titan.rice.edu =============================================================================
cox@stpstn.UUCP (Brad Cox) (08/30/90)
In article <2768@network.ucsd.edu> jon@weber.ucsd.edu (jOn mAtOUsEk) writes: >In article <GHH.90Aug24224834@clarity.princeton.edu> > ghh@clarity.Princeton.EDU (Gilbert Harman) writes: > >I would also like to >know how the Macintosh community feels about deviating away from >requiring the <command> key in every command key sequence. My left hand stubbornly refuses to learn how to touch-type the command key because of the weird gyration involved in reaching it with the pinkie. I greatly prefer the control key as a prefix. Have been loading MacroMaker with control key commands to make Word leverage the commands that I laboriously learned from emacs. I trashed AutoMac (free with Word 4.0) for this very reason...it won't even accept control key prefixes. -- Brad Cox; cox@stepstone.com; CI$ 71230,647; 203 426 1875 The Stepstone Corporation; 75 Glen Road; Sandy Hook CT 06482
jon@weber.ucsd.edu (Jon Matousek) (09/04/90)
In article <150783@felix.UUCP> kehr@felix.UUCP (Shirley Kehr) writes: >OK, I'll bite. All I really care about is the ability to load up the >function keys. The commands I use most frequently are variations of >F1 through F15. So far I haven't resorted to doubling up shift keys >pressed with a function key, but most of them have 4 or 5 functions >assigned to them. If you do not double up function keys then how do you manage to get 4 or 5 functions assigned to them? Could you please clarify this for me? > >I don't waste a function key on a standard key sequence like those for >cut, copy, paste, and undo. Haven't we all memorized those long ago? >(I only mention this because of the labeling on the extended keyboard.) > >The two most heavily used Function keys are F1 (format paragraph) and >F5 (apply a style) in Word. Those are the easiest for me to hit >quickly. The reason why I personally do not like function keys is that you have to lift your hand off to reach them. Doesn't that bother you too? (Out of curiosity, what does the format paragraph command do, I'm not that familiar with Word?) >Does Nisus let you use the numeric keypad for commands like Word does? I'm not sure if it is the same as Word, but you can assign command keys that are specific to the keypad. I use keypad assignments for setting the point size; e.g. command-keypad 1-keypad 2 is assigned to 12 point. >I depend on that for beginning of line and end of line, along with >single-line scrolling. Nisus makes use of the arrow keys for moving about. >What about the extra keys on the extended >keyboard (Page up/down, home/end, help and delete forward)? Does Nisus >make use of those? Yes, Nisus does make use of Page up/down, home/end, help and delete forward keys. > >I guess I wouldn't be too interested in double or triple command keys >(whatever those are) but I did find myself starting to do a dw to >delete a word the other day. That is exactly why I have allowed for Nisus users to create and use multi letter command keys, so you could do something like command-dw to (d)elete (w)ord. >All an application really needs to do is >set itself up like Word and let you decide for yourself. (Not that >Word lets you do command-dw or anything like that; I just really >appreciate getting to define my own keys.) > >Shirley Kehr Nisus lets you assign 125000+ command keys to your heart's content :-). -jOn -------------------------------------------------------------------------- %% SoftwareEngineer: jOn mAtOUsEk; Internet: jon@weber.ucsd.edu %% AppleLink: D0405 Paragon Concepts, Inc. FAX: (619)481-6154 990 Highland Drive, #312 Solana Beach, Ca. 92075 (619)481-1477 ==========================================================================
wilcox@hydra.unm.edu (Sherman Wilcox) (09/05/90)
In article <2877@network.ucsd.edu> jon@weber.ucsd.edu (jOn mAtOUsEk) writes: > >Nisus lets you assign 125000+ command keys to your heart's content :-). > I've used Word 4 and I've switched to Nisus. The ability to assign command-key equivalents is definitely one of the nicer improvements in version 3. I've gotta admit I would really like to be able to assign functions to Option or Control only (not in conjunction with Command), but you really cannot appreciate the ease with which you can become accustomed to using Command + multiple keys until you try it. It just makes perfect sense to be able to assign Print to command-p and Page Setup to command-ps. I must have 50+ functions already assigned shortcuts and *all* of them are mnemonic. I've stopped assigning shortcuts to function keys for this very reason -- just not easy enough to remember what the heck they do.
rick@claris.com (Rick Boarman) (09/05/90)
Double character key shortcuts?? Brings back horrible memories of WordStar!
--
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* Claris Corp. * Internet: rick@claris.com
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Opinions are mine alone and do not reflect Claris policy.