Re: A proposal for the keybindings issue
Re: A proposal for the keybindings issue
- Subject: Re: A proposal for the keybindings issue
- From: Viv Kendon <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:16:10 +0000 (GMT)
On Sun, 25 Nov 2007, Andrew J. Hesford wrote:
There are good reasons not to allow focus-follows-mouse, particularly when
you have a system-wide menu bar. Obviously, having an application steal focus
on the way to the menu would be a bad thing! However, I will grant you that
the Openbox window manager has a focusing delay, which makes the system wait
a configurable time before giving focus to a window. This would solve the
menu problem.
The window manager wm2 (which I've never used for more than 10 minutes) has a
little manifesto on the main page (http://www.all-day-breakfast.com/wm2).
Point 4 of this manifesto: "The click-to-focus versus focus-follows-pointer
war is not really important. Most people can get used to either." While I
used to disagree with the statement, my time with the Macintosh has convinced
me that he is right. You get used to either, and it doesn't make much
difference. Move then click, or just move... it doesn't amount to much
difference in time.
There are applications where you type in one window but the
important output appears in another window. On a small
laptop screen I have the output window partly on top of the
window I'm typing into...which doesn't work with click to
focus, unless you can separate focus from raise. Also, I
try to minimise mouse-clicks because I tend towards getting
RSI from them, it isn't just a difference in time for me.
I do agree the Mac interface with the top menubar is not
designed for focus-follows, hence I work mostly in full
screen X and have only a small number of Mac apps open back
on the Apple screen.
I find the Mac click-to-focus a bit odd, too. Most of the
time a click in an unfocused window just raises and focuses
it, but if you hit the scroll bar or buttons of some
windows, it straightaway does the operation you clicked but
then may or may not give you raise and focus as well. And
then there are X apps that don't respect focus-follows,
forcing you click to move the focus to different parts of
their windows - inconsistency certainly isn't only in the
Mac side :-)
Whatever you use you have to get used to it, but the very
different ways we use our computers mean what's good for
some isn't necessarily also good for others. I'm not
arguing the defaults should be different, only that some
choice for those with different preferences and requirements
is a good thing.
-- Viv
_______________________________________________
Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.
X11-users mailing list (email@hidden)
This email sent to email@hidden