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Bug 95494 - Emacs key bindings not working
Emacs key bindings not working
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX
Product: gtk+
Classification: Platform
Component: .General
2.0.x
Other Linux
: Normal normal
: ---
Assigned To: gtk-bugs
gtk-bugs
: 98176 119196 124348 127288 329406 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2002-10-11 12:49 UTC by Eivind Tagseth
Modified: 2006-02-01 08:55 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---



Description Eivind Tagseth 2002-10-11 12:49:56 UTC
I've set up my Gnome 2 system to use the Emacs keybindings via the control
panel (as a Unix user, naturally I want my unix keys, not the weird keys
all the way over at the other side of the keyboard).

However, they do not work.  Or sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. 
Apparently, the shortcut-keys to the applications' menus have priority over
the Emacs keybindings settings, making the key bindings setting completely
useless.  Am I really the only one who've gotting into this problem?  Am I
the only Unix user using Gnome 2?

For example, when I want to go to the end of the URL in Galeon 2, I press
Ctrl-E.  This causes my email client to pop up.  This really isn't what I
want.  Other GTK 2-clients may work fine, at least if they are menu-less.

This can't possibly be correct?  If the ability to choose Emacs key
bindings is to have any meaning, then they must not be overruled by menu
short cuts!



Eivind
Comment 1 Owen Taylor 2002-10-13 17:38:38 UTC
Menu shortcuts take precendence - that's how things
are designed. 

[Why - a) compatibility with other toolkits b) visible
shortcuts should have higher priority than ones that
aren't exposed in the interface]

That is one reason that Emacs keybindings aren't
the default... they conflict with the shortcut and
mnemonic space. I think few people really want Alt-F to go
forward a word rather than bringing up the file menu.

There are plans to work on adding better standardized menu
keybinding editing in the future--- at that point, you'll
be able to delete the menu shortcuts that annoy you.
Comment 2 Eivind Tagseth 2002-10-14 08:14:49 UTC
I can understand the argument about visible vs. invisible shortcuts. 
But Ctrl-E is not a visible shortcut until you use the visible Alt-F
shortcut.  So as far as I can see, both shortcuts are invisible, and,
since my cursor is in a text widget, I'd expect my keys to function as
in all other text-widgets.

They way it is now, nothing seems to happen as I press Ctrl-E.  So
naturally, I press iu again, perhaps multiple times.  Curse GTK2 a few
times, and then see multiple e-mail client windows appear.  And curse
a few more times.

Your example isn't the same, at least I'd be able to see something
happening if the shortcut opened a menu.

Perhaps it would be possible to make Emacs bindings have priority,
when the cursor is in a text widget?  Something you'd enable with a
hard to reach config option?  Please?

Comment 3 Owen Taylor 2003-08-07 19:57:56 UTC
*** Bug 119196 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 4 Christian Persch 2003-10-11 08:20:54 UTC
*** Bug 124348 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 5 Marco Pesenti Gritti 2003-11-18 20:15:06 UTC
*** Bug 127288 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 6 Sebastien Bacher 2004-11-28 13:10:39 UTC
*** Bug 98176 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 7 James "Doc" Livingston 2006-02-01 04:19:52 UTC
*** Bug 329406 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 8 Loïc Minier 2006-02-01 08:55:13 UTC
Owen, perhaps this should be documented in the HIG then.  The current online version states that they should not be overriden when a text entry control has focus:
http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gup/hig/2.0/input-keyboard.html#additional-widget-navigation

Besides, I don't see Alt-F in the set of Emacs keybindings.

I don't think it's a big problem if people loose the ability to launch sound-juicer when they are typing in Search and have configured Emacs-style keybindings, but can launch sound-juicer when any other widget has focus.