After an evaluation, GNOME has moved from Bugzilla to GitLab. Learn more about GitLab.
No new issues can be reported in GNOME Bugzilla anymore.
To report an issue in a GNOME project, go to GNOME GitLab.
Do not go to GNOME Gitlab for: Bluefish, Doxygen, GnuCash, GStreamer, java-gnome, LDTP, NetworkManager, Tomboy.
Bug 554845 - Please add the ability to close tabs by pressing escape
Please add the ability to close tabs by pressing escape
Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX
Product: empathy
Classification: Core
Component: Chat
2.24.x
Other All
: Normal enhancement
: ---
Assigned To: empathy-maint
: 594830 599274 601214 603672 605998 606560 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2008-10-03 12:36 UTC by Philipp Kern
Modified: 2010-08-12 12:52 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---


Attachments
Implement closing of the current chat tab by pressing escape (against 2.24.0) (909 bytes, patch)
2008-10-03 12:37 UTC, Philipp Kern
rejected Details | Review

Description Philipp Kern 2008-10-03 12:36:38 UTC
Chat tabs should be closeable by pressing escape (i.e. the currently active one should be closed).  Patch follows.
Comment 1 Philipp Kern 2008-10-03 12:37:12 UTC
Created attachment 119858 [details] [review]
Implement closing of the current chat tab by pressing escape (against 2.24.0)
Comment 2 Philipp Kern 2008-10-03 12:38:30 UTC
I reused the already existing callback for the Alt-[1-9] tab switching mechanism.  You might want to create a new one if you see that to fit better.
Comment 3 Frederic Peters 2008-10-03 13:55:37 UTC
Note the same bug was filed against Gossip (bug 345002) and closed as WONTFIX, with a valid explanation.
Comment 4 Xavier Claessens 2008-10-03 15:45:33 UTC
I'm closing this bug for the same reason. Sorry, but thanks for your interest in empathy anyway!
Comment 5 Frederic Peters 2009-09-12 09:56:03 UTC
*** Bug 594830 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 6 Ondra Pelech 2009-09-12 13:49:11 UTC
Would you mind making it an option (or some hiden option if the former is a problem, this is very important to me) to close chat window on escape, please?
Using Esc for this, is the most comfortable and intuitive solution for new users.
I've used Gajim and Pidgin and they both have it (one by default, the other by option). Now I want to try Empathy, but this is very limiting.
Thank you very much!
Comment 7 Frederic Peters 2009-10-22 09:49:04 UTC
*** Bug 599274 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 8 Martin Lindhe 2009-10-22 10:59:39 UTC
I dont understand this at all!

According to bug #345002 explanation, this issue is a WONTFIX because "esc means cancel and should ideally only be used for that".

You guys are already using Escape to close the Contact List. What is the big deal? And as pointed out by other reporters, including myself; using Escape is more consistent with other IM's as well as the rest of the application.

Also please note the duplicates are piling up here; please reconsider this decision.
Comment 9 Frederic Peters 2009-11-09 09:12:24 UTC
*** Bug 601214 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 10 Felix Kaser 2009-12-03 08:41:15 UTC
*** Bug 603672 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 11 Húrin 2009-12-06 18:58:58 UTC
Doesn`t matter what explanation has been given for this. Ubuntu 9.10 already comes with Empathy as the default IM software (dont know if other versions after 8.04 as well). We users are being taken previously available functionalities away just for the sake of it?

You guys either fix this bug or we will continue to use Pidgin. We don´t care what the Esc key was meant for since the beginning of times, its what it works for currently what matters. 

I don´t mind replacing Empathy with Pidgin just to recover this feature. I bet many more users think the same.

Cheers.
Comment 12 Xavier Claessens 2009-12-07 09:39:06 UTC
Please don't be so aggressive. If you prefer pidgin you can easily install it on ubuntu. We really don't mind if you switch back to pidgin, please do if it match better your needs.

Please note that none of firefox/epiphany/gedit/nautilus/gnome-terminal close tab on ESC. But they all close tab on ctr-w.

Since ESC is used to close the whole dialog, even if it has tabs (see empathy's preference dialog), I find ESC ambigous for chat window. Does it means it closes the whole window (all tabs) or only the current tab? I prefer no binding than ambigous binding.
Comment 13 Húrin 2009-12-08 03:10:30 UTC
Sure I will use Pidgin. That is one more customization to add to the list when installing latest Ubuntu pack.

By the way, why is it so ambigous? Pidgin uses Esc and it really doesn´t confuse anybody when escaping out of the tabbed window you are at. Cisco Webex Connect, an business instant messaging tool I have to use at work also behaves this way.

Anyhow, if it´s that hard and ambigous for a programmer to program that binding, so be it. I won´t insist any longer. 

Cheers.
Comment 14 Belyaev Nikolay 2009-12-08 05:49:29 UTC
I add one thing and no more. This story very popular in Russia :)

http://sobiratelzvezd.ru/kletka-v-nej-5-obezyan/

Tap-hole. In her 5 monkeys. The ceiling tied a bunch of bananas. Beneath the stairs.
Hungry, one of the monkeys went to the stairs with the obvious intent to get a banana.
As soon as she touched the stairs, you open the faucet and a hose watering of all the monkeys are very cold water.
It takes a little time, and another monkey tries to eat a banana. The same actions on your part.

The third monkey, crazy with hunger, trying to get a banana, but the other grabbed her, not wanting a cold shower.

Now, remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new monkey.
She immediately noticed bananas, trying to get them.
To her horror, she saw the evil of the muzzle the other monkeys attack her.
After the third attempt, she realized that to get a banana it will not do.
Now remove from the cell is one of the original five monkeys and a brand new start there.
As soon as she tried to get a banana, all the monkeys attacked it together, both that which replaced the first (and with enthusiasm).
And so, gradually replacing all the monkeys, you will come to a situation where in the cell would be 5 monkeys, where the water does not watered, but that will not allow anyone to get a banana.
Why?

Because here is the rule ...
Comment 15 Guillaume Desmottes 2009-12-08 09:58:26 UTC
(In reply to comment #13)
> Sure I will use Pidgin. That is one more customization to add to the list when
> installing latest Ubuntu pack.

We are not Ubuntu; we are an upstream project.

> By the way, why is it so ambigous? 

As we already said, Empathy is a GNOME application and there is no GNOME application closing tabs when pressing escape. Our goal is to offer a coherent user experience integrated in the GNOME desktop; not to create a clone of Pidgin or any other IM client.

(In reply to comment #14)
> I add one thing and no more. This story very popular in Russia :)

Please stop wasting our time; this is a bugzilla, not a place to tell monkeys story...
Comment 16 Frederic Peters 2010-01-04 11:25:44 UTC
*** Bug 605998 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 17 Felix Kaser 2010-01-10 15:27:16 UTC
*** Bug 606560 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 19 Olav Vitters 2010-02-16 13:46:59 UTC
Friendly reminder that:
1. Bugzilla is not a forum
2. Bad language is not acceptable
3. Please follow http://live.gnome.org/CodeOfConduct
Comment 20 Guilherme Salgado 2010-04-06 01:01:01 UTC
I certainly agree the shortcuts for closing tabs should be consistent across all GNOME apps (and maybe even non-gnome ones), so I won't complain about adding Esc as a shortcut for closing tabs on empathy (although I'd appreciate as I'm used to it).

However, when I'm chatting with a single person on empathy, I have just one *window*, without any tabs.  In that case, shouldn't Esc close/dismiss the window, just like it does with the main/contacts one?
Comment 21 Húrin 2010-04-06 05:54:48 UTC
Consistency: Agreement or logical coherence among things or parts
http://www.answers.com/topic/consistency

cohering: The quality or state of cohering
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?gov=0&searchType=ra&s=coherence

cohere: To stick or hold together in a mass that resists separation
http://www.answers.com/topic/cohere

Something is not right. If I open the gnome-search-tool, I can close its window with ESC.

ESC = Escape. Is it not coherent enough to "escape out" a window with the ESCAPE key?

This "wontfix" is clearly wrong. Who is brave (coherent) enough to admit it?
Comment 22 Thomas Meire 2010-04-07 09:52:43 UTC
Fyi, ESC is already used to hide the search bar in the chat window (which is consistent with the behaviour of epiphany and firefox). Binding another action to the ESC key is likely to confuse a lot of people.
Comment 23 Ivan Popov 2010-06-07 19:34:31 UTC
Too late, this topic has already proved the devs to have their own meaning of HIG.
http://www.answers.com/topic/stubborn_donkeyasses
Comment 24 Olav Vitters 2010-06-08 00:01:09 UTC
Ivan: Constructive criticism is fine, your link is not. Please refrain from such behaviour on GNOME Bugzilla.

If you want to discuss this: bugmaster@gnome.org
Comment 25 mstrelan 2010-08-12 12:52:26 UTC
This all sounds very much like Apple - telling users what to think. If users want ESC to close a chat window, and want it enough to discuss it on a bug report, make it a preference. I guarantee every one who has posted here has looked through the options and would love to click a checkbox to enable this shortcut.