shortcut editing suggestions

[AndyQ]

Suggestions for the preferences->shortcuts editor.

1) some way of searching for a shortcut - i.e. enter the keystroke combo to see if it's assigned to anything and what (I know you get a warning if a shortcut is used, but then you can't find out what function is using it)

2) confirmation modal dialog if clicking "reset" or "clear all shortcut". Yes, I have accidentally clicked the latter. Since these aren't "undo-able" operations then at least request confirmation before proceeding with such a drastic action!

 

[Pšenda]

5 hours ago, AndyQ said:

I know you get a warning if a shortcut is used, but then you can't find out what function is using it

[Pšenda]

5 hours ago, AndyQ said:

2) confirmation modal dialog if clicking "reset" or "clear all shortcut". Yes, I have accidentally clicked the latter. Since these aren't "undo-able" operations then at least request confirmation before proceeding with such a drastic action!

Alternatively, make a standard Yes+Cancel dialog, and accept the settings only after Yes clicking.

[fde101]

11 hours ago, Pšenda said:

Yes+Cancel dialog

The names of buttons in dialogs are always supposed to be verbs.

"Yes" is not a verb.

The buttons should be something like "Reset" and "Cancel".

[AndyQ]

12 hours ago, Pšenda said:

Thanks.... I often miss tool-tips as I'm using a Wacom with a shaky hand (unless it's after whisky time), so I have to be very deliberate in order to get them to pop up. I thought I'd checked that but I must have been wobbling too much....cheers!

[AndyQ]

34 minutes ago, fde101 said:

The names of buttons in dialogs are always supposed to be verbs.

"Yes" is not a verb.

The buttons should be something like "Reset" and "Cancel".

I think we can let Affinity figure that out, I would have guessed at "OK"/"Cancel" to proceed with an operation after a warning. As well as that, making any changed to tool-tips part of the "undo" queue would also be handy, or as an alternative have a three column list where the default key combo is displayed next to the current setting, so whatever customisations you make can always be compared to the default setting.  That way you can return to a default for a single function without resetting all of them or having to look up documentation to find out what the original setting was.

[Pšenda]

2 hours ago, fde101 said:

The names of buttons in dialogs are always supposed to be verbs.

No, standard question dialog has "Yes/No" button (at least in Windows).

2 hours ago, fde101 said:

The buttons should be something like "Reset" and "Cancel".

And what would confirm the operation/setup? Both buttons are negative.

 

1 hour ago, AndyQ said:

"OK"/"Cancel"

Or Apply, Setup, anything. 

[fde101]

4 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

(at least in Windows).

Ah, that's the confusion...  many of you are still on the inferior platform.

"Yes" or "No" would violate Apple's HIGs: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/macos/buttons/push-buttons/

[Pšenda]

6 hours ago, fde101 said:

platform

Differences between the platforms are probably the reason, why Affinity applications UI (at least in Windows) are so weird (exotic) and non-standard :-)

Yes in the dialogue was meant as a positive response and a signal to make all the settings. The description of the buttons would then depend on the design and formulation of the dialog/form, eg OK, Apply, Setup, along with the button to cancel the operation/setup. In Affinity commonly used by Close button to exit the dialog is really unusual. And it doesn't matter if the values will be set (as in Guides Manager) or have been set (as in Keyboard Shortcuts).

[fde101]

3 hours ago, Pšenda said:

In Affinity commonly used by Close button to exit the dialog

In general I find that the Affinity apps label these correctly: Cancel when it is actually a dialog box and clicking the button will prevent the action from taking place, and Close when it is a properties window of some kind which can be used to modify some effect that has already been applied; closing that window will not prevent or undo some action.

 

10 hours ago, Pšenda said:

Both buttons are negative.

Resetting the keyboard shortcuts to the Affinity or Apple or whatever defaults is the activity which triggered this exchange.  If the purpose of the action is to reset the shortcuts to the defaults then "Reset" (maybe should have been "Reset Shortcuts"?) would mean going forward with that specific action, while "Cancel" would mean not going forward with it.

 

3 hours ago, Pšenda said:

why Affinity applications UI (at least in Windows) are so weird (exotic) and non-standard

It's not just Apple pushing for button names to be verbs; several of the more common Linux desktop environments have the same thing in their guidelines, and a number of web site design sites are pushing for it also:

https://developer.gnome.org/hig/stable/buttons.html.en

https://hig.kde.org/style/writing/labels.html

https://uxmovement.com/buttons/5-rules-for-choosing-the-right-words-on-button-labels/

https://www.uxbooth.com/articles/the-grammar-of-interactivity/