[Development] Mouse Shortcuts (was: Qt 5.1 feature set and freeze date)

[Mark]

On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 8:05 PM, Rick Stockton
<rickstockton at reno-computerhelp.com> wrote:
> Executive summary: No, there will be no such project for Qt 5.1. And
> very likely, for Qt, never.
>
>
> On 02/13/2013 07:43 AM, Mark wrote:
>> On Wed, Feb 13, 2013 at 9:49 AM, Knoll Lars <Lars.Knoll at digia.com> wrote:
>>> Hi everybody,
>>>
>>> I would like to start the feature freeze Qt 5.1 middle of March.
>
> << big Snip >>
>>> Lars
>> Finally, the components :)
>>
>> Now i hope that Rick (added to cc) manages to get the shortcut patch
>> done in time. The patch as in allow mouse keys in shortcuts as well. I
>> really hope so :)
>
> Mark, I've discussed my notions with Alan Alpert, and I accept his
> assessment: The LOC to write explicit mouse shortcuts into Apps, with NO
> new Classes in Qt, is nearly as small as it would be after adding a ton
> of code and API into Qt. And so, we should not put a ton of effort into
> mouse shortcuts at the Qt Level. The main issues which led me to this
> conclusion are:
>
> (1) There exist no "standard button sequences", varying by platform, in
> the manner of "standard key sequences". From an application level, I
> think that any differences between "mouse shortcuts" on platforms
> (Cocoa, Windows, KDE, Gnome) would be up to the specific program, or the
> platform environment. (Thus, the platform target, if one exists, is more
> likely KF5.x -- with published HIG for Developers of KDE Applications,
> and other DE HIG Developers, to see and perhaps copy as they please.)
>
> (2) Ultimately, shortcuts go to 'Actions'. AFAIK, you can't define a
> multi-keysequence 'QAction' in QML, so the concept of simply adding
> Mouse "Sequences" into a QML "Action-Like" element is a non-starter (at
> least, it's a non-starter for 5.1). Instead, your program goes directly
> from your MouseArea element to some sort of event handler code. (Which,
> in the "behave like a mouse shortcut" case, probably sends a signal to
> invoke a separate library or application function.)
>
> (3) A mouse doesn't have the Keyboard "focus issues" - focus moves with
> the mouse, you just need to define some big MouseArea elements to listen.
>
> (4) As you may remember, my favored objective is a combined shortcut
> scheme - in which a mouse event (click or double-cIick, with optional
> held buttons and held modifier keys), can work alone, OR it can also
> require a specific Key event (immediately afterwards). In the second
> case, the mouse event becomes a "gate-keeper", opening the gate for a
> subsequent keyboard event. But that would get into keyboard focus
> issues, and add considerable difficulties.
>
> I REALLY don't know what I'm talking about - I understand the hardware,
> but not programming in Qt and KDE. One thing which we do have, recently
> added by Samuel Rodal and I, is a trustworthy tracking of State for ALL
> Mouse Buttons in the platform plugins. But above that level, I'm
> incompetent.
>
> When Qt 5.x has been enhanced to make QML <--> C++ a bit easier, and we
> get our heads together for KF5.x, then we can work "Global Shortcuts",
> and similar non-Qt features, at the KDE level. If those designs and
> implementations ultimately seem suitable for Qt, we can see about
> migrating them "back" to Qt. But right now, and for many months to come,
> I've got no specific implementation plans. In addition to waiting for
> related 5.2 features, I'm also inclined to let KF5 work through its'
> first Release - without "loading it up" with these difficult and
> uncertain new things.

Hi Rick,

Ahh, bummer. No sequences with mouse keys in them.
I would have really liked those and it would be very convenient in
cases where i can user a CTRL + Mouse<key> combination.. I guess i
just have to hack those together in my apps and put them on my blog
then ;)

I really appreciate your long standing work in this area and some of
the code you've send me a while ago. I just hope that someone else
knowledgeable in this area could step up and continue this effort.

Cheers,
Mark