[UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

The behaviour described in the bug report is either by design, or would be far too complex/time-consuming to be changed

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[UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Flint »

There is not a real bug, but a usability issue. Here is the scenario I found myself in:

1. Open Compare by content for a couple of text files.
2. In the left panel click (or navigate with keyboard to) some line. The 2 lines area will display this newly selected line along with its counterpart from the right file. Note that in the right panel the cursor is still set to the first line, it's not used for the moment.
3. Now let's say you want to use keyboard to switch into the 2 lines comparison area to scroll the long lines you now see. For that you need to press Tab twice.
4. As soon as you press Tab once, the focus moves to the right panel, where a different line is selected. TC promptly replaces the 2 lines area's content with a completely different pair of lines, corresponding to the right panel's focus position. But you wanted to scroll those line you were seeing, not some different ones!

Currently, there are only two possible ways you can do it (without using mouse):
a) instead of pressing Tab twice, press Shift+Tab 18 times, going backwards all the way "around" the right panel;
b) press Tab once, then move the right panel's cursor to the same position as the left one (to see the same lines again), and only then press Tab to go to the 2 lines area.
Of course, both ways are very inconvenient and ugly.

I suggest to add a special hotkey to switch into the 2 lines area and back into the same panel which had focus. Similar to how the main TC window works with a single separate tree panel: Shift+Tab moves focus into the tree from any file panel, and pressing Shift+Tab again (or Tab) returns you back into the panel you were in (left or right). In Compare By Content we cannot use Shift+Tab, of course, but it could be some other key working in the similar way.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *ghisler(Author) »

Good point - would Ctrl+Tab be OK?
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Flint »

Hm, I'm not sure. It sounds logical, but when I imagined myself doing it, it didn't really appeal to me. A single-key shortcut seems more preferrable, as it's easier to press. Maybe, F11… unless other users have better suggestions.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Usher »

2ghisler(Author)
It would be better as both Tab and Shift+Tab are used in navigation (in normal and reverse order).
And what about scrolling the comparison area - you can implement there the same key navigation as for read only mode. It's described in Help:
Help wrote: Only in read only mode:
Left/Right arrow Scroll by 1 character
Alt+Left/Right arrow Scroll by 30 characters
Left/Right arrows work now in comparison area, Alt+Left/Right are missing.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Flint »

Confirm that in beta 3 Ctrl+Tab switches into the 2-lines area. However, when I press Ctrl+Tab again, it returns me always into the left panel. Is that intentional? Because if I happened to switch into the 2-lines from the right panel, then returning me into the left one changes the lines in the bottom area. I think it would be better if second Ctrl+Tab returned into exactly the same panel that we were in before pressing Ctrl+Tab the first time.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *petermad »

2Flint
I agree that second Ctrl+Tab should go back to last active panel.


What does [UX] stand for ???
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Usher »

For me Ctrl+Tab should cycle: Left panel, Right panel, comparison area and back again to Left panel.
Ctrl+Shift+Tab should cycle in reverse order: Left panel, comparison area, Right panel and back again to Left panel.
And in comparison area there is still missing this feature "Alt+Left/Right arrow - Scroll by 30 characters".

2petermad
UX stands for User eXperience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Flint »

Usher wrote: 2021-03-25, 22:49 UTC For me Ctrl+Tab should cycle: Left panel, Right panel, comparison area and back again to Left panel.
Ctrl+Shift+Tab should cycle in reverse order: Left panel, comparison area, Right panel and back again to Left panel.
What you suggest is exactly what we are trying to avoid. When you go from the left panel to the right one, the 2-lines area changes and displays the lines, corresponding the right panel's focus.
The current implementation allows you to switch into the 2-lines directly from the left panel, without the contents being changed.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *petermad »

There is a problem with the current implementation of Ctrl+Tab - it only works if focus is in one of the panels - if focus is on a button or a checkbox it does not work.

And I still think a key to focus the panels and to switch between the two panels would be nice - Now you can use Tab and Shift+Tab if the panels have focus, but one Tab too much and your are out in the whole tab-sequence between all elements.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Usher »

2Flint
How do you want to switch directly between panels and only beetwen panels? Tab goes round the whole selection area.

In my solution it works as follows:
  • Ctrl+Tab from Right panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes back
  • Ctrl+Shift+Tab from Left panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Tab goes back
    It's symmetrical, isn't it?
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *petermad »

Ctrl+Tab from Right panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes back
Ctrl+Shift+Tab from Left panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Tab goes back
It's symmetrical, isn't it?
That is not quite what you wrote before.

How about this:

If focus is on a panel:
Ctrl+Tab goes to the comparison area.
Shift+Ctrl+Tab goes to the other panel.

If focus is on the comparison area:
Ctrl+Tab goes to the last active panel.
Shift+Ctrl+Tab goes to the last active panel.

If focus is on a text field, a button or a checkbox:
Ctrl+Tab goes to the comparison area.
Shift+Ctrl+Tab goes to last active panel.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Usher »

petermad wrote: 2021-03-26, 00:30 UTC
Ctrl+Tab from Right panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes back
Ctrl+Shift+Tab from Left panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Tab goes back
It's symmetrical, isn't it?
That is not quite what you wrote before.
It's a subset of the full info ;-P
You can't see one switching beetwen panels above. Here's missing description:
  • Ctrl+Tab from Left panel goes to Right panel, Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes back
  • Ctrl+Shift+Tab from Right panel goes to Left panel, Ctrl+Tab goes back.
It's also symmetrical, isn't it?

Or completely leave Tab combinations and use full identification:
Ctrl+1 - switch to Left panel
Ctrl+2 - switch to Right panel
Ctrl+3 - switch to comparison area
Ctrl+4 - switch to the next area which will be added in the future…
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Flint »

Usher wrote: 2021-03-26, 00:05 UTC How do you want to switch directly between panels and only beetwen panels? Tab goes round the whole selection area.
I did not address this particular issue in my opening post. But if you take the current implementation, you can switch between panels using Tab/Shift+Tab (which are standard keys for navigating forwards/backwards through the controls). Ctrl+Tab is an addition "from beyond", for direct jumping into the comparison and back. If Ctrl+Tab will be changed, so that it returned you from comparison to the panel you came from (instead of always to the left), then it will be quite a simple and logical system, easy to use and remember.
Usher wrote:In my solution it works as follows:
  • Ctrl+Tab from Right panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Shift+Tab goes back
  • Ctrl+Shift+Tab from Left panel goes to comparison area, Ctrl+Tab goes back
    It's symmetrical, isn't it?
It's symmetrical, but it's much harder to use and memorize. The 3-key shortcuts are harder to press than 2-key ones. Besides, this scheme is incomplete. What happens if I press Ctrl+Tab while I'm in the left panel? Or Ctrl+Shift+Tab while I'm in the right one? You added a new hotkey where none was needed. The situation when you went from a left panel to comparison, and then want to switch directly into the right panel is hardly feasible, you are much more likely to switch into the panel where you came from, to continue working from the same line where you stopped.

If you really, really think this is necessary (I'd like to hear a specific scenario, then), it could be implemented like this:
from left/right panel Ctrl+Tab switches into comparison;
from comparison Ctrl+Tab switches back to the same panel you came from;
from comparison Ctrl+Shift+Tab switches to the panel, opposite to where you came from.
And for switching between the left/right panels you would continue use Tab/Shift+Tab, like now. Not sure if we need a separate hotkey for switching between left/right panels only. Inevitably it will be more complex than Tab/Shift+Tab, and probably not worth it.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *ghisler(Author) »

Ctrl+Tab always goes to the left panel because Shift+Tab already goes to the right panel.
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Re: [UX] Compare by content: keyboard navigation and 2 lines comparison area

Post by *Flint »

2ghisler(Author)
Well, that requires more concentration to remember where you were, to know which key to press.
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