Response from a Mac (and Linux/Unix - never Windows) user -
In Apple Terminal (and all Unix terminals) my main (almost exclusive)
environment for J use - Ctrl+j means "enter line" Cmnd+j means "Jump
to selection" -- I don't have any problem using Ctrl+j for enter,
seems natural (and it is the standard meaning of ASCII character
10{a.).
I will say that, in my experience, keyboards are more problematic
than character sets (thinking APL here). Moving to a new/different
environment almost always causes some consternation. Chord key
combinations amplify that consternation.
Personal customization, as suggested by Chris, is an answer to
complaints - but it may be more difficult than you expect to get
consensus from the "four Mac users" ....
- joey
At 11:03 AM +0000 11/02/21, Ian Clark wrote:
>< Rant >
>Menus are the first line of recourse for the novice. And who are the
>Labs meant for, if not novices?
>
>The Macintosh Human Factors Guidelines used to warn against
>key/modifier chords which correspond to no menu item. Loose
>"shortcuts" are a Windows abuse and diagnostic of an app developed
>with little or no concession to novices.
>
>Ctrl in Windows is (usually) the counterpart of Cmnd () on the Mac.
>But nowadays Mac keyboards offer a Ctrl key also, as a concession to
>ex-Windows customers (...growing) -- particularly users of M$Word,
>which has been re-ported to the Mac with little or no understanding of
>novice needs. There's no good reason for a novice ever to buy M$Word:
>the kludge is aimed at an existing audience. Which is, they'd
>arrogantly maintain: everybody (...who matters). Hence the need to
>offer a Ctrl key.
>
>But on the Mac: Ctrl+J to advance a Lab is Ctrl+J in JGTK not J ...it
>appears to be the sole exception to the "rule" Ctrl+ --> .
>
>I'd have pointed this out before but I don't know if anyone's
>listening. (How many Mac users are there on this list? Four?)
></ Rant >
>
>
>On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 9:04 AM, chris burke <[email protected]> wrote:
>> I think it should be enough to say:
>>
>> "To advance the lab, press Esc A in JHS, or Ctrl-J in Gtk."
>>
>> I updated the lab script for this.
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 3:41 PM, Ric Sherlock <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> This should now read:
>>> To advance the lab, if you are using the JHS front end, select
>>>menu Studio|Advance Lab or the corresponding shortcut (Esc,a),
>>>otherwise if you are using the Gtk front end then select the menu
>>>Help|Studio|Advance Lab or the corresponding shortcut (Ctrl+j).
>>> (Note the Gtk menu item doesn't exist yet but probably should).
>>>
>>> Seems harder than it needs to be to me!
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Ajith Prasad <[email protected]>
>>> Sent: Monday, 21 February 2011 17:08
>>> To: '[email protected]' <[email protected]>
>>> Subject: [Jgeneral] Shortcut for advancing the Lab menus?
>>>
>>> Lab: A Taste of J (1)
>>> To advance the lab, select menu Studio|Advance or the
>>> corresponding shortcut.
>>>
>>> **********************************
>>>
>>> As "Studio|Advance" does not appear on the j701gtk menu, what
>>>would the shortcut be? Thanks.
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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>>>
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
>>>
>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
>>
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