Unity

alt-tab - cursor keys to navigate switcher are counter-intuitive

Bug #1131646 reported by Alan Bell on 2013-02-22

This bug affects 1 person

	Status	Importance	Assigned to	Milestone
Ayatana Design	Fix Released	High	John Lea
Unity	Fix Released	High	Brandon Schaefer	Unity 7.1.0
unity (Ubuntu)	Fix Released	High	Brandon Schaefer

Bug Description

if I have two windows of a particular application type in the alt-tab switcher displayed vertically I alt tab to the type of application I want then I want to press down to go to the lower one when focus is on the top one. I actually have to press right. If I press left (expecting right and left to be equivalent when they are supposed to mean "down") then I go to the previous kind of application. If I then realise my error and press right twice (once to undo the unintentional left, and once to go down to the application window I am aiming for) then I overshoot and go to the kind of application that is in the switcher to the right of the one I am trying to get to. Then I have to go left again, to get on the correct type of application. Down to expand the icons and right to go down to get to the window I have been trying to get to all along.

------------------------------------
Desired solution:

------

First diagram for purpose of explaining desired solution when a app has 3 windows open:

------- -------
| A | | B |
------- -------
     -------
     | C |
     -------

When a Alt+Tab or Alt+` window spread is open:

- if window A if focused pressing the UP cursor key should close the spread

- if window A if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should shift the focus to window C

- if window A if focused pressing the RIGHT cursor key should shift the focus to window B

- if window B if focused pressing the UP cursor key should shift the focus to window A

- if window B if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should shift the focus to window C

------

Second diagram for purpose of explaining desired solution when a app has 2 windows open:

-------
| A |
-------
-------
| B |
-------

When a Alt+Tab or Alt+` window spread is open:

- if window A if focused pressing the UP cursor key should close the spread

- if window A if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should shift the focus to window B

- if window A if focused pressing the RIGHT cursor key should shift the focus to window B

- if window B if focused pressing the UP cursor key should shift the focus to window A

- if window B if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should do nothing

See original description

Tags:

Related branches

lp://staging/~brandontschaefer/unity/lp.1131646-fix

Merged into lp://staging/unity at revision 3378

PS Jenkins bot (community): Approve (continuous-integration) on 2013-06-18

Marco Trevisan (Treviño): Approve on 2013-06-18

Revision history for this message

Alan Bell (alanbell) wrote on 2013-02-22:

Screenshot from 2013-02-22 09:31:21.png Edit (395.1 KiB, image/png)

Andrea Azzarone (azzar1) on 2013-03-08

Changed in unity:
status:	New → Incomplete
tags:	added: needs-design

Revision history for this message

Alan Bell (alanbell) wrote on 2013-05-02:

surely this is just simply wrong rather than needing design input? alt+` right can't possibly be intended to take you to the next application group?

John Lea (johnlea) on 2013-05-15

description:	updated
tags:	added: udp removed: needs-design
summary:	- alt-tab: cursor keys to navigate switcher are counter-intuitive + alt-tab - cursor keys to navigate switcher are counter-intuitive
Changed in ayatana-design:
assignee:	nobody → John Lea (johnlea)
importance:	Undecided → High
Changed in unity:
importance:	Undecided → High
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
importance:	Undecided → High
Changed in ayatana-design:
status:	New → Triaged
Changed in unity:
status:	Incomplete → Triaged
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status:	New → Triaged
Changed in ayatana-design:
status:	Triaged → Fix Committed

Revision history for this message

Brandon Schaefer (brandontschaefer) wrote on 2013-06-11:

Well, so do you still want LEFT and RIGHT to get to the next type of application if we hit the end/beginning of the list? Or should it loop back to the end/beginning?

-------
| A |
-------
-------
| B |
-------

So is this still the wanted behaviour:

- if window A is focused and the user presses LEFT, it should go to the previous type of application, leaving spread mode?

- if window B is focused and the user presses RIGHT, it should go to the next type of application, leaving spread mode?

Overall, from what im reading we need to implement UP/DOWN to go up/down rows of the same type of application, and if we hit the edge close the spread mode. Soo im going to assume the same for LEFT/RIGHT...for now :)

Changed in unity:
assignee:	nobody → Brandon Schaefer (brandontschaefer)
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
assignee:	nobody → Brandon Schaefer (brandontschaefer)
Changed in unity:
status:	Triaged → In Progress
Changed in unity (Ubuntu):
status:	Triaged → In Progress

Revision history for this message

Brandon Schaefer (brandontschaefer) wrote on 2013-06-13:

------- -------
| A | | B |
------- -------
     -------
     | C |
     -------

- if window A if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should shift the focus to window C
- if window B if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should do nothing

Those steps seem to be a contradiction...why when pressing down on A goes to C but B does nothing? I would think that pressing down on window B goes to C... I would understand that pressing down on C should do nothing.... until clarification im changing it this.

- if window B if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should shift the focus to window C

Revision history for this message

John Lea (johnlea) wrote on 2013-06-14:

@brandontschaefer; yes you are right, I've updated the description to say:

"- if window B if focused pressing the DOWN cursor key should shift the focus to window C"

description:

updated

Brandon Schaefer (brandontschaefer) on 2013-06-14

Changed in unity:
milestone:	none → 7.1.0

Revision history for this message

PS Jenkins bot (ps-jenkins) wrote on 2013-06-18:

Fix committed into lp:unity at revision None, scheduled for release in unity, milestone 7.1.0

Changed in unity:
status:	In Progress → Fix Committed

Revision history for this message

Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote on 2013-06-19:

This bug was fixed in the package unity - 7.0.0daily13.06.19-0ubuntu1

---------------
unity (7.0.0daily13.06.19-0ubuntu1) saucy; urgency=low

[ Michal Hruby ]
* Bump libunity-core SONAME and adjust debian.

[ Ted Gould ]
* Make Unity depend on bamfdaemon.

[ Iain Lane ]
* Start unity-panel-service using upstart user session jobs.

  [ Brandon Schaefer ]
  * Fixes the use of Alt+` and Right arrow when in detail mode. Now it
    goes to the next window instead of closing detail mode. (LP:
    #1190798)
  * When in detail mode, you are now allowed to use UP/DOWN keys to move
    around. (LP: #1131646)

  [ Chris Townsend ]
  * Add functionality to wiggle urgent icons at certain time intervals
    when the Launcher is hidden. (LP: #893196)
  * Add support to close social previews by clicking anywhere in the
    preview bubble. (LP: #1190007)

  [ Nick Dedekind ]
  * Added check for x-unity-no-preview. Do not preview; send direct
    activation to scope. (LP: #1188705)

  [ Xiao-Long Chen ]
  * SessionView: Fix build when building without precompiled headers.
    (LP: #1191097)

  [ Andrea Azzarone ]
  * Fix failing AP test. (LP: #1191039)
  * Fix failing test. (LP: #1191059)
  * Skip tests if not in desktop mode. (LP: #1191053)

[ Ubuntu daily release ]
* Automatic snapshot from revision 3378
-- Ubuntu daily release <email address hidden> Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:29:36 +0000