Re: Should accesskey focus or activate?

hey aaron

you've already gotten several really good replies and/or ideas...just
a couple of other thoughts on the topic.

- i stumble a little bit when people say things like "Standard windows
behavior".  I understand the intent, just wish it could be phrased more
like it is important to respect platform conventions....and i do think
that is important.  consistant behavior can make an application much more
user friendly

- likewise several have replied that the ability to configure what
happens when using accesskey may be necessary.  i think that is
something that would enhance the UA and probably isn't that hard
to make happen.  then the question becomes what to use for the
default.

- if the UA is keyboard driven for example, does it help to think about
one person using accesskeys as a "shortcut" method for what another
person would do using the tab-key to move between elements on the
page.  in that case, i would expect that the end result, whether i use
the accesskey or whether i use the tab-key to be the same, at least in
the default mode.   does that make sense?

you would probably have to look at other input methods one by one as well.

hope these thoughts help

mark


At 5:10 AM 4/24/01, Aaron Leventhal wrote:
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
>Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>
>Hello all, a Netscape developer wanted to know whether accesskey should
>focus or activate controls, or whether it depends on the type of control.
>Here's his question in detail:
>
>> Hey Aaron,
>>
>> I wanted to get your opinion as accessibility guy on bug 55020, it's a
>> question of whether or not access keys should just focus the element in
>> question or focus and activate it.  You're cc'd on the bug, I'm not sure
>> if you've read it.  The bug has some valid points about accidental
>> activation of access key based items, especially since we allow the
>> accesskeys to beat out things like alt-F for menu opening.
>>
>> So currently we focus and activate everything.  I tend to agree with the
>> bug writer that we should move to only focusing things.  All of the
>> items can be keyboard triggered from there so a full keyboard solution
>> still works.
>>
>> And just for extra info's sake, IE's solution is, I think, a bit unusual.
>> They use a mix of focus and activation.  Buttons, for example, are
>> activated.  Links, however, are not.  Text fields just get focus but
>> what does activation of a text field mean anyway.  IE also overrides
>> stuff like alt-F when an accesskey of that letter is in use.
>>
>> So anyway, I'm just curious if you have an opinion from an accessibility
>> point of view.  My current stance is to go with the bug's solution and
>> start doing focus only unless more arguments arise in favor of
>> activation.
>>
>>       -tom
>
>
>--
>For information about Netscape and Mozilla Accessibility projects,
>please see the Access Mozilla <http://access-mozilla.sourceforge.net>
>website.
>To join the mozilla-accessibility mailing list, send email to
>mozilla-accessibility-request@mozilla.org
><mailto:mozilla-accessibility-request@mozilla.org?subject=subscribe>,
>subject "subscribe".
>
>
>
>
><html><head></head><body>Hello all, a Netscape developer wanted to know whether
>accesskey should focus or activate controls, or whether it depends on the
>type of control.<br>
>Here's his question in detail:<br>
><blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:3AE5C912.9D54216F@netscape.com"><pre
>wrap="">Hey Aaron,<br><br>I wanted to get your opinion as accessibility
>guy on bug 55020, it's a<br>question of whether or not access keys should
>just focus the element in<br>question or focus and activate it.  You're
>cc'd on the bug, I'm not sure<br>if you've read it.  The bug has some
>valid points about accidental<br>activation of access key based items,
>especially since we allow the<br>accesskeys to beat out things like alt-F
>for menu opening.<br><br>So currently we focus and activate everything.  I
>tend to agree with the<br>bug writer that we should move to only focusing
>things.  All of the<br>items can be keyboard triggered from there so a
>full keyboard solution<br>still works.<br><br>And just for extra info's
>sake, IE's solution is, I think, a bit unusual. <br>They use a mix of
>focus and activation.  Buttons, for example, are<br>activated.  Links,
>however, are not.  Text fields just get focus but<br!
>>what does activation of a text field mean anyway.  IE also
>>overrides<br>stuff like alt-F when an accesskey of that letter is in
>>use.<br><br>So anyway, I'm just curious if you have an opinion from an
>>accessibility<br>point of view.  My current stance is to go with the
>>bug's solution and<br>start doing focus only unless more arguments arise
>>in favor of<br>activation.<br><br>        -tom<br></pre></blockquote>
>  <br>
>  <div class="moz-signature">-- <br>For information about Netscape and
>Mozilla Accessibility projects, please see the <a
>href="http://access-mozilla.sourceforge.net">Access Mozilla</a>
>website.<br>
>To join the mozilla-accessibility mailing list, send email to <a
>href="mailto:mozilla-accessibility-request@mozilla.org?subject=subscribe">m
>ozilla-accessibility-request@mozilla.org</a>, subject "subscribe".</div>
>  <br>
>  <br>
></body></html>

Received on Wednesday, 25 April 2001 11:42:42 UTC