Re: Style guide issue -- key to open combobox

Aaron,

You wrote:
> For http://dev.aol.com/dhtml_style_guide#combobox 
> <http://dev.aol.com/dhtml_style_guide#combobox>
>
> Recently I learned that OS X users expect to be able to open a combo 
> box with a space bar. This seems reasonable.  Mac users are not likely 
> to know about Alt+Down arrow. Space bar is also a little bit "less 
> geeky" than Alt+down. Can we support both the space bar as well as 
> Alt+down?


I think supporting Mac gestures is a good idea, but I think there is a 
practical issue here.  A combobox is sometimes editable, and, in this 
case, space bar is intended as a space character in the text field.  
Compare with the OS X version of FF, specifically the location bar.  If 
it has focus, space bar does not open the list, unless the text field is 
empty.

I tried other keystrokes for Mac comboboxes, and if is not open then 
down-arrow opens it.  Similarly the location bar in FF, but only if it's 
empty.  If there is text, one has to do an alt+down arrow to open it, if 
it is not open.

-- 
;;;;joseph

'This is not war -- this is pest control!'
      - "Doomsday", Dalek Leader -

Received on Wednesday, 7 January 2009 17:54:27 UTC