[djcoolbreeze]

Hello,

I may be asking for a flame, but I'd like to be able to access all menu's and dialog buttons via the keyboard. Windows has ALT key combinations like ALT+F to access the file menu. Has anyone written a app that will allow this sort of functionality on a Mac (OSX or 9)?

In case you are wondering, I have an RSI and am trying avoid using pointing devices.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[edddeduck]

no... but most of the important combo's have shortcuts on the keyboard.

Also Command D used in os 9 to be "don't Save" it doesn't work in X.

I miss it does any one else???

But as for full control sorry don't think its possible...



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450DP/448MB/80GB/Rage/Zip250/ZipCD/Epson740

I Took The Red Pill

[SkullMacPN]

Originally posted by edddeduck:
no... but most of the important combo's have shortcuts on the keyboard.

Also Command D used in os 9 to be "don't Save" it doesn't work in X.

I miss it does any one else???

But as for full control sorry don't think its possible...

I thought pressing "d", "c", or "s" at a save dialog box was up to individual app developers. I recall not being able to do this in all apps.

[ppmax]

to the original poster: i have rsi as well and the only thing that has helped me (both at work and at home) was the purchase of a wacom tablet. i pretty much disconnect the mouse completely, and just go with the keyboard and tablet. it takes some getting used to, but is far superior to the mouse.

hope that helps
ppmax

[Ghoser777]

It's defintely possible. One just has to reroute certain NSEvents from typing text to accessing NSMenu's and NSMenItem's. The trick is getting it to work globally. This is probably a question more suitable asked and answered in the developer section (although I think was asked before, just that it wasn't doable at the time because global hot keys weren't finished in the PB).

F-bacher

[gorgonzola]

Lord, do I ever miss Command-D for Don't Save.

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[djcoolbreeze]

Thanks for the replys...

I've tried a wacom. I actually use a Glidepoint trackpad. I works well for me.

I miss CMD+D too...

I'll post to the dev forum too. Maybe they'll have a suggestion. I wouldn't mind trying to code it myself!

Thanks again.

[honeydew]

I believe the command-D shortcut was just a convention used by popular classic programs and doesn't have anything to do with the OS. Personally, I think the 'D' key was a bad choice. It is right next to the 'S' key, so a slight slip of the finger can be disastrous. My $0.02.

[Lord Ko]

Speed Double 8 provided full control of the menues with the keyboard so i guess it's possible. Now Conectix dropped speed doubler coz the finder was faster than it under OS 9.x

I agree it was a useful feature, maybe someone will write a shareware for Mac OS X

Lord Ko

[Jellytussle]

Personally, I find the Windows 'key equivalent for everything' setup really clunky, eg alt-f-x instead of command-Q. However, one of the nicest parts of the Mac OS X Server 1.x interface, for me, was the ability to tab the focus on dialog buttons and checkboxes. You wouldn't miss command-D if tab , return did the same thing, and you'd get the visual feedback of the throbber moving buttons (perhaps with a cool, eye-candy fadeout on the button losing focus).

[escher]

Originally posted by Jellytussle:
You wouldn't miss command-D if tab , return did the same thing, and you'd get the visual feedback of the throbber moving buttons.

Good point, Jellytussle. I agree that Windows key combinations are quite outlandish. I really like the applications where the key-combinations in the dialogs appear only once you press the command/splat key, e.g. like in BBEdit.

On a related note, I think that a system level keystroke command for minimizing windows into the dock would be terribly helpful. I thrive on command O and command W and would love to see a third combination to invoke the lovely genie.

Escher

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"The only laptop computer that's useful is the one you have with you."
Let's have a 3 lbs sub-PowerBook with AirPort and 5 hour battery life now!

[This message has been edited by escher (edited 05-06-2001).]

[honeydew]

On a related note, I think that a system level keystroke command for minimizing windows into the dock would be terribly helpful. I thrive on command O and command W and would love to see a third combination to invoke the lovely genie.

The command-M shortcut seems to work for all my OS X apps.

[escher]

Originally posted by honeydew:
The command-M shortcut seems to work for all my OS X apps.

Sweet honeydew, you made my day. I was going to suggest using command-M to do the job but didn't even bother trying to find out if Apple had already thought of it first. I have to stop being a wiseass. ;-)

Escher

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"The only laptop computer that's useful is the one you have with you."
Let's have a 3 lbs sub-PowerBook with AirPort and 5 hour battery life now!

[waffffffle]

I'm not in X right now so I can't test this, but I think this works:

Click, but don't hold on a menu and let it drop, then press the right and left arrows. I don't think you can go down the menus though.

[Milio]

Originally posted by Jellytussle:
Personally, I find the Windows 'key equivalent for everything' setup really clunky, eg alt-f-x instead of command-Q.

It may be clunky, but it's what makes Windows a superior OS for the disabled. The Mac only provides a limited set of commands that can be accomplished without the mouse. Windows on the other hand is fully accommodating.

I brought this up both here and with Apple during the beta, but was heckled by people who have little understanding of the needs of setting up computers to accommodate a wide variety of disabilities.

[djcoolbreeze]

waffffffle, That is sounds like a good work around. I'm sure I can even use a macro to click the menu to get me started. I'm not using X right now either. I can't wait to try it!

I've read that Apple has thought about adding a similar feature to the Mac OS, but the underlines that indicate shortcuts are not visually appealing. It's too bad. I like the feature in Win2k that allows the underlines to be hidden until the alt key is pressed. I agree that traditional Mac keyboard commands are quicker and easier than alt key combinations, but few developers add key equilvants to all menu items. It probably would be hard to remember a key equivalent for every command in every menu.

In addition to CMD+D not working in X, I've noticed that hitting 'enter' isn't always equivalent to the default button in a dialog box. Usually 'enter' will work for the button that is highlighted (or throbbing in X), but that doesn't seem to be the case in X.

Thanks for all of the posts.