Better default keymap prefix Ctrl-Alt → Ctrl-i

[ulidtko]

The default keymap is both awkward and dull.

For one, three-key combos like Ctrl-Alt-k are difficult enough to type "in-flow". Shortcuts supposed to be short!

Next, Ctrl-Alt-T is used in wide variety of Desktop Environments to open new terminal (e.g. #159) regardlessly of current focused app. Ctrl-Alt-L is used to lock screen, again globally. I could gratuitously extrapolate this up to Ctrl-Alt-Delete — and infer the convention that "ctrl+alt namespace" is for system shortcuts, not for apps.

What I propose in this change is very simple, and I really like that Atom can do this. Remember the Ctrl-K shortcuts in Atom, like Ctrl-KU for uppercasing, Ctrl-KB for show/hiding the treeview? We can do the same with Ctrl-I, and carve out a sort of "Idris namespace" in the keymap.

What this means, is that now:

• Ctrl-IT does Idris type-of;
• Ctrl-IC does Idris case-split;
• Ctrl-IW does Idris make-with;
• Ctrl-IEnter does Idris open-repl.

✔️ easy to type
✔️ easy to remember
✔️ no conflicts with system area
✔️ Just Works by default
✔️ #116 #159 #226 -- all fixed for good

Nothing maps Ctrl-I by default in my Atom installation. Any intra-Atom conflicts, if exist, are unknown to me. Note: this keymap effectively "uses up" just one shortcut from the Atom namespace, instead of ~two dozen. This reduces the likelihood of future conflicts.

The OS X part of keymap, natually, uses Cmd-I prefix as well, for partly the same reasons as above + keeping consistency.

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Amended

✔️ smooth migration UI to avoid breaking books and tutorials (see comments below)

[ulidtko]

TL;DR: just read the diff and hit Merge if LGTY.

[melted]

On one hand it's a good idea, On the other hand it will always cause trouble to change such things.

It will impact @edwinb's book too. Maybe it could be activated by a toggle in the settings page?

[ulidtko]

activated by a toggle in the settings page

No, please no. Having an unconflicting, ergonomic and straightforwardly mnenomic keymap "out of the box" is not a preference -- it's an expectation.

How otherwise would you suggest, #159 should be fixed?
The only option besides changing the defaults, is forcing users to patch up defaults' defects themselves. Which is, kinda, not cool. Not the way it should be done.

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I do have an idea how to avoid breaking books (as well as blog posts etc): we could bind the Ctrl-Alt-_ shortcuts all to the same action, let's say language-idris:legacy-keymap-notice. That would only show an infobox notifying the user about the keymap change, the new shortcuts, and also featuring a button (or a snippet to paste into keymap.cson) to the effect of "bring it back how it was before".

Sounds good?

If no objections, I can implement that, no problem. The migration will be extra-smooth then.

@archaeron, can I get your opinion? I see you were working on exactly the same issue in #26. Like my proposal? Would merge / would not merge?

[ulidtko]

I've put together a little migration helper UI as above. Looks like this:

The migrations.coffee module is not top-quality, as it's intended to be thrown away sooner or later.

Please review & test.

[melted]

Thanks, I’ll look at it after work.

…

1 maj 2018 kl. 21:09 skrev Maxim Ivanov ***@***.***>: I've put together a little migration helper UI as above. Looks like this: The migrations.coffee module is not top-quality, as it's intended to be thrown away sooner or later. Please review & test. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub, or mute the thread.

[justjoheinz]

I will try out the branch as well, but for me it looks fairly cumbersome. Ctrl-Alt feels like one key for me, but maybe I am just an old dog refusing to learn new tricks.

[justjoheinz]

What are the actual keybindings of the emacs idris mode? It would be nice to have something in line with them, in order to help users use both modes.

[ulidtko]

@justjoheinz No idea about the emacs-space, unfortunately I can't use emacs (yet).

Ctrl-Alt feels like one key for me

Well, yeah, maybe. It's still the same three keypresses basically.

The problem with Ctrl-Alt is that Ctrl-Alt-T will pop up a terminal on Ubuntu, and apps like Atom have no chance to bind it -- it's simply not being delivered to apps.

Ctrl-Alt shortcuts are also more likely to clash with other Atom packages, with the likelihood going up as the number of bound Ctrl-Alt-letters grows. Not so with the Ctrl-i prefix.

[ulidtko]

Anyone?..

[melted]

Sorry for disappearing , I got insanely busy with GDPR. But that will be over after this week. Den tir. 22. maj 2018 12.16 skrev Maxim Ivanov <notifications@github.com>:

…

Anyone?.. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#204 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AANbXSVDagMX9NV2Z7DIUysevoP7XF6Mks5t0-V6gaJpZM4TrZQM> .

[archaeron]

Not using this often at the moment and also not maintaining it (thanks to everyone for that)
But I still like the idea of using up only one keystroke

[ulidtko]

Hey all. I've rebased this branch on top of the latest master, to resolve a conflict introduced when #218 has been merged.

Whoever wears the maintainer hat these days -- please take a look. The dupes will continue to be reported on the issue; and this PR solves the issue at its root, in the nicest possible way.

Please, merge!