Ignore the Search key accelerator on Chrome OS when accessibility is enabled,...

Ignore the Search key accelerator on Chrome OS when accessibility is enabled,
so we can use the Search key for special accessibility keyboard commands.
(Today there are other keystrokes you can substitute for the Search key,
but in the future if it's used for more things on Chrome OS, we could make
this logic more complicated so no functionality is lost.)

BUG=none
TEST=manual testing, trybots


Committed: http://src.chromium.org/viewvc/chrome?view=rev&revision=72519

[DaveMoore, 2011-01-24 18:40:48]

Is this going to correctly account for the potential remapping of the search key
to other keys? And why do we want this behavior in the first place?

[Daniel Erat, 2011-01-24 18:44:48]

Is there a standard key that's already used for accessibility-related actions by
other operating systems?

[dmazzoni, 2011-01-24 18:58:12]

Dave and Daniel,

In order to make Chrome OS fully accessible, we need to add lots of keyboard
shortcuts - several dozen. This is usually done by using some combination of
modifier keys plus other keys on the keyboard, only while some accessibility
tool is enabled.

There is no standard. Mac uses Control+Option, some Windows screen readers
use the Insert key.

On Chrome OS, there's no permutation of Control, Alt, and Shift that isn't
already used for something. Our prototype implementation uses Ctrl+Alt+[key]
now and works fine, but several people have alerted us to conflicts with
AltGr and other potential issues.

The Search key seems ideal for this purpose. I'm proposing that when
accessibility is enabled, the Search key should perform its default action
on key-up rather than on key-down. That would allow us to use Search+[key]
for accessibility shortcuts, but doesn't remove any functionality.

As a starting point, this CL disables the Search command when accessibility
is enabled. Making it trigger a search on key-up would require a little more
refactoring, which I plan to do in a series of follow-up changes.

If there are plans to make more use of the Search key in the future, I think
we can still make it work: for example, we could reserve Search+Ctrl and
Search+Shift+Ctrl for accessibility, and leave Search by itself and
Search+[key] for Chrome OS.

- Dominic

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:44 AM, <derat@chromium.org> wrote:

> Is there a standard key that's already used for accessibility-related
> actions by
> other operating systems?
>
>
> http://codereview.chromium.org/6369009/
>

[use derat at chromium.org, 2011-01-24 19:11:42]

Thanks for the background.  I believe that there are plans to add
additional Search-M, etc. shortcuts, so the key-up vs. key-down change
may not be worth doing.  It might make more sense to use something
like Ctrl-Search, Alt-Search, or Shift-Search for accessibility from
the start.

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:58 AM, Dominic Mazzoni <dmazzoni@chromium.org> wrote:
> Dave and Daniel,
> In order to make Chrome OS fully accessible, we need to add lots of keyboard
> shortcuts - several dozen. This is usually done by using some combination of
> modifier keys plus other keys on the keyboard, only while some accessibility
> tool is enabled.
> There is no standard. Mac uses Control+Option, some Windows screen readers
> use the Insert key.
> On Chrome OS, there's no permutation of Control, Alt, and Shift that isn't
> already used for something. Our prototype implementation uses Ctrl+Alt+[key]
> now and works fine, but several people have alerted us to conflicts with
> AltGr and other potential issues.
> The Search key seems ideal for this purpose. I'm proposing that when
> accessibility is enabled, the Search key should perform its default action
> on key-up rather than on key-down. That would allow us to use Search+[key]
> for accessibility shortcuts, but doesn't remove any functionality.
> As a starting point, this CL disables the Search command when accessibility
> is enabled. Making it trigger a search on key-up would require a little more
> refactoring, which I plan to do in a series of follow-up changes.
> If there are plans to make more use of the Search key in the future, I think
> we can still make it work: for example, we could reserve Search+Ctrl and
> Search+Shift+Ctrl for accessibility, and leave Search by itself and
> Search+[key] for Chrome OS.
> - Dominic
> On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:44 AM, <derat@chromium.org> wrote:
>>
>> Is there a standard key that's already used for accessibility-related
>> actions by
>> other operating systems?
>>
>> http://codereview.chromium.org/6369009/
>
>

[dmazzoni, 2011-01-24 19:17:44]

Daniel,

Sure, we'll use Search for accessibility only along with some other modifier
key, so it won't conflict with Search+Key.

Is this CL okay so that we can start testing our JavaScript with those
keyboard shortcuts now? (Without it, pressing Search opens a new Tab in
Search mode on key-down.)

Presumably, once Search+M or something similar is implemented, this change
won't be needed anymore.

- Dominic

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:05 AM, Daniel Erat <derat@google.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the background.  I believe that there are plans to add
> additional Search-M, etc. shortcuts, so the key-up vs. key-down change
> may not be worth doing.  It might make more sense to use something
> like Ctrl-Search, Alt-Search, or Shift-Search for accessibility from
> the start.
>
> On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:58 AM, Dominic Mazzoni <dmazzoni@chromium.org>
> wrote:
> > Dave and Daniel,
> > In order to make Chrome OS fully accessible, we need to add lots of
> keyboard
> > shortcuts - several dozen. This is usually done by using some combination
> of
> > modifier keys plus other keys on the keyboard, only while some
> accessibility
> > tool is enabled.
> > There is no standard. Mac uses Control+Option, some Windows screen
> readers
> > use the Insert key.
> > On Chrome OS, there's no permutation of Control, Alt, and Shift that
> isn't
> > already used for something. Our prototype implementation uses
> Ctrl+Alt+[key]
> > now and works fine, but several people have alerted us to conflicts with
> > AltGr and other potential issues.
> > The Search key seems ideal for this purpose. I'm proposing that when
> > accessibility is enabled, the Search key should perform its default
> action
> > on key-up rather than on key-down. That would allow us to use
> Search+[key]
> > for accessibility shortcuts, but doesn't remove any functionality.
> > As a starting point, this CL disables the Search command when
> accessibility
> > is enabled. Making it trigger a search on key-up would require a little
> more
> > refactoring, which I plan to do in a series of follow-up changes.
> > If there are plans to make more use of the Search key in the future, I
> think
> > we can still make it work: for example, we could reserve Search+Ctrl and
> > Search+Shift+Ctrl for accessibility, and leave Search by itself and
> > Search+[key] for Chrome OS.
> > - Dominic
> > On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:44 AM, <derat@chromium.org> wrote:
> >>
> >> Is there a standard key that's already used for accessibility-related
> >> actions by
> >> other operating systems?
> >>
> >> http://codereview.chromium.org/6369009/
> >
> >
>

[use derat at chromium.org, 2011-01-24 19:24:32]

Any reason why you can't use it with another modifier from the
beginning, making this change unnecessary?  On a recent build, Chrome
doesn't open a new tab when I press Shift-Search, Ctrl-Search, or
Alt-Search.

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:16 AM, Dominic Mazzoni <dmazzoni@chromium.org> wrote:
> Daniel,
> Sure, we'll use Search for accessibility only along with some other modifier
> key, so it won't conflict with Search+Key.
> Is this CL okay so that we can start testing our JavaScript with those
> keyboard shortcuts now? (Without it, pressing Search opens a new Tab in
> Search mode on key-down.)
> Presumably, once Search+M or something similar is implemented, this change
> won't be needed anymore.
> - Dominic
>
> On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:05 AM, Daniel Erat <derat@google.com> wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for the background.  I believe that there are plans to add
>> additional Search-M, etc. shortcuts, so the key-up vs. key-down change
>> may not be worth doing.  It might make more sense to use something
>> like Ctrl-Search, Alt-Search, or Shift-Search for accessibility from
>> the start.
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:58 AM, Dominic Mazzoni <dmazzoni@chromium.org>
>> wrote:
>> > Dave and Daniel,
>> > In order to make Chrome OS fully accessible, we need to add lots of
>> > keyboard
>> > shortcuts - several dozen. This is usually done by using some
>> > combination of
>> > modifier keys plus other keys on the keyboard, only while some
>> > accessibility
>> > tool is enabled.
>> > There is no standard. Mac uses Control+Option, some Windows screen
>> > readers
>> > use the Insert key.
>> > On Chrome OS, there's no permutation of Control, Alt, and Shift that
>> > isn't
>> > already used for something. Our prototype implementation uses
>> > Ctrl+Alt+[key]
>> > now and works fine, but several people have alerted us to conflicts with
>> > AltGr and other potential issues.
>> > The Search key seems ideal for this purpose. I'm proposing that when
>> > accessibility is enabled, the Search key should perform its default
>> > action
>> > on key-up rather than on key-down. That would allow us to use
>> > Search+[key]
>> > for accessibility shortcuts, but doesn't remove any functionality.
>> > As a starting point, this CL disables the Search command when
>> > accessibility
>> > is enabled. Making it trigger a search on key-up would require a little
>> > more
>> > refactoring, which I plan to do in a series of follow-up changes.
>> > If there are plans to make more use of the Search key in the future, I
>> > think
>> > we can still make it work: for example, we could reserve Search+Ctrl and
>> > Search+Shift+Ctrl for accessibility, and leave Search by itself and
>> > Search+[key] for Chrome OS.
>> > - Dominic
>> > On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:44 AM, <derat@chromium.org> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Is there a standard key that's already used for accessibility-related
>> >> actions by
>> >> other operating systems?
>> >>
>> >> http://codereview.chromium.org/6369009/
>> >
>> >
>
>

[dmazzoni, 2011-01-24 19:24:35]

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:20 AM, Daniel Erat <derat@google.com> wrote:

> Any reason why you can't use it with another modifier from the
> beginning, making this change unnecessary?  On a recent build, Chrome
> doesn't open a new tab when I press Shift-Search, Ctrl-Search, or
> Alt-Search.


...it does if you press the Search key first. It triggers on key-down.

Yes, I can make it work with Ctrl+Search+[key] now - but it's frustrating
when you accidentally press Search first.

- Dominic


> On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:16 AM, Dominic Mazzoni <dmazzoni@chromium.org>
> wrote:
> > Daniel,
> > Sure, we'll use Search for accessibility only along with some other
> modifier
> > key, so it won't conflict with Search+Key.
> > Is this CL okay so that we can start testing our JavaScript with those
> > keyboard shortcuts now? (Without it, pressing Search opens a new Tab in
> > Search mode on key-down.)
> > Presumably, once Search+M or something similar is implemented, this
> change
> > won't be needed anymore.
> > - Dominic
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:05 AM, Daniel Erat <derat@google.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Thanks for the background.  I believe that there are plans to add
> >> additional Search-M, etc. shortcuts, so the key-up vs. key-down change
> >> may not be worth doing.  It might make more sense to use something
> >> like Ctrl-Search, Alt-Search, or Shift-Search for accessibility from
> >> the start.
> >>
> >> On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:58 AM, Dominic Mazzoni <
> dmazzoni@chromium.org>
> >> wrote:
> >> > Dave and Daniel,
> >> > In order to make Chrome OS fully accessible, we need to add lots of
> >> > keyboard
> >> > shortcuts - several dozen. This is usually done by using some
> >> > combination of
> >> > modifier keys plus other keys on the keyboard, only while some
> >> > accessibility
> >> > tool is enabled.
> >> > There is no standard. Mac uses Control+Option, some Windows screen
> >> > readers
> >> > use the Insert key.
> >> > On Chrome OS, there's no permutation of Control, Alt, and Shift that
> >> > isn't
> >> > already used for something. Our prototype implementation uses
> >> > Ctrl+Alt+[key]
> >> > now and works fine, but several people have alerted us to conflicts
> with
> >> > AltGr and other potential issues.
> >> > The Search key seems ideal for this purpose. I'm proposing that when
> >> > accessibility is enabled, the Search key should perform its default
> >> > action
> >> > on key-up rather than on key-down. That would allow us to use
> >> > Search+[key]
> >> > for accessibility shortcuts, but doesn't remove any functionality.
> >> > As a starting point, this CL disables the Search command when
> >> > accessibility
> >> > is enabled. Making it trigger a search on key-up would require a
> little
> >> > more
> >> > refactoring, which I plan to do in a series of follow-up changes.
> >> > If there are plans to make more use of the Search key in the future, I
> >> > think
> >> > we can still make it work: for example, we could reserve Search+Ctrl
> and
> >> > Search+Shift+Ctrl for accessibility, and leave Search by itself and
> >> > Search+[key] for Chrome OS.
> >> > - Dominic
> >> > On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:44 AM, <derat@chromium.org> wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Is there a standard key that's already used for accessibility-related
> >> >> actions by
> >> >> other operating systems?
> >> >>
> >> >> http://codereview.chromium.org/6369009/
> >> >
> >> >
> >
> >
>

[Daniel Erat, 2011-01-24 19:25:52]

Thanks, got it.  Looks fine to me if you've tested that things still work as
expected when the Search key has been remapped in the settings.

[dmazzoni, 2011-01-24 19:29:57]

Yes, it still works as expected if you remap any of the modifier keys.
Thanks!

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:25 AM, <derat@chromium.org> wrote:

> Thanks, got it.  Looks fine to me if you've tested that things still work
> as
> expected when the Search key has been remapped in the settings.
>
>
> http://codereview.chromium.org/6369009/
>