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From: jww@sdcsvax.UUCP (Joel West)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: RFC: Command key bindings
Message-ID: <1046@sdcsvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 17-Aug-85 19:51:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.1046
Posted: Sat Aug 17 19:51:07 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 24-Aug-85 02:02:15 EDT
Organization: CACI, Inc - Federal, La Jolla
Lines: 134
Keywords: keyboard equivalents, proposed standard


	REQUEST FOR COMMENTS: Macintosh Command Key Bindings

It is interesting to note that the first chapter of the 1400 pages of Inside 
Macintosh is "Macintosh User Interface Guidelines"; begun in March 1982, 
it is also one of the oldest.  A consistent user interface is what 
distinguishes the Mac's use of a mouse, menus, windows, etc. from any 
attempt to retrofit such gimmicks onto other computers, e.g., an IBM PC.

However, thus far there has been no attempt to standardize the command key 
bindings for user applications.  I'm referring, of course, to the keyboard 
shortcuts to menu selections that are intended for the most commonly used 
options.  The existing differences are already getting annoying, and are 
likely to get worse.

I've drafted a standard to guide my own personal work.  At the same time,
I'd like my software to be consistent with everyone else's.

I've surveyed a number of programs that I feel are representative and 
were in my disk case.  Emphasis was given to Apple-brand software (straight 
from the Oracle's mouth?) even though many were developed elsewhere.  I 
omitted terminal programs because command is used as a control key, but 
looked at a few other programs (major and minor) not listed here.

I'd like to summarize the results listed in detail below:
  1. Text editor functions are common to most applications
  2. Case (shift key) should NOT be significant
  3. Preference is given to frequent (Plain) vs. infrequent (Print) uses
  4. Most applications are reasonably consistent

WHAT THIS IS
  * Suggested where corresponding functions are included
  * Intended for new programs
  * Consistent with "Macintosh User Interface Guidelines"
  * Representing the author's personal views only

WHAT THIS IS NOT
  * An ANSII standard
  * Prohibiting alternatives where different functions are used
  * All-inclusive or comprehensive
  * Cast in stone

I would like to hear comments from others who have developed software,
or those who've have programs not mentioned (particularly Jazz, Multiplan,
and database programs.)

I will summarize all responses in a later article.

	Joel West	CACI, Inc. - Federal (c/o UC San Diego)
	{ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww
	jww@SDCSVAX.ARPA


------------------------cut-me---cut-me---cut-me------------------------
        	          Macintosh User Interface
        	       Proposed Command Key Standard
        	        Joel West 
                              August 17, 1985


          SURVEY OF EXISTING SOFTWARE and PROPOSED STANDARD


          Write  Paint  Draw  Edit  Word* Basic  Finder      Std.
File
  New                    n     n     n             n
  Open                   o     o     o
  Close                              w
  Save                   s           s
  Print                              p
  Quit                   q           q             -          q
  
Edit
  Undo      z      z     z     -     z      -      z          z
  Cut       x      x     x     x     x      x      x          x
  Copy      c      c     c     c     c      c      c          c
  Paste     v      v     v     v     v      v      v          v
  Clear     -                        b      -
  Select All-      -     a     -     -      -      a          a
  Duplicate -      -     d     -     -      -      d          d

Search
  Find             -     -     f     f      f      -          f
  Find next f      -     -     -     -      n      -
  Change           -     -     s     h             -
  Go To     g      -     -           g      -      -          g


          Write  Paint  Draw  Edit  Word* Basic  Finder      Std.
(Align)****
  Left      n      l           -     L      -      -          l
  Center    m      m           -     C      -      -          m
  Right     r      r           -     R      -      -          r
  Justify   j      -     -     -     J      -      -          j
  
Style
  Plain     p      p     p     -     **     -      -          p
  Bold      b      b     b     -     B      -      -          b
  Italic    i      i     i     -     I      -      -          i
  Underline u      u     u     -     U      -      -          u
  Outline   o      o           -     D      -      -          o
  Shadow    s      s           -     S      -      -          s
  Super     h      -     -     -     +      -      -
  Subscript l      -     -     -     ***    -      -

Unless otherwise noted, key equivalents are not case sensitive, and
order of menus is standard order.

   - Not available
   * Case must match
  ** Shift-spacebar
 *** Shift-minus
**** Menu title containing align operations varies:
         Format     MacWrite
         Style      MacPaint, MacDraw
         Paragraph  MS-Word



AREAS OF OVERLAP/DISPUTE
    n   Next or New
    o   Outline or Open
    s   Shadow or Save
    p   Plain or Print
  
  
VERSIONS SURVEYED
   MacWrite 4.5
   MacPaint 1.5
   MacDraw 1.0
   MDS Edit "10/84"
   MS-Word 1.0
   MS-Basic 2.0
   Finder 4.1