[haiku-bugs] [Haiku] #7967: Update menu modifier images to more accurately reflect the corresponding key that appears on the keyboard

  • From: "jscipione" <trac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 06 Sep 2011 03:39:26 -0000

#7967: Update menu modifier images to more accurately reflect the corresponding
key that appears on the keyboard
----------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  jscipione       |        Owner:  stippi
     Type:  enhancement     |       Status:  new
 Priority:  normal          |    Milestone:  R1
Component:  User Interface  |      Version:  R1/Development
 Keywords:                  |   Blocked By:
 Blocking:                  |  Has a Patch:  0
 Platform:  All             |
----------------------------+------------------------------
 This ticket details an enhancement to update the menu to make the modifier
 key images that show on it more accurately resemble the corresponding key
 on the keyboard. Currently there are 4 images, a "SHFT" image, a "CTL"
 image, an "ALT" image, and an "OPT" image.


 Of these 4 the only one that is not a problem is "ALT" since there is a
 key with the word "Alt" on it on almost every keyboard I've looked at, Mac
 keyboards, Windows keyboards, US keyboards, International keyboards, even
 laptop keyboards.


 "CTL" and "SHFT" are pretty good but most keyboards have the words "Ctrl"
 and "Shift" on them instead. Take a moment to look at your keyboard to
 verify.


 I updated the bitmaps to add an "R" to the CTL bitmap and an "I" to the
 SHIFT bitmap. This can be seen in the screenshot below:

 [[Image(Updated Shift and Ctrl Menu Bitmaps.png)]]

 This screenshot was taken with the modifier keys switched to
 "Windows/Linux" mode in the keymaps preference app.


 The "I" in the SHIFT bitmap costs a couple pixels increasing the bitmaps
 width from 20 pixels to 22 pixels. The "R" In CTRL increased the width of
 the bitmap from 16 to 20 pixels.


 So far this has just been a minor enhancement. The real problem is the OPT
 bitmap. What is the option key? It doesn't appear anywhere on the
 keyboard! Of course the option key refers to the "Windows" key. So I made
 a bitmap that resembles the Windows key. It can be seen in the screenshot
 below:

 [[Image(Windows Key Menu Bitmap.png)]]

 I created this screenshot by switching the command and option keys in the
 keymap preference application in "Haiku Mode" and then doing a bit of work
 in the menu to make it show this bitmap instead of the "CTL" bitmap. Of
 course this is not realistic but the Windows key aka "OPT" shows up in
 other places.

 Now, the Windows Key bitmap in the screenshot above accurately represents
 the label on the Windows key, but, unfortunately may also violate the
 Windows trademark so I made a more generic version of the bitmap that
 should be less legally tenuous:

 [[Image(Generic Windows key menu bitmap.png)]]

 Personally I like aesthetics of the first bitmap better but I understand
 that it may create legal problems. I am up to suggestions on how to create
 a bitmap that is both recognizable as the Windows key and doesn't violate
 Microsoft's trademark. One thought is to just make a bitmap labeled "WIN"
 instead. Of course the user would have to know that "WIN" refers to the
 Windows key, and if they don't, then the label is little better than the
 original "OPT" label.

 Lastly, if you are on a Mac keyboard you don't have a Windows key, instead
 you have a Command key that has a clover (⌘) symbol on it. This can be
 seen in the screenshot below.

 [[Image(Command key menu bitmap.png)]]

 Luckily the Clover symbol isn't trademarked by Apple AFAIK so it doesn't
 have the same legal issues surrounding it as the Windows key. If a symbol
 is undesired the clover could be replaced by a "CMD" bitmap since Mac
 keyboards also tend to have the word "Command" written on them.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://dev.haiku-os.org/ticket/7967>
Haiku <http://dev.haiku-os.org>
Haiku - the operating system.

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