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Bug 22296 - etc-update left/right human factors issue in interactive merge
Summary: etc-update left/right human factors issue in interactive merge
Status: RESOLVED CANTFIX
Alias: None
Product: Gentoo Linux
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Current packages (show other bugs)
Hardware: All Linux
: High normal (vote)
Assignee: Portage team
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
: 60234 (view as bug list)
Depends on: 93874
Blocks:
  Show dependency tree
 
Reported: 2003-06-05 14:56 UTC by Ron Vissers
Modified: 2005-05-25 08:01 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Package list:
Runtime testing required: ---


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Description Ron Vissers 2003-06-05 14:56:16 UTC
When running the interactive merge, the "L" (left) key is on the right of the keyboard 
and the "R" (right) is on the left of the keyboard.  Anyone else see a user confusing 
issue here?   
Suggestion: use "<" ">" without the shift.. ie, "," and "." keys?  or some other set of 
logical keys that actually have left on the left and right on the right. 

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. etc-update	 
2. select file to interactively merge	 
3. use "l" and "r" keys
Comment 1 Matt Taylor 2003-06-05 17:32:12 UTC
This is a good idea...I always catch my self thinking "left side" and hitting 'r' with my left hand, then having to Ctrl-C and start over.
Comment 2 Thomas Matthijs (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-06-06 10:35:41 UTC
Don't forget that not everyone has the same keyboard layout
for instance '>' and '<' are the same key on my keyboard
So i don't think this would be a good idea
i think l for left and r for right makes the most sense
Comment 3 Ron Vissers 2003-06-06 10:43:15 UTC
I guess I opened this as a RFC (request for comments) and possible improvement.
The example of < > characters was just one possibility.  Due to the nature of the querty layout, the L key and R key are backwards and prone to error, regardless of training.  

So, I'm hoping to generate some discussion for alternatives that are intuitive as well as standard across keyboards.

Another random thought was to possibly use the "vi" key commands for left and right.

Eventually, I figure, we'll stumble across a very intuitive solution.

Comment 4 Matt Taylor 2003-06-06 16:56:07 UTC
Woouldn't 1 for left and 2 for right work?  If you use the keys above the letters or the numpad they're in the proper order, and you could use the 1 from the top row, and the 2 from the numpad for more seperation if you wanted.
Comment 5 Markus Nigbur (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-08-21 07:06:52 UTC
how about the left and right arrow keys?
they make even more sense in this context.
Comment 6 Ron Vissers 2003-08-21 07:42:19 UTC
Wasn't sure how cross platform the left and right arrow keys were... but seems logical.
Comment 7 SpanKY gentoo-dev 2003-08-21 07:52:41 UTC
or maybe right/left shift keys ... 
that way you're sure to get both hands in action 
Comment 8 SpanKY gentoo-dev 2004-08-17 19:40:43 UTC
*** Bug 60234 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 9 Jason Stubbs (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2005-05-25 08:01:57 UTC
The change in functionality requested here is part of the default merge 
command "sdiff". This can be changed in /etc/etc-update.conf to something more 
to your liking.