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From: jpd00964@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: Time for standard cmd-keys & menu c
Message-ID: <227700045@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 22 Sep 89 04:53:00 GMT
References: <15720@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
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Nf-ID: #R:dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU:15720:uxa.cso.uiuc.edu:227700045:000:1160
Nf-From: uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!jpd00964    Sep 21 23:53:00 1989


/* Written  8:59 pm  Sep 19, 1989 by ari@eleazar.dartmouth.edu in uxa.cso.uiuc.edu:comp.sys.mac.programmer */
/* ---------- "Time for standard cmd-keys & menu c" ---------- */
>The mac is supposed to present a simple and common user interface to all
>users. This simple but powerful concept is being ignored over and over
>again by many programs. It is time Macintosh programmers agree on
>a standard for such things:

What's wrong with something like Microphone II or Word 4.0 which lets
the user assign any command key to anything they want?  

In reality, there are only about 5 command keys that make any sense to have
standard.  z,x,c,v,s.  What does search mean in a drawing program?  Or 
a calculator?  Or any of the other miriad types of programs.  Each programmer
needs to come up with the things in his program are done often, and assign
something for those items.  

If it's any consolance, each programmer is going to use other programs similar
to what he is writing, so it's likely he will use the same keys.  So, given
enough time, eventually, maybe there will just be a defacto standard.

Michael Rutman
"Let's not see an ANSI command standard"