Traverse command history with up/down arrows

[olibclarke@…]

Oliver points out that in Chimera if you click into the graphics window, then type a alphanumeric key then the command-line takes the focus (you can see it get an outline) and up and down arrow keys allow you to traverse the command history. In ChimeraX this does not happen because typing in the graphics window does not give the command entry field the focus, and the up/down arrow keys cause selection promotion when the graphics window has the focus. Apparently Oliver likes the Chimera behavior better although it is not clear which up/down arrow behavior is more often useful. After clicking into the graphics window in Chimera the up/down arrow keys do not traverse command history until you press some other (non-special) key, because the focus switch to the command line does not happen until then.

Oliver requests that ChimeraX behave like Chimera 1.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Oliver Clarke
Subject: [chimerax-users] Inconsistencies in text entry behavior
Date: June 2, 2017 at 12:33:42 AM PDT
To: chimerax-users@…

Hi,

The ChimeraX command line, similar to Chimera, is active no matter where the mouse cursor is positioned. So I can have a residue selected, and start typing a command directly - so far so good.

However, in Chimera, once I start typing, I can then page through the command history, using the up arrow or shift-up to filter by substring.

In ChimeraX, this doesn’t work - the command line receives text input, but in order to then page through the history, I need to actively click on the command line entry bar to activate it - it would be good if this behavior was altered to that of regular chimera.

Apologies for the vague description, hope that made sense!

Cheers
Oli

[Tom Goddard]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Tom Goddard
Subject: Re: [chimerax-users] Inconsistencies in text entry behavior
Date: June 2, 2017 at 12:03:49 PM PDT
To: Oliver Clarke

In Chimera or ChimeraX if you select a residue in the graphics window, you can then directly type a command. But if you press the up arrow or down arrow key it extends the selection to the whole helix or strand or turn, or demotes the selection — it does not allow you to traverse previous commands in the command-line. I just tested on Mac and it works that way on both.

But maybe you mean you have clicked into some other ChimeraX panel, not the graphics window and then up / down arrows don’t traverse the command-line history or promote selection, although commands can be typed. For instance clicking into the ChimeraX log I suspect up/down arrow actually do something in that html panel, but I’m not sure what. In Chimera, clicking into the reply log blocks not only up/down arrow but all keys from going to the command line. So I don’t understand your case. But I believe the Qt window toolkit sometimes has default up/down arrow bindings on the panel you are clicked into that might not make sense. Explain your exact case and send it to chimerax-bugs@… — probably better than the user mailing list.

Tom

[Tom Goddard]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Oliver Clarke
Subject: Re: [chimerax-users] Inconsistencies in text entry behavior
Date: June 2, 2017 at 12:53:37 PM PDT
To: Tom Goddard

Ah yes - sorry Tom I misspoke - I was actually thinking specifically of the scenario where a residue is *not* selected. E.g. You are turning the model using the mouse, and you want to type a command altering display parameters - e.g. clipping and such.

In this case, typing works fine in both chimera and chimeraX, but scrolling through the history using up or shift-up only works in chimera - in chimeraX you need to click on the command line such that a text cursor is visible.

Oli

[olibclarke@…]

Basically my view boils down to this - if I can type in the command line, I *assume* that the text entry field has focus, and that the arrow keys will allow paging through the command line, and I am momentarily confused when this is not the case, because it is the same mode of interaction.

I think if typing works, the arrow keys should act on the text entry field, but if one has not begun to type it doesn't matter - I usually encounter this when I type a couple of characters - say "ca" - and then press shift+up expecting to see the last command beginning with those characters - e.g. "camera ortho".

Hope that was clear(er),

Cheers
Oli

[goddard@…]

That reasoning seem sounds to me.

[pett]

If any keys get forwarded to the command line, it takes over focus and therefore handles subsequent up/down arrow keys.

--Eric