Re: arrow keys vs. C-f/b/n/p

[Lennart Borgman]

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Chong Yidong <address@hidden> wrote:
> James Cloos <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> In gedit C-f and C-b move forward and backward logically, whereas LEFT
>> and RIGHT move left and right visually.  I suspect that all παν語 (aka
>> pango) apps -- notably including most gtk/gnome apps -- will also do so.
>>
>> In seamonkey, in a web-page's text input box, both the arrow keys and
>> the C-b and C-f keys move visually.
>>
>> In gvim, both the h and l keys and the arrow keys move visually.
>>
>> In Openoffice.org, the arrow keys move logically.
>
> Well, this sample indicates a complete lack of consensus, contra Eli's
> earlier statement that
>
>>>> this is what users of bidirectional scripts expect -- they are used
>>>> to it in every other bidi-aware application out there.
>
> One possibility is that editors intended specifically for bidi, such as
> native-language Hebrew or Arabic apps, have a convention that vim,
> gedit, etc have not taken up.  So, could anyone who has experience with
> such apps speak up?


Looking around on the internet (not being a bidi reader) it seems to
me that it is mostly a programming mistake to let the arrow keys
change direction. (Somehow maybe also from a beginners perspective the
right arrow might mean "go forward".) However for someone editing
texts in some way this is awkward IMO. Here are some links:

- 
http://www.sfc.wide.ad.jp/~akihiko/java/jdk1.2beta3/docs/guide/2d/spec/j2d-fonts.fm1.html
(look for "moving the caret").

- http://wiki.sibawayhi.org/keyboard - READING IS NOT CURSORING!

- http://bugs.dojotoolkit.org/ticket/8037 (just a short complaints
about cursor changing their ways)

- http://www.qsm.co.il/Hebrew/logicUI22.htm - "The logical approach is
sometimes preferred by implementors, mostly because its implementation
is easier. This is not a recommended solution."