Flexible squeak - a call for extension mechanisms

Lex Spoon lex at cc.gatech.edu
Tue Jul 15 14:13:30 UTC 2003



> remember that just because something is extendible doesn't mean that it
> *will* be changed all the time. EMACS is very extendible, but the
> important keybindings are so fixed other systems can have an "emacs key
> bindings" extension without embarrassing themselves...


These all sound like good strategies.  It makes sense to put
menu-extension registries in hand-chosen places within the menus, and it
makes sense to have key-binding policies so that users and applications
don't step on each other.  (Though IME this is also a way to blame the
user, because users will want to customize the same prime keystrokes
that apps will!)

I still don't get the keystrokes case in particular.  Clearly there is a
desire, from all the smart people who want it, but maybe we can do
better by simply improving the standard keymap?

Honestly, is Johhny Kidd going to download Squeak and start messing with
the key layout?  What about Fred McEducator?  Maybe university students
will want to do it on occasion, if they are bored.  For CS researchers,
maybe as many as 1/10 will want to do it, and that's the top percentage
in a small group.  Can you imagine if the Macintosh had shipped and the
welcome screen invited users to arrange their key combinations?


Oh well.  I guess I'm now waiting for someone to propose that the menus
be customizable.  Can't decide whether an item should go in "help" or
"debug" ?  Aww, who cares, ship it randomly and let the user fix it up. 
Call it the ultimate in personalization.  It's a feature.


Lex



More information about the Squeak-dev mailing list