Flattened object navigation

[harun-342]

If I'm not mistaken, flattened object navigation was added to NVDA because NVDA's other cursors were difficult to learn. My suggestion is to make this easier and more understandable for everyone. Instead of dividing it between desktop and laptop keyboards, I think there should be universal key gestures. Microsoft has taken a very good approach by using the Narrator key + right and left arrows. Why not implement the same thing in NVDA? You can use the left arrow key for the previous object, and the right arrow key for the next. This would make the keystrokes the same on both keyboard layouts, and it would be especially convenient for Turkish users of NVDA. Laptop keyboards are more problematic for Turkish users. The Turkish keyboard doesn't have the keys provided for laptops. Instead, different keys are suggested. The user would have to configure these using the input gestures. What would you think of such a change?

[seanbudd]

We would suggest changing the gestures for Turkish if they are a problem by updating gestures.ini

[harun-342]

Sorry, I'm not a developer or a translator, so I don't know how to do this. While it might be problematic in Turkish, that's not the main reason I'm starting this discussion. The keystrokes used by this feature should be made universal, and if possible, the same across desktop and laptop keyboard layouts. As I said, Narrator has done a great job with this, and it would be great if NVDA could replicate it.

[harun-342]

If I inform the translators that Gestures.ini needs to be updated, will they fix it?

[seanbudd]

@harun-342 - it's really up to the translators to decide if they agree, and want to change the shortcuts

[josephsl]

Hi,

While assigning NVDA+left/right arrow keys for flattened object navigation makes sense, it goes against reasons for existence of the current laptop layout introduced in 2013. First, NV Access and contributors sought to improve consistency across how desktop and laptop layout was understood. Prior to 2013, NVDA used NVDA+alphanumeric keys for object navigation on the laptop keyboard layout, but it was inconsistent with how the desktop keyboard commands worked - while the documentation says NVDA+Numpad 4/6 for object navigation, they are really NVDA+Numpad left/right arrow keys. However, not all laptop keyboards include numpad. More importantly, if NVDA went with NVDA+left/right arrow keys for object navigation, what would happen to review cursor movement by character/word/line commands? Thus the second reason: because left/right arrow keys moved system cursor by character, NVDA folks realized that, by adding NVDA key to left/right arrows, it allows users to see that these commands would move NVDA review cursor. Therefore, in the 2013 laptop keyboard layout redesign, NVDA+left/right arrows were assigned to move review cursor by character and adding Shift would move between objects.

Narrator was able to assign Narrator key+left/right arrow keys to item navigation (equivalent to flattened object navigation) because other keys were used to move Narrator cursor by character/word/line. However, this cannot be done easily for NVDA without redesigning keyboard layouts. Besides, one can assign keyboard commands for flattened object navigaton (originally designed for touchscreen use, flattened object navigation comands are unassigned for keyboard users).

Thanks.

[harun-342]

Apparently, this suggestion is not possible to implement. Thank you.