Fenix: keyboard shortcuts

[nahuhh]

I am using a BlackBerry, for what it's worth.

Why/User Benefit/User Problem

Keyboard shortcuts are currently supported (awesome!). Hopefully it shouldn't be too difficult to add a "few" more.

Currently implemented

• space = page down
• ctrl + space = page up

What/Requirements

Requested (asterisk mark ones I feel are of lower priority)

• t = scroll to the top
• b = scroll to the bottom
• n = next page/forward
• p = previous/back
• s = find in page (search)
• L = reload
• g or f = new tab
• u = switch focus to url bar and select all

• k = bookmarks *
• h = history *
• r = reader mode (if implemented) *

• x = print dialog *

• accessibility setting to disable keyboard shortcuts.

[robsmith11]

Another use case is a phone or tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard. It's common to not have a mouse, to it's a nice to be able to navigate Firefox using the keyboard.

The ability to focus the Awesome bar with the keyboard is most important I think.

Other keyboard shortcuts could be set with an Addon like Vim Vixen:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/vim-vixen/

[NotWoods]

It would be great if external contributors can add some of the shortcuts listed here. Feel free to make a PR even if you implement only 1 keyboard shortcut.

[MemoryOverclocked]

Hi, I would like to work on this.

[robsmith11]

I was just wondering: if keyboard shortcuts are hardcoded in Fenix, would it still be possible for addons to override them?

[robsmith11]

@NotWoods Is it possible to point to an example of where to add keyboard shortcuts in the Fenix/AndroidComponents/GeckoView code base?

I'd really like to try adding 1 or 2 that are necessary for me to switch to Fenix:

• Ctrl-L to focus the current tab's URL bar
• Ctrl-T to open a new tab with the URL bar focused

Most of the other keyboard shortcuts can be implemented in a WebExtension I think.

[NotWoods]

@robsmith11 Unfortunately I don't think we current support custom keyboard shortcuts beyond the default Android shortcuts. I recommend looking at the Android documentation.

[robsmith11]

@NotWoods Thanks. I found what I think is the Ctrl-T newtab shortcut code in Fennec:

https://github.com/jrmuizel/mozilla-central-skia/blob/master/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java#L341

Where do you think I should add similar code to Fenix? Somewhere in Android-Components?

EDIT:
Here?

https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/fenix/blob/master/app/src/main/java/org/mozilla/fenix/collections/CollectionCreationView.kt#L316

[NotWoods]

I think we can start with defining them in Fenix and potentially move it to Android Components later on. Try to define them around associated views. For example, the collection creation view you linked to should have keyboard shortcuts for navigating collections but not opening new tabs. Maybe new tab should live with the toolbar view?

[pocmo]

Also see:
https://github.com/mozilla-mobile/android-components/issues/1978

[yoasif]

This is now a regression and should also be labeled Feature:FennecTransition

People miss keyboard shortcuts: https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/comments/i5bnz1/android_firefox_no_longer_supports_keyboard/

[gaul]

I tried to address this issue by calling components.useCases.sessionUseCases when handling KeyEvents in HomeActivity.onKeyDown. However, this only works before interacting with the page, e.g., scrolling, and not afterwards. Any suggestions on the proper place to add this logic?

[headbank]

Another use case is a phone or tablet with a Bluetooth keyboard. It's common to not have a mouse, to it's a nice to be able to navigate Firefox using the keyboard.

I don't agree with this assertion. IMO the majority of people who employ an external keyboard with a mobile device are likely to have some form of pointing device (mouse, touchpad) to accompany it. Even many small/cheap BT/USB minikeyboards these days have an integrated touchpad.

I don't mean to imply that keyboard-only isn't a valid use-case or undeserving of attention -- even when I have a pointing device I'd often rather use keyboard shortcuts just to reduce hand travel when doing keyboard-centric work -- I just wouldn't want keyboard+pointer to be overlooked on the basis of an assessment of constituencies that is, in my view, wide of the mark.

Full disclosure: What I really want for Christmas is CTRL+click to open link in new tab because my touchpad doesn't have a middle-click action ;)

[alexanderadam]

I don't agree with this assertion.

I agree with it though. Even Samsung made keyboard covers that contained no touchpad/mouse for most of the time.
The S6 was the first that had a touchpad. Even the S5 convert only had a keyboard with no pointing device.

And Samsung is not a cheap brand.

Apart from this, this discussion itself is not leading to anything and therefore not helpful for anything.
The fact that there are enough users with a keyboard and no pointing device should be enough to vote for this issue. :wink:

[headbank]

With respect, you are pointing to a years-old iteration of a very specific sub-type of keyboard accessory (and you even point out that thereafter, that product line has had a pointing-device). You're quite correct that Samsung is not a cheap brand, but I think perhaps you misunderstood my point there - for precisely that reason, you will find far more of the cheap aftermarket devices such as I was referring to, than the overpriced OEM accessories such as this, in use out in "the wild".

I want to reiterate, although I thought I made this clear enough above, that I'm fully in favour of keyboard-only support. My intent, as this ticket addresses keyboard shortcut functionality in general but the first comment on it sought to narrow its focus to keyboard-only considerations, is simply to entreat that its scope must remain inclusive to keyboard+pointer users as well. I gave my reasoning for that and (again with respect) your comment has not invalidated them.

In any case I stand by my contribution and I hope you'll reconsider your rather blunt assessment of its merits.