78269 - Need to access links and form elements in the message pane using the keyboard

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(SeaMonkey :: MailNews: Message Display, defect, P3)

Description

[Ninoschka Baca]

Build 2001-04-30-04: NT4

Overview: For accessibility reasons there should be a way to access form
elements in the message pane. Once a form elements is accessed then there should
also be a way to quickly move to another pane such as the folder pane.

The following are ideas. If it is necessary then I can break this bug into
additional bugs but was hoping a decision could be made here:

1. Use the Tab key to move from pane to pane. If the message pane has form
elements then the Tab key will traverse through the form elements. To switch to
another pane then use Ctrl+Tab.

In this scenario "Ctrl+Tab" can always be used to move from pane to pane. The
"Tab" key can also be used to move from pane to pane but if the message pane has
form elements then the Tab key will temporarily perform a different function.
After tabbing to the last form element then the Tab key could move focus to the
folder pane.

2. Use Ctrl+Tab to move from pane to pane. If the message pane has form elements
then use the Tab key to traverse through the form elements. To switch to another
pane then use Ctrl+Tab.

In this scenario it more closely matches the browser where Ctrl+Tab moves
between frames and the Tab key moves between form elements.

3. The F6 key would move from pane to pane. This key needs to be implemented
even after deciding on another way to traverse panes (i.e. Tab or Ctrl+Tab). On
Linux sometimes Ctrl+Tab is already used so another key sequence is needed.

Note: Bug# 24423 has interesting comments on using Ctrl vs Cmd for the Mac.

Comment 1

[scottputterman]

*** Bug 28520 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 2

[scottputterman]

reassigning to ssu.  I like #1.  Jennifer, what's your opinion?

Comment 3

[Ninoschka Baca]

I like #1 also.

Comment 4

[jglick]

#1 also. :-)

Comment 5

[Aaron Leventhal]

*** Bug 92105 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 6

[Jesse Ruderman]

I'd prefer making the tab order similar to the browser's tab order.  The 
content area of the message pane would come before links or form elements in 
that content area, so adding message pane links to the tab order would only 
prevent the user from tabbing forward from the message pane content area to the 
folder pane.  I usually shift+tab twice to accomplish that anyway.

To allow the message content area to come before the links in the headers, we 
might need to fix bug 47422, "Scroll message headers with the message, like in 
4.x".

By the way, what is the difference between #1 and #2?

Comment 7

[scottputterman]

#1 uses tab to traverse panes (it allows for ctrl+tab as well) which is how mail
has always done it and how Netscape products before 6.x has always done it.  #2
uses ctrl+tab to traverse panes.

Comment 8

[Jesse Ruderman]

So with #2, the tab key would only cycle between elements within the active 
pane?  In that case, I vote for #1.

Comment 9

[[e-mail]]

Attachment: Proposed patch

This doesn't address F6 which I believe should wait until messenger.xul
cleanup.

Comment 10

[Sean Su]

I've already been working on a patch that will fix this bug and bug 102711.  It
will also include the quick search pane in the tab sequence.

Comment 11

[Sean Su]

the patch to fix bug 102711 will happen to fix this bug.

Comment 12

[scottputterman]

*** Bug 110177 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 13

[Sean Su]

bug 102711 has been fixed.  marking this fixed too.

Comment 14

[Olga]

1. On Win: F6, or Ctrl+Tab, or Ctrl+F6  skips sidebar pane.
2. On Linux Ctrl+Tab switches between Desktops, not between our panes.
3. Alt 3-pane window has all these troubles.
4. Above keyboard combinations don't include 'Advanced' button (next to
QuickSearch field) in the Tab order. When we use Tab, this button is included in
the navigation, as expected.

Comment 15

[[e-mail]]

> keyboard combinations don't include 'Advanced' button in the Tab order

Not a major problem becuase of the Ctrl+Shift+F access key.

Comment 16

[Olga]

Sorry, I have to re-open: we can not skip sidebar pane when use F6, or Ctrl+Tab,
or Ctrl+F6. Let's clear other issues/expectations listed at 1/24/02. 

Comment 17

[scottputterman]

F6 and Ctrl-Tab aren't supposed to include the Advanced button.

Comment 18

[scottputterman]

I'm going to mark this fixed again.  This has the same problems as 78269 which
has been marked fixed.

Comment 19

[Olga]

Verified on Win2k, Linux.
For Mac I logged bug 122702.

Comment 20

[Firefox Bug Husbandry Bot]

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1527381