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Problems with caret browsing
I try to use caret browsing most of the time or all of the time but I have number of issues. (So please don't tell me how to turn caret browsing off). Also, I'd like to use caret browsing without also needing to use the mouse -- which I now need mostly to overcome what I think are problems.
The problems are:
1) Switching to a page when already in caret mode requires using the mouse to set focus somewhere before caret navigation makes sense. I have tried work arounds using text searching or tabbing but this is both unrelible and unnatural (even tedious).
2) While in caret mode I sometime loose site of the cursor. I can keep using the arrow keys until the page starts to scroll which tells be that the caret is on the top or bottom edge, but I still can't see it.
3) While scrolling with the arrow keys, the cursor/caret hits a link or heading then further use of the arrow keys increments lines at that "indentation" level, bypassing whole paragraphs of text. I need to use the mouse to reset the caret an area of text.
4) I think this is the same problem as above, but I get into a mode where the up/down arrows take me to the top/bottom of the page rather than up/down on line as it should.
5) The cursor gets over to a side region of the page (like a nav-bar) and there seems to be no mouse-less way to get the cursor back to the text area.
6) It seems (but I am not positive what is really happening) that after scrolling down the page while not in caret mode, I switch to caret mode and start to use the arrow keys but caret navigation starts from where ever the focus was before -- as in before several page scrolls with the space bar.
In summary, what I would expect to happen is:
a) I navigate to a new page while in caret mode and have focus automatically set somewhere logical like in the center of the current view.
b) Switch to caret mode while on a page - automatically have focus set to center or some other logical place in the current view.
c) Never increment by anything other than one line up or down. Especially, not switch to navigating to the next link or next paragraph -- what ever it is actually doing.
I am using Firefox 24.0 on XP and have the same problems while in Safe Mode.
Penyelesaian terpilih
All Replies (6)
Does the F6 key work to get the focus to the browsing area?
Note that is a plugin or input field has focus that you need to move focus out of it.
For an input field you can use the Tab key, but if a plugin that has focus then only the mouse will work.
I am currently running in SAFE MODE -- no plug-ins.
F6 does toggle between the location bar and the browsing area. However, it is not in an area where I can use the arrow keys. In particular, on this page using the right-arrow after F6 moves across the letters of the "ask a question" link. The down-arrow moves to the bottom of the page.
When I use the tab key focus starts moving among the links/areas. On this very page it takes 15 tabs to get to the text of my original post.
It seems that either a page load or F6 moves the cursor to the very first possible spot within the browsing area. I am not suggesting that this is a bug but it makes mouse-less browsing with caret navigation somewhat pointless. What I am asking is: if this is not a bug is there is a usage pattern or short cut that makes work in a sensible way? I mean after scrolling why would a F7 or F6 move the cursor to someplace not visible to the user?
Furthermore, if the cursor is set to within the current view then a text search with either "/" or " ' " starts within the view -- which makes sense. As it is however, after scrolling, a search is likely to jump to somewhere between the top of the page and your current view.
The best idea that comes to mind (for me) is that F7 turns on caret navigation AND sets the caret to the center of the current view-port.
F7 only switches on caret browsing. It doesn't have any effect on the cursor position on the page.
- Mouseless Browsing: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/mouseless-browsing/
- Source for "Spatial Navigation" - Userscripts.org: http://userscripts.org/scripts/review/114217
It seems like you haven't read the question or my reply.
My comment
The best idea that comes to mind (for me) is that F7 turns on caret navigation AND sets the caret to the center of the current view-port
is a suggestion as to what F7 would NEED TO DO to make caret browsing practical.
Penyelesaian Terpilih
It's a bug.
Firefox Bugzilla entry here.