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.

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

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

I like #1 also.

#1 also. :-)

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

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?

#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.

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

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

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.

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

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

bug 102711 has been fixed. marking this fixed too.

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.

> keyboard combinations don't include 'Advanced' button in the Tab order Not a major problem becuase of the Ctrl+Shift+F access key.

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.

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

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

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