Midori 0.2.9 fails to search on "/" press in non-english layouts

[v_2e]

Hello!
I have encountered the following problem using Midori 0.2.9:
When I press a "/" button and my keyboard layout isn't English (let's say it is Russian for example - in Russian layout this button means "."), Midori shows me the numbered hyperlinks instead of the search string in the bottom of the window.
This had been a wonderful feature (one of the reasons for me to prefer Midori over FireFox, for example) and now it is broken. Pressing different buttons for the same reason using different keyboard layouts is just so inconvenient.

And the most important is that it used to work before!
Please get this winderful feature back. :)

Moved from FS: http://www.twotoasts.de/bugs/index.php?do=details&task_id=1015

[v_2e (v-2e)]

It's not a bug, it's just another keyboard layout. When you have active layout different from english, just press a key, which print "/" character. Other programs (e.g. Firefox) have the same behavior.

iglezz

[v_2e (v-2e)]

1. I know that Firefox has such behaviour (I wrote it in my bugreport actually). And this had been definitely a huge advantage of Midori over Firefox. So, is it gone now? If so, just imagine how "comfortable" it is to change the layout each time I have to search something in the document (and this happens very often). And remember that there are many people in the world who has more than 2 different keyboard layouts or variants. What can you suggest them to do? To switch all their layouts round and around each time?
Such cases make me think that people start forgetting that there are some languages in the world besides English. I have no idea why in the world do Firefox developers have such policy. I can only say from the end user's point of view - my point of view. I usually type using all my 10 fingers (blind-typing or touch-typing - whatever you wish). And in such situation the button '/' is under my little finger on the right hand. Meanwhile the '/' symbol in Russian layout is far from being under it and also it may be at the different places on different keyboards.

2. Everything worked fine and convenient before Midori 0.2.9. Why change this wonderful behaviour to such "Firefox-like" one? This IS one of the things which make Midori better that Firefox (and there are actually just few of them).

P.S. In the case of making Midori as much Firefox-like as possible, why not just using Firefox itself instead? That's the point - Midori is an independent and stand-alone web-browser with its own features, policy and traditions. What's wrong about that?

v_2e

[v_2e (v-2e)]

Vladimir,

1. Well, if you are using blind-typing method, it's can be really headache. I have acyclic keyboard switching with russian layout activated by right Shift+Control and the key, which gives me "/" character in russian layout when pressed with Shift, placed on my notebook keyboard right above the Enter, so it's enough convenient for me. But it's a matter of habit. And where is keys are placed on your keyboard :). I wonder how you type "\" char in other programs when non-english layout active…

2. It was abnormal, so it was fixed. But I think it's possible to bring back former behavior and add a parameter to config to enable it.

iglezz

[v_2e (v-2e)]

1. It is difficult to form a habit when you have to use 2 (or more?) different keys for the same action depending on the currently active keyboard layour. I need to do search both in English and Russian - and frequently on the same web-pages - and I need to do it very often (the search functionality is essential for a web-browser). So, each time I type one key, see that something unneeded happens (like numbered links appearance), than switch the keyboard layout or find a necessary key (which is located in different places on my laptop and my desktop PC, by the way), and just after that I can type in some search phrase.
Of course, I type the "/" char in other applications too, but I do it just about 10 or 100 (or even more?) times less frequently than searching for some text in the web-browser. And also when I edit some text, for example, I edit it in one language and I do not have to switch the layout to get the necessary symbol every time.

2. How can one call it "fixed" if it became less convenient and comfortable to use at least for some users. I'm sure there are a lot of people who likes to use the same key for the same action with any keyboard layout. The problem is that many users just don't know how to report bugs or request features, that is why there are not so many people who actually writes about their feelings about the new features and wishes for the new ones here.
You are saying that it could be optional. Well, it would be quite all right for me - I'm not afraid of editing some configurations (which also is a problem for many users I know).
Anyway, I believe that there are way more people who would use the search on the web-page rather than use the "numbered links" which appear instead of the search string when using Russian keyboard layout.

And also, speaking of habits. Well, most of Midori's users have already formed this habit - by using the same key for the 'search' action in any language. Why braking it? Have somebody requested it? Is it uncomfortable for some of Midori's current users? If it IS so, than why not making it suitable for both groups of users: for those who likes the old behaviour and for those who has requested the new one? It would be much much better than braking the users' habits and maybe even loosing some users, I believe.

I strongly hope the developers hear my (and the users' from my "group") prayers and keep the ability to use our favoutite browser in the form we like it for us. :) I really hope so.
In fact, this is what all the bugtrackers and similar things are for - to establish the the feedback from the end users to developers, which is a "business card" of all the FLOSS projects, isn't it?

v_2e

[v_2e (v-2e)]

I can add one more important point after almost two months.

There is no "/" symbol in Ukrainian layout at all. So, all the Ukrainian people who uses this layout (and Ukraine has a population of about 45 000 000 peple) has to switch their layout to English, for example, just to have an ability to search the page for some words. This is indeed inconvenient and indeed shows that the earlier versions of Midori have been more comfortable to use and had more "thought-out" user interface from this point of view.

And by the way, the hight popularity of Firefox does not mean that there couldn't be anything better; and does not mean Firefox is an ideal solution. If it were, I would just silently use Firefox and not grumbling and complaining here.
I hope you understand my point. And like I have already said earlier, every feature may be optional if there are both people who needs it and who don't.

Thank you.

[Cris Dywan (kalikiana)]

This was in fact fixed in Midori 0.3.0.

[v_2e (v-2e)]

Well, in my case Midori 0.3.0 shows the search bar at the bottom of the page by pressing "Shift+/" when in Russian or Ukrainian layouts.
I'm not sure about other people, but I use the quick searching (many times) more often than hyperlinks enumeration (which is called when pressing just "/"). In fact, I haven't ever used this feature. And I use searching many times a day.
So, why has this behaviour been changed in the last versions of Midori? It worked perfectly fine before. And it's a pity, I cannot see any way to configure my Midori to use the old "/" button style at the moment...

[Cris Dywan (kalikiana)]

"," works for me if I switch to Russian layout in 0.3.0.

I can also type "3" which appears to be "/" in Russian layout.

[v_2e (v-2e)]

Yes. Exactly. Like I have posted above, "Shift+/" in U.S.English layout (which appears to be the "," in Russian and Ukrainian layouts) works when my keyboard is set to one of them. But earlier it was simply the "/" key in English layout (which is "." - dot in Russian and Ukrainian), so one need not to press "Shift" to do a quick-search.

In the case you have no Russian and Ukrainian layouts to see, here is what the desired key looks like:
 ___
| ? , |
| /_._|

So, When one presses it with a "Shift" key, it produces the "?" symbol in English layout and the "," (comma) symbol in Russian and Ukrainian. Wnen one presses it without any modifiers, it produces the "/" symbol in English layout and a "." (dot) symbol in Russian and Ukrainian layouts.

The earlier versions of Midori used to turn on the quick search mode when I pressed the "/" symbol in English or the "." (dot) symbol in Russian or Ukrainian - which are the very same key on the keyboard. It would be very convenient to have and ability to use such mode as before.

By the way, why did this behaviour change at all?

[Cris Dywan (kalikiana)]

If I switch to US English layout, the key producing "/" does open inline search.

There was no change with regard to the "/" key as far as I'm aware, which is why I'm still unsure what the problem is.

[v_2e (v-2e)]

> I'm still unsure what the problem is.
I believe that is my fault - my English knowledge isn't good enough to explain what I mean in details usually.
But still let me try to do that.

For the better explanation I have made a small scheme (see the attached image). This is a part of Russian and Ukrainian keyboard layout.

As you can see, since the version 0.2.9 (if I'm not mistaking) Midori launches quick search when the user presses "," (comma) key, which is in the upper register and thus needs the "Shift" modifier to be pressed. Just like the "?" symbol in the English layout.

The older versions of Midori used to launch quick search when user pressed the "." (dot) key when in Russian or Ukrainian layout. This is just like pressing the "/" key in English layout. This case didn't need the "Shift" key to be pressed also, so it had been much easier and more convenient to quick-launch the quicksearch.

This is what has changed in the latest versions of Midori and what makes me press the extra "Shift" key when I want to make a quick-search. While this is not lethal, this a kind of regress from the comfort point of view. This had been much easier and comfortable to use before, so what's the reason to change it?
Oh, and by the way, this feature (searching with the same key in any layout) was one of the reasons for me to switch to Midori from Firefox (along with the speed-dial and searchbar configuration features).

I hope, my new explanation using the attached scheme will make my point more clear. :)

Regards,
Vladimir

[v_2e (v-2e)]

  Hello!
  I use Midori 0.3.6 at the moment and it looks like it still starts numbering the hyperlinks instead of opening a search bar when I press "/" in Russian and Ukrainian layout. This is extremely inconvenient - to use different key combinations in different layout to do the same thing.
  As I showed in my previous post (with the attached image), Russian and Ukrainian users have to press "Shift+/" to open a search bar when in Russian or Ukrainian keyboard layot, and "/" when in English layout. Working in a web browser requires to type in English very often anyway, while the users like me also often type texts in our native languages and layouts. In such case it is very uncomfortable to press the "/" key, then to see that it begins to number the links, press the "/" key again to switch off the numbering and then press "Shift+/" to begin a "quick-search".
  And by the way, on many websites with a relatively big number of hyperlinks on a page this hyperlink numbering makes Midori consume 100% of the CPU time and not reacting on the user's actions for some time.

  So I've got several concrete questions to Midori developers:
  * What is the link numbering feature for? Is it used more often than a quick search feature?
  * Why did you change the policy in this question with Midori 3.2.9 release? Did some Russian or Ukrainian users complain about the existing situation (at that moment)?
  * Is it possible to change this behaviour back to pre-Midori-3.2.9 state? It had been just fine. Moreover, this was one of the most decisive factors for me to choose Midori out of a huge range of web browsers (and even to prefer it to Firefox) in spite of the lack of stability. So why change the features which *Midori* users like? Are there any serious reasons for this?

  Please, pay some attention to these questions and take some minute to answer them, since they are really important.
  And thank you for working on Midori in any case.

P.S. I suggest a small patch which makes using both the quick-search and hyperlink-numbering features absolutely identical with English, Russian and Ukrainian (and maybe many other) layouts.
  Moreover, the users of English layout won't even notice this slight change, since all the previous key combinations work the same way except for one kay action added. Namely, pressing the "Shift+/" (which gives a "?" sign) combination starts hyperlink-numbering.
  As for the users of Russian and Ukrainian layouts, they will experience the pre-Midori-0.2.9 quick-search combination with this patch. And will have the ability to start hyperlink-numbering with "Shift+." (which physically corresponds to the very same "Shift+/" combination in the English layout and gives the character ",").
  A major advantage of such a patch is that the users may use the same *physical* key combinations which makes it way more convenient to use the vital quick-search function (especially for the "touch-typers") without loosing any other functionality (such as the hyperlink-numbering one).

  Regards,
    Vladimir

[v_2e (v-2e)]

  Hello!
  Here is a patch for the Midori version 0.4.0
It assumes the same bahaviour as the one for the version 0.3.6

  Regards,
    Vladimir

[v_2e (v-2e)]

  Hi!
  I have applied the patch I mentioned earlier to the current version of Midori (0.4.1). It seem to work fine.
 So why not incorporating it into the main source code?

  And by the way, I saw som notes about "fixing Russian layout" in the midori-view.c file, but it does not fix the problem (at least, in my case). And as I said earlier, the case is even worse while using Ukrainian layout (because there is no "/" symbol in Ukrainian layout at all).

  Thanks.
    Vladimir

[v_2e (v-2e)]

  Hello!
  I've attached a new patch to fix the "inline search" function for Russian and Ukrainian keyboard layouts. Now this patch is made in a different way compared to the previous patches. Now it is smaller and seems to be a more "clever" solution.
  It fixes the keycodes for Russian and Ukrainian layouts keeping the original keycodes (English) completely intact, and thus won't be even noticeable for other users.

  Please, incorporate it into the next versions of Midori - it makes life much easier. :)

  And by the way, why using the "event->keyval" instead of "event->hardware_keycode" in all such cases?

  Regards,
    Vladimir

[v_2e (v-2e)]

  Hello!
  Here is the same patch for the recent 0.4.3 version of Midori.

[Cris Dywan (kalikiana)]

My Apologies for the delay. Thanks a lot for the patch! I appreciate your looking into an approach that retains the expected current behavior. Applied to git.

hardware_keycode is used because we want to distinguish between ",", ";" and "=" which are supposed to mean the same to Midori but produce different codes on different layouts..