Re: Mousing

[Alma Garcia <almag@xxxxxxxxxx>]

One thing to keep in mind is that although the ATL- key combinations 
seem to be standard across all the Millennium modules, they are not 
always.  It is best to look at the screen and the underlined letter to 
make sure you are using the correct combination.



Bob Duncan wrote:
> At 10:02 AM 12/11/2002 -0600, Margaret wrote:
> 
>> I have a question about keyboard shortcuts.  We are new to Millennium and
>> maybe this is obvious to everyone but me, but is there a keyboard 
>> shortcut
>> to the icons at the upper right of the Millennium Acquisitions screen 
>> (New,
>> Edit, View, Browse, Limit, Close, etc.)?
> 
> 
> New:  Alt-f-w
> Edit:  Alt-e-d
> View:  Alt-v-d
> Browse:  Alt-g-b
> Print:  Alt-f-p
> Close:  Alt-q (or Alt-f-c)
> Limit:  Alt-t-m
> Fund:  Alt-v-f
> Vendor:  Alt-v-r
> 
> In case the convention here isn't obvious, all actions tied to 
> Millennium buttons can be invoked from a menu, and any command on a menu 
> can be activated by using Alt in combination with the underlined letter 
> in the menu heading (f for file, e for edit, v for view, etc.), followed 
> by the underlined letter in the desired menu command.
> 
> This behavior in Millennium bears a striking resemblance to standard GUI 
> functionality (hmmm...).  Although all Millennium modules could 
> definitely use some tweaking and correcting in this area, in Millennium 
> as in Windows as in Macintosh, most actions have keyboard 
> shortcuts---contrary to popular opinion, using a mouse is typically an 
> option and not a requirement.  Example:  I just opened up MillCat, went 
> to create lists, selected an empty list, selected a review file on which 
> to search, entered my query, performed the search, sorted the results, 
> specified various field types and fields to be listed, entered a page 
> heading (and did some fancy fingerwork with selecting, cutting, and 
> pasting), changed several of the report criteria checkboxes, emailed the 
> results to myself, and exited MillCat.  I used the mouse once---to click 
> OK to send the email---but this was due to a programming glitch;  I 
> shouldn't have had to touch the nasty little beast at all.  (I also 
> popped into Eudora, checked my mail, saved the message from the PAC as a 
> text file, opened up Word, ran a macro, saved the file, exited Word, ran 
> a Perl script on the file and came back to this message without touching 
> the mouse.)  For some of the above actions, using the mouse would have 
> been quicker, but hey, I'm tryring to make a long-winded point here.
> 
> My suggestion to anyone who objects to using the mouse in Millennium is 
> simple---use the keyboard for most of your work and use the mouse only 
> when using it makes life easier (which is kind of the point of GUI/mouse 
> activity).  I generally use the mouse more often than described above in 
> Millennium modules, but the beauty is that I can choose which way works 
> best for me for any given action, something I can't do in the text-based 
> version.  If I'm entering a code into a field and I know it, I type it 
> and tab along my merry way;  if I don't know the precise code, I type 
> the beginning and arrow my way to it;  if I haven't a clue, I 
> double-click the field and display all the options.
> 
> And I don't want to start a war here, but I would suggest that part of 
> why the text-based version is perceived as being quicker is because of 
> rote behavior and lack of user familiarity with GUI functionality, not 
> because of any inherent ease of use or built-in speed.  (Leaving out 
> those areas where full functionality has not yet been "Millenniumized" 
> of course.)  For those who have been doing acquisitions or serials in 
> text-based mode for years, text-based is indeed quicker because the 
> keystrokes are second nature.  And, yes, sometimes a text-based action 
> requires one keystroke where Mill might require a 2-3 key combo 
> "shortcut", but if anyone can convince me that browsing records a screen 
> at a time using F and B is quicker than scrolling with a mouse wheel, or 
> that hitting 6 keys to get back to a place where a different action can 
> be performed is quicker than clicking the appropriate button or tab, 
> I'll eat my mouse.  (Which I can actually maneuver into my big mouth 
> using the Ctrl-Shift-E-M keyboard shortcut!)
> 
> Bob Duncan
> 
> 
> ~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~
> Robert E. Duncan
> Systems Librarian
> David Bishop Skillman Library
> Lafayette College
> Easton, PA  18042
> duncanr@xxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.library.lafayette.edu/
> 
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-- 
Alma García			Library Systems Administrator
Mills College Library		510-430-2021	
5000 MacArthur Blvd		510-430-3155 fax
Oakland, CA  94613