jshell tool: survey on keystroke functionality -- your input requested

[Kishori Sharan]

Vote: Alternative

Thanks
Kishori


On Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 1:39 PM, Robert Field <robert.field at oracle.com>
wrote:

> A usability question is being hotly debated internally.   I'd love
> community input.
> I'll give background.  If you understand that you can skip to the question.
> Please email your choice with or without discussion.
>
> BACKGROUND
>
> There are currently these JShell-specific completion/information/transformation
> keystrokes --
>
> tab [complete]:  completes an identifier (if there is a unique
> completion), does no or partial completion and provides a list of possible
> completion (if there are multiple completions)
>
> shift-tab [info]: when the cursor is positioned after the open parenthesis
> of a method call, lists the matching method signatures. if pressed again,
> displays the javadoc for the first matching signature (prompting to display
> further)
>
> Alt-F1 or Alt-Enter (depending on platform) [codegen]:  when followed by
> "i", prompts to auto-import the identifier before the cursor.  when
> followed by "v" converts the expression before the cursor into a variable
> declaration with the expression as initializer
>
> USER MODELS
>
> Current:  tab does completion, shift-tab gives information
>
> Alternative (tab is used for both [complete] and [info]) : tab helps me
> complete -- either directly completing or giving me information that helps
> me complete
>
> ARGUMENTS
>
> Current:
>     cleanly separates a request to complete the characters in an
> identifier (which is often to save typing) from a request for information
>
> Alternative:
>     just want one key to help me code, not different ones in different
> contexts.  This gives better discovery.
>     When there isn't a unique completion, tab currently gives information,
> so the distinction isn't that clean.
>     Currently shift-tab only works in one specific context, in that
> context the tab completions are usually in the hundreds, thus not very
> useful.
>     This frees-up shift-tab for [codegen], eliminating the awkward and
> platform-dependent Alt-F1 or Alt-Enter
>
> QUESTION
>
> Current
>
>    or
>
> Alternative
>
> ???
>
>
>