Pressing LEFT to get to WPS from file root

[Bagder]

I am firmly against such an option.

You'll have to drag me kicking and screaming into that mess.

[LinusN]

Besides, I haven't voted. I am against it, but not because of my "own private personal reasons".

[hshah]

*hshah drags Daniel Stenberg kicking and screaming through the mess*

I don't think people will mind if the option is set to "off" by default... it just makes life easier for those who don't know how to compile Rockbox for themselves, or when the code changes to that the patch no longer works.

[psycho_maniac]

ill basically agree to anything that is optional. i didnt like the idea of this at first but if it is optional on/off then i think it would be cool but as LinusN said youd have to drag him kicking and screaming....so i dont think it will ever happen

[hshah]

Daniel Stenberg said that, not LinusN :p

[psycho_maniac]

lol whoops sorry bout that LinusN for putting words in your mouth

[Mikerman]

Gosh, whenever I see such a great percentage of people wanting an operational feature, I have to think that there is something universal there warranting consideration, be it how consumer minds work, how fingers press buttons, or whatever.  And I would think so even moreso here, given the obvious intelligence of the Rockbox crowd.

[Ryan]

I think it makes sense - intuitively.

Further, it frees up the play button which could (possibly, *holds breath*) play a song without entering the WPS (just like stop).

Double play could enter the WPS.

*cringes and braces for response*.

[rdtyphn]

I think it would be great. I've been using rockbox for some time, and wanted to come out of the woodwork to say that this definitely has merit. 

[Llorean]

It's not how Rockbox works though. Left goes back a level, leaving folders and such. Right goes forward a level, entering folders and such. When you reach the root folder of the disk, that is the _bottom_ level, and so speaking there is nowhere else to go. The WPS is a screen overlaying the root. There's also the functional aspect of how right now a blind (or sighted) user can hit left several times rapidly, and know where they're going to end up rather than having a 50/50 chance between two screens, so it serves as a quick way to get to an established point in the structure.

[Davide-NYC]

I voted for it. But only as optional and OFF by default.
I'd enable it.

[Mr. Brownstone]

It's been a long time since I looked at this thread. ROCKbox for H300s has been released since I posted.

But I think I can make a suggestion suitable for both H100s and H300s.

Firstly, I am not in favour of a LEFT button press "returning" to the WPS from the Browser-root. I have gotten used to the Browser being the "main" screen, and I like being able to hit LEFT multiple times to get me back to the root without having to worry about hitting it too many times. This behaviour is also consistent with other file-browsers.

However, I do not like the current behaviour of the RIGHT button. I think the keypress should be ignored if a file is selected, but should work as it does now for a folder. I have the same feelings concerning non-Browser menus. Again, this is to do with mimicking the behaviour of file-browsers in mainstream operating-systems.

Also, even though the WPS is not the main screen, I do not think the player should switch to the Browser automatically when a track is stopped. It should remain on-screen in a stopped-state.

That being said, here is a suggestion for keymapping with the iRiver H100/300s:

Browser:
NAVI/Joystick Press: Current behaviour.
LEFT: Current behaviour. Holding LEFT should perhaps return directly to root.
RIGHT: Open folder only.
UP: Current behaviour.
DOWN: Current behaviour.
RECORD: Enter WPS, whether file is playing or not.
PLAY: Play currently selected track or contents of folder. Enter WPS.
STOP: Current behaviour.

WPS:
NAVI/Joystick Press: Current behaviour.
LEFT: Current behaviour.
RIGHT: Current behaviour.
UP: Current behaviour.
DOWN: Current behaviour.
RECORD: Leave WPS.
PLAY: Current behaviour.
STOP: Stop playing track, remain in WPS.

All other menus:
NAVI/Joystick Press: Current behaviour.
LEFT: Navigate to previous level only.
RIGHT: Navigate to next level only.
UP: Current behaviour.
DOWN: Current behaviour.
RECORD: Enter WPS.
PLAY: Nothing.
STOP: Leave menu entirely.

Reasoning:
Makes WPS more accessible across all menus. Asserts the point that the WPS is not the main-screen. Assigns a common keypress to showing and hiding the WPS. Eliminates making accidental config-changes with the RIGHT button. Disabling the PLAY button in a non-Browser menu is contextually accurate. NAVI still does what it says for H300 users. PLAY and STOP do what they say when in the Browser or WPS. Behaviour of the Browser is more consistent with already existing file-browsers, like Windows Explorer, Macintosh Finder, Nautilus, and so on.

Also, although ROCKbox aims to be as streamlined as possible, I think an optional animated-mode would help in overcoming the button-layout shortcomings of the H100/300 players and give positive feedback to the user as to what they are doing and how the software is working in a given context. A fast horizontal transition (ala iPod) would be good for standard Browser and Menu folder/level navigation, whilst the WPS could be scrolled on and off the screen vertically, and from the bottom.

This gives a clear visual demonstration to the user that the Browser is the "main screen". If the WPS was the main screen, the user would expect the Browser to scroll-in from the bottom. This also gives the user a sense of "interface detachment" from the WPS when they are not viewing it, making the pressing of an otherwise non-intuitive button-assignment (RECORD) an acceptable means of entering and leaving it.

--

If you managed to read all that, thanks for taking the time. I bolded some text to break-up the paragraphs and make it easier to read. Even if you hate all the suggestions, I hope they gave some inspiration.

[polluxx2006]

what about a customizable keymapping?

[Mr. Brownstone]

Alright then. Make that an argument for the default keymapping.

[mborus]

Just another comment:
I voted yes on the LEFT (as but an option only, not a default)

Here's what has me confused:

- When a track is playing and I press the joystick to get into the
the file browser, I need to press PLAY to return to the WPS
- When a track is playing and I hold the joystick to get into the
the playlist and other options, I need to press LEFT to exit. PLAY does nothing.