[Sansa Clip+] A better shortcut to return to WPS

[mfe555]

I think the three of us have started to like "GO_TO_PREVIOUS_MUSIC", I have not yet heard of anyone who would miss "GO_TO_PREVIOUS", and I even think it would be an improvement for all devices.

Nevertheless I have learned the lession that changing existing functionality is "not wanted" here, and I accept that a user who got used to one behaviour of a key would be irritated by such a change, even if some of us think that it's a change for good.

So making it programmable on all devices (another lession learned: no exceptions) sounds like the best proposal to me.

Maybe we could add a section to the "Clip" family manuals describing "recommended settings for friends of the OF behaviour", including also:

Settings - General Settings - System - Start Screen - Resume Playback
Settings - General Settings - File View - Follow Playlist - Yes

[flaps]

Edit:

Ok, I think I got this figured out.

I understand that people don't want existing functionality to change, and that this is why so many developers were against the original proposal.

Here's the thing: My proposal isn't the same as mfe555 one. It doesn't replace the Menu functionality at all. That's where all the confusion came from, I guess.

Menu (home) takes you to the main menu, as expected.
Currently, when you double-click Home nothing happens, it leaves you where you were. The patch just makes use of this unused key combo, and takes you to the current music screen.

[mfe555]

Flaps, that's an intersting way of seeing it. To fully understand it, we need to know that your patch only changes the function of the "home" key (GO_TO_PREVIOUS_MUSIC instead of  GO_TO_PREVIOUS) when you're in the root level of the menu.

So the "useless non-events" like

file list  --(home)-->   root menu  --(home)-->   file list
sub menu   --(home)-->   root menu  --(home)-->   sub menu
WPS        --(home)-->   root menu  --(home)-->   WPS

are replaced by

file list  --(home)-->   root menu  --(home)-->   WPS
sub menu   --(home)-->   root menu  --(home)-->   WPS
WPS        --(home)-->   root menu  --(home)-->   WPS

assuming that the WPS was the last music screen.

I like that.

[flaps]

Hm, not really useless, just redundant, they're just there because most players already have buttons for everything. That's why the patch is clip specific.

[AlexP]

What would be much more useful IMO was if someone could come up with a sensible system for having all buttons configurable, then we could stop having these arguments and people could just do what they wanted.

[mfe555]

Yes, definitely, this would be the best overall solution.

It would probably not be possible any longer by changing key functions in menus but require a keymap file to be edited on a PC. This would have the charme of

    * being universal for all players,
    * not changing the default behaviour
    * allowing versatile changes that would be far too complex to select in menus
    * allowing to share keymap files with other users.

However, looking at the time it would take to implement this, I would like to see this as a separate action.

About the GO_TO_PREVIOUS_MUSIC patch: We have the options

(1) Clip specific (as implemented by flaps) - a special solution for a special (low key count) device
(2) Fixed for all players - redefining the pretty useless "non event" when pressing "home" twice
(3) Configurable

- what should we go for, and who is making the decision?

[AlexP]

- what should we go for, and who is making the decision?

It is the developers you need to convince.

[flaps]

mfe555, seems like you just ignored my last post
It shouldn't be "fixed" for other players, they don't need it
Anyway, let's not drag this discussion further

(developers, please read my last two posts)

[AlexP]

Very very few developers read the forum.  Once you have decided what the proposal is, then I'd email the -dev mailing list.

[flaps]

I've submitted a patch already, but it was misinterpreted as something else.
http://www.rockbox.org/tracker/task/12288 (and by main menu I mean root)

[mfe555]

Having realized of how little use the original function was, I suggest we don't make it configurabe but go for the patch you have submitted.

Flaps, can you write a friendly mail to the developers mailing list?

[thomasBa]

The argument has been aired that if I want to use the player blind in my pocket, I should just insure I put it away on the WPS. Unfortunately, sometimes I forget. Sometimes buttons get pressed in my pockets. Sometimes, when I reach into my pocket to do something I press the wrong buttons, and now I don't know how to get back to WPS without looking.

I just read through the whole discussion and must say, I completely agree with mattofdoom's post. That the home button gets you to the last screen is not very helpful and most of my friends are incapable of using the rockbox firmware, so that I boot the OF.
I really would like to try out the posted patch. But I think I'm not able to compile the code myself. Would there be anybody so nice and compile the patch together with the latest rockbox version? The posted one is an older firmware.

And another point was mentioned in the beginning of the discussion: The home button does nothing in radio or recording mode. This feels a little bit strange. Is this intended to be in this way?

Best Regards!
Thomas

[funman]

I would say that generally the keymap on Sansa Clip just sucks in multiple regards.

The two worst screens for me are recording and FM

Any improvement in the form of a patch is more than welcome

[sandwich600]

I really would like to try out the posted patch. But I think I'm not able to compile the code myself. Would there be anybody so nice and compile the patch together with the latest rockbox version? The posted one is an older firmware.

I would love to get my hands on that too, to escape this keymap pain.  RB is great but somewhat  hampered by strict internal politics, which militates against cross-platform usability IMO.  It is similar in some ways to the Linux kernel project, which is also cross platform. But Linux is more open to change and flourishes accordingly. 

Maybe the RB GUI should be a separate project.  RB devs would then be free of worry about trivial button matters on a bunch of $20 players.

[trainer]

This is in 3.11!  Thanks to Felipe (flaps)!