Keyboard Shortcuts and Web Apps

When I tried to hide the browser window using the “Command + H” key combination, something unexpected happened. The “Find and Replace” window popped up inside the app

Ghastly. In my own web app development I’ve made frequent use of keyboard shortcuts—pressing ⌦ to delete a selection, ⎋ to cancel out of a dialog, et cetera—but never have I overridden a browser’s own shortcuts.

And if overriding a certain shortcut were necessary, I would at least hope to make it platform-specific.

clarko

Chris Clark is an interaction designer in Vancouver, BC. Chris hits the Twitter like Sonny hits trees, and rumor has it he likes Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain.

This link and the associated commentary were first published here on November 14, 2008.